You know I am a supporter of DIY so this isn’t going to be a DIY bash. It is however, going to point out some of the things that the amateur should know that the pros already do.
Candle centerpieces are a pretty, cost effective way to decorate your wedding reception. This one from last Saturday is an example of one that the bride did herself (sort of*).
Now let me tell you what could have been done to make it spectacular.
Something the pros know that amateurs don’t, is that those candle should have been dripless and protected from drafts. As soon as the hotel’s event manager saw them he had the staff extinguish every one of those tall tapers. Why you ask? Because before they even got all the tables lit they had burnt half way down and dripped wax all over the table cloth. Notice there is nothing under the candle like a mirror or sheet of glass.
See the way these flames are blowing in the draft of the air-conditioning?
Second, there are way too many. Candles provide a lot more illumination in reality than they do in your imagination. We had to dim the lights so far down that you could barely see the amazing chandelier that usually dominates the room and makes it such a special place. You could have eliminated a third of these and had a much nicer effect overall.
The other thing that takes away from the look is the lack of continuity in all the very different candle holders. Creating an effective candlescape is more than just collecting as many different shapes and colors as you can.
Take a look at this one from a pro.
Here is what’s different.
- There are only 2 different styles of candle holders, the tall ones and the votives.
- The blue is carried through all the tall ones.
- All the flames are protected from drafts so they burn cleanly.
- There are fewer candles and they have “breathing room”.
- Small flower arrangement help to soften the look.
- Mirrored tiles are used to both reflect the light and protect the linens
- The shape of the glasses match the shape of the candle holders. Small thing, but it makes a huge difference.
Here is the one other thing that I want to tell you about this stuff.
When a pro does this, they know how to pack this stuff so it gets back to the shop safely. The glass pieces arrive in their own boxes and those boxes are there at the end of the night so repacking at the end of the event is a breeze.
Not on this one. We packed this up as best we could but tissue paper and Ikea bags are no substitute for proper packaging.
*By sort of, what I mean is that the candles were left for the florist to arrange and the break down was left for the wedding planner. I hope they both charged accordingly. This was a ton of work.
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