Which Floating Candles Are Right For Me?

Choosing the right floating candles can be an overwhelming task with all of the different options available. Floating candle centerpieces might seem to be extremely complex with all of their eye catching light and vibrant colors, but in reality all of the materials you need such as floating candles for centerpieces can be found online for very little money. In fact, you probably have many of the pieces needed lying around your house, such as a trifle bowl, hurricane glass, or any glass dish or bowl with a deep enough basin to hold a few quarts of water.

With a little bit of imagination and some help from the pictures below you can design a custom floating candle centerpiece that is sure to grab the attention of anyone who sees it. The beauty of floating candles is that there are options available for every season and nearly every theme you could think of. You can design your centerpiece around a set of colors, your favorite flowers, even your favorite animals or insects. Most often, if this is your first time buying floating candles for centerpieces you will want to stick with simple round candles in the color of your choice.

5 Tips For Choosing Floating Candles For Centerpieces

If this is your first time making a floating candle centerpiece there are a few differences between candles that you should be aware of. Although the appearance of the candle is important, how it reacts with other materials, if it is scented, and how long it will burn all have to be considered. Before buying any floating candles here are a few things you should watch out for.

• Size – Since relative size is very difficult to judge online, you should be aware of the diameter of the floating candle you are interested in purchasing. For a normal sized floating candle bowl, a diameter of 1.75 inches to 2.25 inches should be fine. However there are several large flower candles that can measure up to 6 inches in diameter! Larger floating candles are great for throwing into the pool to transform a generic patio party into an ambient lounge style party, however they would not work well in a small hurricane glass.
• Scent – Most floating candles are scentless, however there are a few that boast flower scents similar to the real plant. This aroma may be wonderful for a single candle, but when you have 5 or 10 in one concentrated area the scent can become overwhelming and distracting. The solution is to simply cut the number of scented floating candles with non-scented ones to control the aroma and add accents to your centerpiece.
• Burn Time – Most larger candles such as Yankee candles have a burn time in excess of 100 hours. However, due to the size and shape of floating candles for centerpieces, you may find that some don’t even last 5 hours. This is reflected by their lower price tag, however you should plan to have replacements ready should your wedding or event last longer than the suggested burn time. Don’t let this discourage you, however, even the cheap floating candles last 3-4 hours before needing replaced.
• Solid Color – One thing you should watch out for with cheap floating candles is whether or not the color is the same completely throughout the candle. Some manufacturers attempt to save money by only dying the outer layer of the candle. This is especially prevalent in darker colored pieces. Just be sure to check the item description to make sure it says they are one solid color, or contact the store just to verify if you are concerned.
• Wax Materials – Although it should affect the candle performance, for those that are eco-sensitive there are a number of manufacturers that use renewable wax materials as opposed to petroleum based products. Look for ingredients like beeswax and palm wax.

How Many Floating Candles Do I Need?

There are a number of factors that determine how many floating candles you will need for your wedding reception or event. Isolating a few of the variables will help you make a more educated guess.

• Floating Candle Bowl Size - The single most determining factor is how large the space is that you need to fill. For your average sized bowl, expect to put 3-5 floating candles without overcrowding the space.
• Accents – If you plan on using flower petals, fruit slices, or floating water beads around your candles, you need to cut back a little bit on the number you use.
• How Many Bowls – If you are having a wedding reception or dinner party, you need to determine how many centerpieces you are going to create and then multiply that by the number of candles you need in each bowl.
• Length Of Party – Depending on the length of your event you may need to double up on floating candles. With the average burn time of floating candles being around 4-5 hours you need to prepare by having extras for longer events.