Nothing adds a touch of magic to a wedding venue quite like thoughtfully chosen candle arrangements.
Their soft, cozy glow creates an air of intimacy. Some candles lend sophistication, while others gear you up for a wild celebration. With so many colors to choose from, candles can tie together any decorative theme.
But there’s a catch. Some wedding venues don’t allow open flames!
Thankfully, there’s an easy solution that lets you carry on with your dream décor without breaking the rules: put your candles in glass hurricane candle holders.
By the way, we have a candle line that’s absolutely perfect for glass hurricane candle holders! We’ll tell you more down below…
What is a hurricane candle holder?
A typical hurricane candle holder is a glass cylinder with a domed top that you place over the top of a candle. It keeps the flame from being blown out by a draft, and helps you get a clean, consistent burn that lasts the night.
As well as protecting your candle, your hurricane will also reflect the flickering candlelight. This intensifies its glow and creates the dramatic, dreamlike atmosphere that every wedding deserves.
You can use a glass hurricane candle holder with all sorts of candles, from tiny votives to tall tapers and chunky pillars. They’re a great way to bring warmth and style to your other decorative centerpieces.
How tall should a candle in a hurricane be?
Just as candles come in all shapes and sizes, the same is true for hurricane candle holders. So, it’s important to match your hurricane to the candle you choose.
A tiny candle in a huge hurricane might be a bit underwhelming (or a chance to get seriously creative depending on your artistic spirit!). But using a holder that’s too small can be a big problem.
As a general rule, you need to leave at least 1” of space between the candle and the inside edge of your glass hurricane candle holder.
That’s because the tighter the space becomes, the hotter it gets. And when your holder gets too hot, it can cause your candle to burn faster or melt unevenly.
One great idea is to use a candle with a narrow diameter, as these stay far away from the edge.
Our 3-packs of petite pillar candles are a super popular choice for wedding planners and couples-to-be who want to decorate with hurricanes. These pillars are just 2” in diameter, so they have plenty of space to burn without overheating or melting into the holder.
Even better, we’ve just added the people’s favorite Paris Gray color to our petite pillar line! Now you can bring the ultimate in peerless elegance and classic style to your upcoming wedding.
How to clean hurricane candle holders
If your candle is too tall or the holder gets disturbed, it can lead to wax collecting on the inside of your hurricane.
This can be a big hassle for party planners in particular, since they reuse hurricanes across events. And nobody wants to spend hours removing wax and cleaning holders after every wedding!
There are a lot of ways to clean glass candle holders with a lot of wax left inside.
You can scrape it out, freeze it, soften it with a hairdryer, melt it in the oven… But all of these take time. And when you need to clean out dozens of candle holders, you want to get the job done fast.
When it comes to cleaning multiple glass hurricane candle holders, here’s the best way to remove wax:
- Use a butter knife or spoon to scrape away as much wax as you can. (Don’t use anything with a sharp edge, as this can damage the glass.)
- Lay a kitchen towel on a flat surface. Then put a large heat-resistant container on top of it and place your hurricanes inside.
- Fill the container with boiling water until it covers the wax.
- Leave the containers in the water until the wax begins to soften.
- Carefully remove the glass from the hot water using heat-resistant gloves.
- Use your butter knife or spoon to loosen the remaining wax and dispose of it.
- Rinse the freshly cleaned holders with warm soapy water.
A quick word of warning: if you leave the wax in the hot water for too long, it’ll melt completely and coat the inside of your containers. That makes them extremely difficult to clean!
If this happens, remove the glass from the water and let the wax start to solidify. Once it’s at the right level of softness, continue with steps 6 and 7.
How to decorate hurricane candle holders
While hurricanes often look beautiful by themselves, you can make them absolutely jaw dropping with some simple decorative tips. Here are a few of our favorites!
Fill them
Your candle doesn’t have to sit at the bottom of your hurricane. Try adding a layer of soil, pebbles, seashells, grains, hazelnuts, or anything else non-flammable to match your wedding theme, and sit your candle on top.
If you’re using a tall taper, you might be worried about space. In this case, put your candle at the bottom and carefully build your display around its base.
Wrap them
Most hurricanes are clear. But why stay that way?
Wrap the outside of your holder in thin fabric, decorative paper, or even flexible radiator sheeting with a tasteful geometric pattern. The flickering of your candle will still shine through, and you’ll have a truly unique piece that will look great forever in the photos.
Decorate the tray
Put one or more hurricanes on a tray, then fill it with decorative items.
You could take some ideas from filling the holder, like using pebbles or seashells. But since these will be outside of the glass and away from the flame, you have a lot more freedom in what you use.
This is a great opportunity to include a floral display or even seasonal foliage to your candle arrangement. You can even extend this out across the table for a fully cohesive piece.
What are the best candles for a glass hurricane candle holder?
With so many hurricanes to choose from, you can make a wedding display with any candles you like! But no matter what style you prefer, the best candles for a glass hurricane candle holder are those that are handmade using the finest ingredients.
At Creative Candles, we believe that love moves at the speed of candlelight. Every couple’s love is different, so we carry a huge range of premium artisanal candles to suit all personal tastes.
In our online store, you’ll find tapers, pillars, votives, tealights, ball candles and more in a huge number of sizes and colors. And don’t forget about our brand new ultra-popular Paris Gray petite pillars, ideal for wedding hurricane displays!
