What Are Floating Candles?
As the name suggests, these candles are designed to float when placed in water. In order to float, there should be more water by weight than the weight of the candle itself. Not all candles can float, though, which is why you should be careful when browsing and purchasing. Practice shows that only round candles can float evenly when placed in a container.
Types
Reflecting the light in water, small floating candles create an elegant and relaxing ambience, so it isn’t strange knowing why they are considered the most commonly decorative item at weddings. They aren’t only stunning to look at, but they are also easy to use. They are mainly used as centrepieces or eye-catching displays as they range in appearance.
The most stunning and elegant effect with these candles can be achieved solely with round-shaped candles because of their ability to float evenly. These candles are available in a selection of sizes and heights, giving you the freedom to pick the ones that will best meet your wedding décor.
Aside from the good old tea light candles, you can also choose from the larger and bigger round candles that don’t have a metal part on their bottom. These float candles are available in a selection of models and colours, which gives you the ability to create the effect you need.
Scented vs Unscented
The last thing you should have in mind when searching for such candles is to consider whether you like scented or unscented ones. Scented candles are good because they spread a pleasant smell that can usually leave a mark in people’s minds and they will associate the same scent with a memory, in the case your wedding.
Scented candles allow for the fragrance to linger in the air for several hours, but the best of all is that these scents are usually subtle and pleasant. Unfortunately, not all people are fans of fragrances, and some of them can even experience severe headaches. But because it’s impossible to know everyone’s taste, you should either choose unscented candles that float, or you should mix them and opt for a warm vanilla scent because it’s more subtle.
Ideas on How to Decorate with Them
Generally speaking, these decorative light sources can be placed in different containers, just make sure that the water ratio is higher than the weight of the actual candles. You can choose from:
Small Round Vases
Smaller and round-shaped vases with openings are slightly wider than the candle diameter. Thanks to these features, the chosen light decorative sources will be able to float, giving a dose of romantic ambience to the place. These vases are considered extremely versatile because they can be used alone or as part of some arrangement. Usually, they are placed on tables, countertops, tabletops and candy wedding bars.
Bowls
The type of bowls used for this purpose offer a much larger surface area than vases. The best of all is that you can choose from different depths to find the one that will best suit your needs. Unlike some vases, bowls allow for the use of more than one floating candle, which allows for creating a more dazzling arrangement. Aside from using more candles, you can even add some other decorative accents that will elevate the arrangement’s look even more.
Vases of Different Kinds
While small and rounded vases can look cute and perfect for wedding arrangements, this doesn’t mean that you cannot pair them or use some other kinds of vases. The choice of vases these days is huge, ranging in type, colour, shape and design, but out of all the transparent colourless and amber glass vases are among the most commonly used options. Ideally, wedding decorators use different-sized vases in order to jazz things up even more.
DIY Containers
In case you are into DIY projects and love the idea of creating something by yourself, you can always use different-sized jars. They are perfect for those of you who want to achieve a rustic and Boho yet modern look. These jars are super cute because they can be used as lanterns and placed on trees and alongside the wedding aisle. The flickering light coming out of them won’t only create a romantic ambience but will also make your wedding look magical.
Placement
Regardless of the type of container you choose, all of them allow for being placed as centrepieces on guest tables and around the main wedding table. They can also be placed around the sweet table, at the beginning of the wedding aisle, lining up the staircase, to add light on a ladder and more or simply anywhere you think it’s convenient.
Just be mindful of their placement, especially if there will be children at the wedding. They can be a bit clumsy, so instead of risking everything to go in flame, it would be better to stay on the safe side of the story and add such luminous centrepieces only on tables.