Table Candle Decorations for Weddings

During my sister's wedding, we used candles on the tables as part of the decorating scheme. It was a great choice, because even during the day, the colorful, stone-filled jars really helped to pull the table decorations together; and at night, the soft glow made the tables even more pretty.

Are you thinking of using candles to accent your wedding decorations? Read on to find tips for making your wedding tables really shine,as well as safety precautions that will ensure your decorations don't go up in smoke!.

... and especially with a nice wedding bonfire in the background!

Jars, Candles, and Glass Gems

We purchased a variety of different glass gems in varying shades of blue from different sources. (The dollar store is a great place to get these for not a lot of money). The smaller, the better, because some of the larger gems don't fill the containers very well.

For the containers, we were lucky enough to have a variety of different glass canning jars and candle holders on hand; you can play around with different holders until you find ones that work for you.

We got the candles from Ikea, but you can use tea candles instead, or even battery-operated candles if you prefer.

Be Gentle!

Once you have all of your materials, assembling them is a snap. Star off by filling each jar or holder with a layer of glass gems to create a layer in the bottom.

Be careful about filling the containers, especially if they are made of thin glass. We had an issue with putting these glass gems into thin glass vases we got at the dollar store!

Make Sure It's Level

Place the candle on top of the first layer of glass gems. Try and get the candle to be as level as possible. If you're using the same type of jars I did, you'll have a little extra space between the edge of the candle and the edge of the jar; use smaller gems to fill in this gap and stabilize the candle. When you're done, shake the jar gently to settle all of the gems, and add more as needed.

I didn't spend a whole lot of time on these table decorations. A few sprigs of ivy from our garden, a few strands of regular old gift ribbon, and a couple of metallic star wires from the dollar store (along with some flowers) is all it takes!

When you're using candles to decorate, especially when there can be issues with drafts or wind, you should make sure there are no chances for things to catch fire. We had a couple of strong gusts during the reception, but luckily we made sure early on that nothing was going to blow over.

1. Never leave candles unattended. This is the most important thing to keep in mind when using candles as decoration. During parties, people are often distracted; make sure at least one person is in charge of keeping an eye on the candles.
2. Watch the burn level. Candles can become dangerous when they burn too low. When the wax in a tea candle has become completely liquid, you might want to blow it out.
3. Pay attention to the candle surroundings. It's not just the candles themselves you need to be aware of. Napkins, flowers, and other table decorations can all be moved around so that they come in contact with the flame.
4. Be wary of children and other irresponsible partiers. You should always be careful about combining kids and candles, but that's not the only thing to watch for. Especially towards the end of the night, people can lose caution, potentially bumping a table or knocking things over.

The battery-powered LED lanterns you see here were also great at setting up the lighting for the wedding tables. We found them at the dollar store.

Or just say hi!