Illuminate Your Table Centerpieces with Candles: Safety Tips and Ideas

When you picture a romantic scene, candlelight and flowers are the first to come to mind. So when planning wedding day decor, consider incorporating the warm glow of candles and the soft elegance of florals into your design scheme.

Wedding table centerpieces are one of the best ways to visually tie together your wedding theme and add ambiance to the reception space. From towering candelabras to delicate tealights, let us introduce you to different ways to use candles and our favorite candle ideas for wedding centerpieces to inspire your creativity.

How do you incorporate candles into a wedding?

Lighting is an essential part of creating ambiance on your wedding day. Using candles as a light source is a great way to design a mood and quickly elevate the romance of a space.

While we are focused on candles for table centerpieces today, you can easily add candle accents to every part of your wedding, from the ceremony altar space to the cake table and beyond. Try lining your ceremony aisle with lanterns or place pillar candles on pedestals at the wedding entrance. Some couples even incorporate a candle ceremony into their wedding vows. However you decide to use them, candles always bring an air of romance.

What types of candles are good for wedding decor?

There are tons of candle types to choose from with varying heights, styles, and burn times. Some candles to consider as you’re deciding on decor include the following. 

• Pillar Candles. These candles are thick, column-like, and can stand without a container. They can come in various heights, allowing you to use multiple styles in your display.

• Tea Lights. These small candles sit in a rounded dish about 1 ½ inches in diameter. They’re ideal for adding a cozy glow to a display without overpowering your other decorations. 
• Votives. These small white candles are slightly larger than a tea light and sit in a glass container. They’re often used in religious ceremonies, but can also make gorgeous decorations.
  

• Tapered Candles. These candles are long and narrow, ending with a tapered tip. They’re the quintessential romantic table candle!

• Flameless Candles. These candles get their glow from batteries rather than fire. So, you can use them in places you wouldn’t want an open flame. 
• Lanterns. You can place nearly any type of candle inside a lantern to amplify your cozy lighting for a low-effort display.
  

Stick with one style, or combine a few for an eclectic candle centerpiece display. 

How do you display candles on a table?

Candles can either be the focal point of your centerpiece decor or accent features that elevate the ambiance of a floral arrangement or other creative design. When planning your tablescape, think of vessels that tie into your wedding theme or color palette, and what kind of focal height you envision. 

As far as placement goes, for round wedding tables candles are typically displayed in the center while for rectangular tables candles work well across the length of the table. Do a mock-up of your candle ideas for wedding centerpieces and find what works best — you might decide to swap out a tealight for a votive or want to add more height with towering tapers. Play with the layout until you get it just right!

17 Creative Candle Centerpiece Ideas

Illuminate your wedding table centerpieces with one (or more) of these stunning ideas for candle decoration:

Greenery-Draped Lanterns with Floral Accents

Nothing throws ambient light quite like a glass-encased lantern. When you decorate it with arching greenery and romantic roses, you have the perfect recipe for an impactful wedding table centerpiece that glows with romantic ambiance.

Elegant Tapers with Repurposed Stemware

Add translucent height to your wedding tables with this easy DIY centerpiece hack. We used florals from the Garden Blush collection and delicate peach-colored tapered candles, but you can customize the design with any color scheme to fit your wedding day. All you need is a supply of stemmed glassware and a little creativity to bring this look to life.

Dusty Rose & Blush Wreath with Votives

Classic and beautiful, a low-lying floral and candle arrangement fills the table and leaves space for conversation during the reception. Ling’s couple Melissa and Matt created a charming and romantic tablescape with votive candles in varying heights encircled by a greenery and floral wreath that brought in their dusty rose and blush wedding theme.

Rustic Simplicity with Bud Vase Accents

Sometimes for impactful centerpieces, less is more. Ling’s couple Micayla and Kaden created a warm and inviting atmosphere with their rustic and elegant table decor. For their centerpieces, they chose minimalist bud vases filled with Sunset Terracotta flowers and flanked with the warming light of pillar candles.

Dramatic Elegance in Dusty Blue & Navy

Combining the towering height of a candelabra with an overflowing abundance of elegant flowers, this arrangement is simply breathtaking. While it may look intricate and expensive, you can recreate the design using Ling’s designer flower boxes.

Follow along with our tutorial and create your own: DIY Dusty Blue & Navy Elegant Floral Candelabra Arrangement

Vineyard-Inspired Wine Bottle Decor

Transform your leftover celebratory wine or champagne bottles into an elegant and unique candle centerpiece for your reception tables. Floral foam and flowers give new life to your bottles, and the top makes a perfect pillar candle holder.

A Festive Holiday Candle Display

Perfect for a winter wedding, this gorgeous pillar candle centerpiece is flush with florals, evergreens, and extra bling to add sparkle and light to your table decor. Try it with DIY flowers from our Christmas Sparkle color collection, or customize the color scheme to fit your wedding vision.

Ethereal Elegance in Lilac and Gold

Sometimes, your color scheme leads the way for decor choices. Ling’s couple Miyoko and Daniel incorporated a lilac and gold wedding theme into every part of their ethereal wedding day.

For the reception tables, they focused on gold with towering candlesticks and sparkling votives. They completed the romantic look with gauze pastel fabric and a sprinkle of soft rose petals. 

