Candles are very popular these days. People use them to scent their homes, add to a dinner table, give as gifts, incorporate into a wedding service as unity candles and memorial candles to remember those who have passed away, and for the pure, pleasurable ambiance they provide. Scented candles are a personal matter. We all have our preferences. Some enjoy food scents, i.e., hot apple pie, orange clove and banana bread. Others enjoy floral or nature scents, i.e., lavender, rose, English ivy. Scented candles quickly turn your home into an oasis, filled with your favorite scents. Scents are often tied to pleasant memories, or something you simply enjoy. Some candle scents are invigorating, such as citrus, while others are quite soothing, such as lavender.
You can purchase scented candles in a variety of forms, the most common being jarred, (in a jar, typically with a lid), and pillar candles, (which need to go on a proper base, extending beyond the diameter of the candle to avoid any wax drippings landing on your furniture).
There are those occasions which call for unscented candles, especially if your are sensitive to scent. If you like the ambiance a candle creates, but don’t want the scent, you can purchase lovely candles which won’t add any scent to your home. They also come in jars, pillars, tapers and more.
Wedding candles typically have the couples names engraved on them and are often called unity candles. They are lit during a wedding ceremony and are a beautiful keepsake. Memorial candles are very special and are also used at weddings, etc., to remember those who have passed away. They too have the name of the person, or people, engraved upon them and are a touching way to pay honor to those who are loved and no longer with us. Both unity and memorial candles are often unscented.
When purchasing candles, it’s important to make sure the wicks are lead free. Also, the old adage “You get what you pay for” often applies to candles. Look for hand-poured or hand dipped candles made from quality wax, soy or gel.
Taper candles are those you typically see in candle holders on a dinner table, mantle, or in a chandelier, etc. They are long and thin, come in a wide range of colors, and are usually unscented. Taper candles add so much to an evening of entertaining, and provide a romantic feel to any event. They cast soft, warm lighting and make any get together feel elegant- whether it’s for two, or twenty. You can use pillar candles, (tall, wider candles which sit on a base), in the same way, and they also look lovely in a fireplace on a wrought-iron, multi level holder.
Candles are no longer used out of plain necessity. They are, and will continue to be, a special added touch to your home, wedding, special occasion and make wonderful gifts.
