Are Candles A Good Wedding Favor?

The tradition of giving wedding favors dates back centuries in European aristocracy and upper classes. As early as the 16th century in England, guests were given small gifts like perfumes or pastries to represent the couple’s love bond. Over time, this evolved into the custom of providing wedding favors for all guests as a token of appreciation for attending the celebration. The tradition became especially popular during the Victorian era and has continued to be a staple at most weddings today.

Wedding favors are small gifts given to guests, often placed at each place setting or handed out at the end of the reception. They represent gratitude for the guests’ presence and well wishes for the newly married couple. Common wedding favors include candles, candy, photo frames, matches, seeds, charity donations, and more. While not mandatory, wedding favors add a special touch and lasting memento of the celebration.

Pros of Candle Favors

Candle favors offer numerous benefits that make them a popular choice for many couples. Here are some of the key pros to consider:

Aesthetic Appeal: Candles add a romantic and elegant touch to any wedding. Their soft glow enhances the ambiance and beauty of the event. Candles come in various colors, shapes and sizes so couples can find options that fit their wedding theme and style perfectly. The visual appeal of candles is a major plus.

Scent Options: Scented candles infuse weddings with lovely fragrances. Couples can pick candles with scents that match their personalities and preferences, like floral, citrus, vanilla and more. Scented candles create a pleasant aroma that guests will enjoy and remember. It’s a subtle but impactful sensory detail.

Personalization Potential: Many candle vendors allow customization with the couple’s names, wedding date, monogram or short phrase. This personal touch makes candle favors more unique and meaningful as keepsakes. Personalized details distinguish a candle favor from an ordinary gift.

Sources: https://www.theknot.com/content/candle-wedding-favors, https://www.partylite.com/our-community/post/candles-wedding-favours

Cons of Candle Favors

While candles can make a classic and elegant wedding favor, they also come with some potential downsides to consider:

Candles as wedding favors can be seen as cliché or unoriginal by some guests, especially if they are simple votive or tealight candles with minimal decoration or personalization. According to a blog post on wedding favors from Four Oaks Manor, favors that are overdone or generic may end up being a waste of money.

If candles are lit and left burning, they can pose a potential fire hazard or danger to guests who may knock them over accidentally. Small children in attendance would need supervision around lit candles.

Candles require the guest to carry an additional item with them as they leave the reception. If favors are not useful or consumed at the event, they may simply be left behind by guests who don’t want an extra thing to keep track of.

Candle Safety Tips

Here are some key candle safety tips to keep in mind when using candles at your wedding:

• Use votive or pillar candles which are enclosed in glass containers instead of taper candles. The glass helps protect the flame from drafts and prevents wax from dripping (source: https://www.eventswholesale.com/safety-tips-for-wedding-candles/).
• Avoid lighting candles until right before the reception starts. This prevents them from burning too long and dripping wax everywhere (source: https://tableart.net.au/safely-use-candles-at-wedding-event-venue/).
• Provide candle snuffers to quickly extinguish the candles at the end of the night.

Following basic precautions like these can help minimize fire hazards and keep your wedding candles beautiful.

Popular Candle Favor Options

There are several popular types of candles that make great wedding favors.

Votives

Votive candles are a classic and affordable option. These small candles are usually around 1-3 inches tall and 0.5-1 inches wide. They come in glass or metal containers and burn for 5-10 hours. Votives allow you to add decoration and personalization. They work well displayed in bulk at each place setting or individually wrapped. Popular brands for votive candles include Yankee Candle and Colonial Candle (Etsy).

Tapers

Taper candles are long, thin candles designed to fit into candle holders. They create an elegant tablescape when placed in candlesticks or candelabras. Tapers are available in a range of sizes from 4 inches to 3 feet. For favors, 6-8 inch tapers are common. You can tie ribbons around the tapers or add other decorative elements. These give a traditional, romantic vibe. Good taper candle brands to check out are333Store (ForeverWeddingFavors) and Villeroy & Boch.

Scented Jars

Scented candle jars make wonderful favors that guests can enjoy at home. Popular scents include vanilla, lavender, citrus, and seasonal options like pumpkin spice. Look for quality soy or beeswax formulas. Jars range from 2-8 ounces. You can find affordable bulk options at World Market and higher-end brands like Nest and Voluspa. For a personalized touch, look for companies that allow custom labeling such asAGGiftCo (TheKnot).