Natural Elements for a Unique Candle Display

Ling’s couple Nicole and Aaron brought nature inside for their sweetheart table centerpiece surrounded by autumn-hued flowers. A single candle floats above smooth river rocks in a tall glass pillar set atop a raw wood tray — a unique and inspiring idea for candle centerpieces.

A Classic Wreath and Candle Centerpiece

There’s a reason classic centerpieces never go out of style — the tried and true setup always exudes elegance. Set in the center of a eucalyptus and rose wreath, Ling’s couple Kaitlynn and Andrew combined a pillar candle, a lantern, and a gold-trimmed table number frame for a timeless tabletop centerpiece that tied together their navy blue and burgundy wedding theme.

Table Runners with a Seasonal Fall Flair 

You only need a few simple elements to create a charming banquet table with seasonal inspiration. For Ling’s couple Olivia and Dominic, this meant a lush eucalyptus garland interspersed with colorful pumpkins and twinkling candles in a sophisticated nod to the fall harvest season.

Warm and Inviting Industrial Chic 

Even though it’s focused on big open spaces and lots of metal touches, the industrial style can also be warm and welcoming with charm to spare. Ling’s couple Ian and Miranda brought industrial chic to their table decor with a mix of pillar and tapered candles atop metal bases that mirrored the lofty lines of the venue and accompanying floral arrangements.

Reflecting Romance with Gold & Mirrors

Add an ambiance of golden light with a mirrored tray adorned with shimmering tea lights and candlesticks in varying heights. This reflective centerpiece is lovely as-is, or try adding extra romance with rose petals or other floral and greenery additions.

A Circle of Love in Russet Orange & Denim Blue

A single tealight elevates a hoop wreath centerpiece when flanked by stunning florals for a cozy, vintage wedding vibe. While we love the warmth of the orange and blue against the metal hoop, this centerpiece will look simply stunning in any of our designer color collections.

Wreath Hoops with a Whimsical Touch

For an ethereal table centerpiece where the candles inspire thoughts of floating fireflies in the garden, try this wreath hoop with hanging tea lights and floral accents.

For instructions on how to make your own, check out our DIY Wedding Hoop Centerpiece Tutorial

Rustic Style Incorporating Natural Materials 

Using natural materials gives wedding decor a cozy and rustic touch. To bring that softness to your tablescape, consider adding pillar candles wrapped in earthy materials like rattan or seagrass for welcoming warmth. 

Christmas Red & Sparkle Display

Perfect for a holiday wedding theme, this votive set centerpiece on a bed of glass rocks evokes the glistening snow and ice of wintry months. Delicate touches of evergreen branches, winter berries, and pinecones complete the mood for a festive Christmas-themed wedding. 

Quick Tips For Candle Safety

Everyone loves a flickering candle to set the mood, but it’s a good idea to remember some safety tips to keep the flames from stealing your spotlight on the big day:

• Keep your gorgeous florals and greenery away from direct flame
• Candles should never be left unattended
  
• Utilize heat-resistant surfaces for your candles
  
• Follow manufacturer guidelines for lighting candles

What if my wedding venue doesn’t allow open flames? 

If you love the gentle glow of candlelight but your venue has a strict no-flame policy, you can still get the look you love by opting for battery-operated candles. Flameless candles are available in everything from tealights to tapers and can give you the romantic mood you want without worrying about candle safety. 

Wedding Candle FAQ

Are you still deciding whether candle centerpieces are right for your wedding decor? We’ve got answers to all your burning wedding candle centerpiece idea questions:

How do you make a candle centerpiece?

Wedding table centerpieces with candles can be as simple or elaborate as you like. It’s as easy as ordering candles and holders or as involved as creating each candle centerpiece by hand. Check out our DIY Tutorials for detailed tips and how-tos for candle and flower wedding centerpieces. 

How do you make a candle look pretty?

Candles are lovely solo thanks to their cozy warm glow, but you can easily add some extra elegance by opting for fancy candle holders or adding florals and greenery around your candle display. How much or how little customization you want to do is up to you!

How do you add decorations to candles?

Dig into your DIY toolbox to glam up your candle centerpieces. Craft glue, floral foam, zip ties, and more will help you light up the candles with extra bling. Try creating a ring of flowers around the base of a candle, add paint to a mason jar, or attach rhinestones to a pillar candle.

How do you personalize a candle?

Giving candles a personal touch could mean anything from adding a charm that holds a special meaning for you, or monogramming initials onto the front of a glass pillar candle holder. You can order custom candles from retailers or even DIY decor at home with a Cricut. 

How many candles should be on a wedding table?

Is there such a thing as too many candles? We say no! There’s no high or low limit to how many candles are on your wedding table. Consider the overall vibe and other decor elements when determining your candle number sweet spot.

Are candle centerpieces cheaper than flowers?

Not necessarily! If you’re working with a small budget, a combination of candles and flowers is more than doable. To get the most out of your wedding budget, consider using artificial flowers as part of your candle centerpieces for an elegant and affordable decor option. 

Light Up Your Candle Centerpiece Ideas with Ling’s 

Dress up your candle centerpieces with flowers from Ling’s Moment. With endless options for premade and DIY, you can customize your wedding decor with lush florals and elegant accessories to make your venue shine. Explore our color collections and decor choices and find inspiration for your candles with flower centerpieces. 

Be sure to share your finished designs with us on Instagram @lingmsoment — we love to see how you use our decor to bring your ideas for candle decoration to life!