Candlelight is one of the most effective ways to elevate the mood and aesthetic of an event. To get the most from your candles, both visually and functionally, burn technique matters. Whether you are designing a wedding tablescape or curating a multi-room experience, these professional burn practices will help you avoid common mistakes and keep every flame controlled, bright and long lasting for the entire duration of your event!

General Tips

• Placement:  Consider the air-flow in the space while designating candle placement.  Avoid areas under AC vents or where there is strong air-flow.  Utilize hurricane glasses where drafts cannot be avoided.  Take extreme care when using candles alongside floral arrangements, fabric drapery, or other flammables.  
• Safety: Make sure your event or venue is equipped with fire-extinguishers and/or fire-blankets.  Light candle arrangements from back to front to avoid reaching over lit candles as you work.  Don’t leave lit candles unattended and keep away from children and pets.
• Tools and Accessories:  Long reach and goose neck lighters can make lighting many candles a more manageable task.  Additionally candle care accessories like a candle douter (snuffer), trimmer, wick dipper are helpful in maintaining an optimal burn and extinguishing flames.  Taper holders and pillar plates are a must, select sizes that work for your setting and protect your surfaces from heat and spills. 
• Extinguishing:  Use a candle douter or wick dipper to extinguish candles.  The best method to extinguish pillar candles and minimize smoke is to use the wick dipper to dunk the wick into the wax pool and lift it back out. The douter is best utilized for tapers and harder to reach candles, avoid touching the candle with the tool, and hold for 3-5 seconds to remove oxygen from the flame.  
• Clean Up:  If you need to remove wax from holders or pillar plates, try freezing the items. Beeswax shrinks and becomes brittle when cooled, allowing it to be more easily removed.  A light film of wax and soot can be cleaned with hot soapy water.  If wax spills onto table linens, avoid rubbing it in.  Allow the spill to set in place, then apply ice until the wax becomes brittle and can be chipped or peeled away, before washing. (wax spills may cause oil-like stains that are difficult to launder, so take care to avoid spills.)   

Taper Candles

• Wicks: Always trim to ¼ inch before burning. Untrimmed wicks lead to high flames, soot, and dripping.
  
• Burn Duration: When burned correctly, our beeswax tapers burn an hour per inch, so 10-14 hours depending on the length selected. This is important to consider when reflecting on how long your event will go for.
  
• Temperature Sensitivity: In warm climates or sunlit spaces, keep candles cool prior to lighting. Beeswax softens in heat, which accelerates burning, encourages dripping, and can shorten burn duration.
  
• Support: Use snug, upright holders. Even a slight tilt can cause  the candle to burn unevenly and the wax may spill .
  
• When to Retire: Extinguish when flames reach 1–2 inches above the holder. Never let a taper burn to the base - it can damage linens or holders.

Pillar Candles

• Initial Burn: To prevent tunneling, always burn for at least 3 hours, or until the wax pool nears the edges.
• Wick Maintenance: Trim the wick to ¼ inch before each use. This minimizes smoke and prevents carbon buildup at the wick which causes smoke or excessive flickering.
  
• Burn Duration: When burned correctly, our beeswax pillars burn for 60-90 hours depending on which size is selected. 
• Stability: Always place pillar candles on a level, heat-safe surface with a protective base or plate.
  
• When to Retire: Extinguish when the candle is roughly ½ inch from the base or if the integrity of the outer edge is at risk,to prevent the pool of wax from leaking which could damage surroundings. 

Hurricane Jars

• Airflow: Good airflow is essential inside a hurricane jar to avoid overheating - which leads to dripping and a possible mess. Elevate the jar slightly with a bumper or stand to allow air to circulate from below.
• Glass Care: Keep jar rims clean from soot or wax before using, and never move the jar while the wax is hot.
  
• Placement:

  Use hurricane candles where stability is key - ideal for patios, low tables, and high-traffic areas where an open flame needs shielding.

With these expert burn techniques, your event candles will glow brighter, burn cleaner, and last longer - ensuring your celebration is flawlessly illuminated from beginning to end.

If you have any additional burn questions, please send them to hello@moandcohome.com

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