Wedding craft ideas: make your own homemade floating candle centerpieces

Your wedding day is rapidly approaching. You’ve found the perfect dress, ordered the flowers, and reserved the reception hall. With all of the “big stuff” planned, you are down to the last details. Included in your last minute plans, may be the centerpieces for your reception dinner. Floating candle centerpieces are easy to create and there are many options you can apply to personalize them for your wedding day.

Whether you are planning a casual or a more elaborate wedding you will need a centerpiece design that suites your style. The first step in designing your centerpieces is to bring your entire wedding plans together. What are your colors? Do you have any themes? For example, if you are married away at a tropical location, you may want to incorporate some of the tropics into your reception. What type of ambiance are you looking for? Is your wedding more casual, or formal?

You will also need to know the details of the reception hall. How many tables will you be having? What size are the tables? If they are banquet size tables, are you going to place one or multiple centerpieces on them? What colors are the linens that the hall uses, or do you bring in your own? One of the easiest ways to complete a project without any setbacks is to get all of the details first. Once this has been organized, it is time to start the centerpieces!

1. The first piece needed is the base of the centerpiece. Small mirrors work wonderful as bases. They add a touch of elegance that is not too overpowering, even for casual receptions. If you wish, you can add some type of confetti, or loose flower petals to the base. Just be sure that you do not over do any extras. You want, at the minimum, a glimpse of the base. Other possible bases could include a swatch of fabric, such as a silk or a gauzy material, a decorative plate, or they can be placed directly a linen tablecloth. You could also place a plain box underneath a sheet of fabric to raise the centerpiece a bit off the table. There are so many possibilities, so if none of the suggestions fit what you are looking for, go through a stroll through a home store or craft store.

2. After you have the base, you need to determine what type of bowl you are going to use. Make sure the bowl and the base fit together, merging into one piece. It should not look like a bowl clumsily balancing on a base. In order to get the full effect of the floating candles it is best to use a glass bowl, or another transparent material. Be sure that whatever material you use is not flammable. The tables may get bumped when people shuffle through the hall; you want to know that the candle can hit the side of the bowl, without causing any alarm. You can use tinted, or etched glass for further effect; however, try to stay away from anything that is too dark, or too distracting. You can add a touch of color to a plain bowl by using colored marbles on the bottom, or by adding a touch of food coloring to the water. Again, if you add any extras into the bowl, check for flammability.

3. Now is the time to find candles. Be sure to consider the size of the bowl in which they will be floating. Do not over crowd them. They are supposed to be able to move about the container. If you are in doubt, just use one candle per bowl. There is a simple beauty in the glow of a single floating candle. Always check out the candles before you purchase them. Be sure to consider the burn time. You don’t want to buy candles that will not even make it through dinner. If you choose to have a fragrance candle, make sure the smell is not too strong before you purchase them. The best way to do this is to buy one package and take them home for a smell test before buying anymore. Light the candle and let it burn out. This way you will be able to check the burn time, as well as the smell. If the one candle is over powering, you should switch to a lighter scent, or a fragrance free candle.

4. Once the basic centerpiece is complete, you can go back and add extras. Maybe you want to add a bow around the lip of the bowl. You can always incorporate wedding symbols into this. For example, tie two gold bands into a bow in the front of the bowl. You may want to use a ribbon that matches your bridesmaid’s dresses. Perhaps you can secure a small print of your vows, or a wedding themed bible verse to the centerpiece with the ribbon. Another option is to hot glue some small dried flowers to the point where the base and the bowl meet. This final step is the time for you to step back and observe how the centerpieces represent you and your wedding day. Do they have the right effect? Do the centerpieces fit with the mood of your wedding?

Depending on what “extras” you use the floating candle centerpiece can go from casual to formal, and everything in between. The best part is that they can be made for a relatively low expense, and they are simple to put together. You will probably want to add the water the day of the wedding, but everything else can be set-up the night before. That way, all you will have to do is delegate someone to go ahead from the wedding ceremony to the reception hall, add a bit of water to each centerpiece, which can be easily done using a watering can, and lit the floating candles. It is a no worry part of your wedding day.