Creative Ways to Present Candles

When it comes to presenting candle favors at a wedding, there are many creative options to consider beyond just handing out a plain pillar candle. Here are some of the most popular creative ways to give candles as wedding favors:

Mini Lanterns

Mini lanterns make for a cute and practical way to present candle favors. Small glass or metal lanterns can have a tealight or votive candle inside, and you can tie pretty ribbon around the handle. Lanterns protect the candle flame while also adding a decorative element. They work especially well for outdoor weddings.

Glass Jars

Mason jars or other small glass jars make excellent candle holders. You can place a tealight or votive inside and decorate the jar with twine, lace, ribbons, raffia, or other embellishments that match your wedding theme. The candle can be nestled inside the jar alongside dried flowers, seashells, or beads for extra decoration.

Boxes with Ribbon

For a clean, minimalist look, pillar candles or votives can be placed inside simple white boxes tied up with ribbon. Use ribbon in your wedding colors, and add a small tag or label with your names and the date. The box keeps the candle neat and contained while still allowing the charm of the ribbon and tag to shine.

Candle Alternatives

Candles present certain safety risks and rules that may turn some couples off from using them as wedding favors. Luckily, there are many creative alternatives to candles that will be appreciated by guests. Here are some of the most popular favor options besides candles:

Edible favors are a crowd-pleaser. Homemade cookies, chocolates, or other treats that reflect the couple’s tastes are a delicious and unique take-home gift. Packaged snacks, jam, honey, coffee, and candy also make tasty and affordable favors. Couples can get creative and provide recipes, ingredients, or serving pieces to incorporate an interactive element.

Wedding favors that include seeds, seedlings, or miniature plants represent new growth and the relationship blossoming into marriage. Succulents, herbs, wildflower mixes, and even bonsai trees can serve as living mementos. Charitable donations in lieu of favors are also meaningful for eco-conscious and philanthropic couples. Contributions can be made to various causes in the names of guests.

Factors to Consider

When choosing candle favors for your wedding, there are a few key factors to keep in mind:

Venue rules – Many venues have restrictions on open flames and may not allow candles at all. Be sure to check with your venue before planning on candle favors. Consider flameless candles as an option if regular candles are prohibited. According to The Knot, flameless candles make great keepsake favors that can be personalized and reused after the wedding. [1]

Budget – Candles can range dramatically in price from inexpensive votives to elaborate scented candles in customized tins. Decide what fits into your overall wedding favor budget. The typical recommendation is to allocate 3-5% of total wedding costs on favors. [2]

Season/theme – Choose candle scents and packaging that align with your wedding season and theme. For example, citrus scents for a summer wedding or pine scents for a winter wedding. Or customize the appearance to match your wedding colors and style.

Expert Opinions

Wedding planners often have creative ideas when it comes to selecting and presenting wedding favors like candles. Here are some of their recommendations:

Sarah Ackerman, lead wedding planner at Blissful Day Weddings says, “I love having couples customize their candles with cute sayings like ‘Don’t forget to leave a little spark’ or ‘Thanks for lighting up our special day.’ It adds a really personal touch.” (Source)

Elizabeth Brown, owner of Forever Events Wedding Planning suggests, “Candles can make such a lovely favor when presented well. I like to place them in pretty glass containers tied with ribbon and a tag that reads something like ‘Love grows in the light of understanding.’” (Source)

Overall, experienced wedding planners emphasize choosing meaningful sayings and attractive, creative packaging to make candle favors special keepsakes for guests.

Conclusion

When considering candles as wedding favors, there are several pros and cons to weigh. Candles can provide a warm, romantic ambiance and lovely decorative element to a wedding reception. They are also relatively affordable and easy to customize. However, safety issues like open flames and hot wax may make candles seem like less than ideal keepsake gifts. There are also environmental concerns around paraffin wax. Ultimately, it comes down to your theme, budget and crowd. Small candles in safe containers can work well for some weddings, while others may prefer useful alternate favors.

If you do opt for candle favors, go for quality materials like soy wax in tin containers. Include safety instructions and warnings. Place them at a safe distance from guests on tables. Floating candles or LED candles provide ambiance without open flames. For a special touch, add custom labels with photos, poems or quotes.

But there are many charming non-candle favors worth considering too. Edible treats like chocolates, cookies or mini pies are popular. Plantable wildflower seed packets offer an eco-friendly option. Or get creative with personalized bottles of hot sauce, honey, olive oil or maple syrup for guests to take home. Whichever favor you choose, it’s most meaningful when it reflects the spirit of your wedding.

Candles can be a classic, elegant wedding favor with the right precautions. But weigh the pros and cons carefully for your particular event before deciding. If the safety risks or environmental impact are concerning, explore alternate favor ideas that better suit your wedding.