Votive candles, a popular choice for candle wedding favors, come in every scent and color imaginable, and glass votive cups can range from simple and very inexpensive to artistic and pricey. You might want to choose candles and cups to match the colors of your wedding, make them "something blue" for the bridesmaids, or personalize them to the recipient's favorite colors and scents. In this very simple way you can make three or four distinct statements.
Taper candles are elegant and can be packaged very gracefully with ribbon and tulle or colored cellophane. For honored guests, such as parents of the bride and groom, they may be paired with a special set of candlesticks. They can also be wrapped creatively with a rice-paper scroll printed with a love poem or a statement about the bride and groom.
Decorative, fancy candles in shapes such as wedding cakes, dancing couples or valentines are slightly more expensive but beautiful and often very detailed. Fine details might include representations of pearls, gold leaf and lace, combined with lovely colors. You can guarantee that these are gifts to remember and probably too beautiful to burn. These types of wedding party favor candles can be found in specialty stores, websites, and catalogs.
Floating candles are another popular choice for wedding favors. Made with a core of lightweight foam so that they float on water, these come in every shape and color imaginable. Smaller floating candles, such as those in the shape of flowers, may be paired with a glass bowl and colored glass "rocks" to create the full package for a unique centerpiece in a special guest's home.
If you choose to make the candles yourself, this is relatively easy to do. It is also a fun (supervised) activity for children. You will need paraffin wax, which can be found in the canning aisle of any grocery store, and wicking, molds, and scent and dye chips, which can be found at a craft supply store. As an alternative to molds you may want to use glass votive cups or small glass jars or bottles, which are very inexpensive. Or you may get creative with vintage teacups or bud vases from a secondhand store. Setup a double-boiler with a large can such as a coffee can (you will want something disposable, not a candy pan) and melt the paraffin wax along with scent and dye chips of your choice to a smooth liquid. Set up your mold with wicking hanging down the middle to touch the bottom and tied to a crossbar sitting on top of the mold (a popsicle stick works nicely in most cases) and pour the liquid mold to about a quarter-inch from the top. Set them aside to cool completely and trim the wick when it's done.
Not only are candles universally loved and always appropriate as a wedding favor, but they afford you the opportunity to give the gift of light. What better way to thank your guests for sharing in your special day?
