Wedding Table Centerpieces with Candles
Candlelight is one of the simplest wedding table centerpieces: a few gold votives around a low arrangement look finished on every table. Three holder sets are below, then how to choose, how many you need and the venue rules to check.
3 curated picks, all available on Amazon
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Small open bowls of crystal beads on a gold-tone base that catch the light on reception tables. Use them with LED tea lights rather than open flames, or tuck in a few tiny blooms.
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Thirty-six speckled gold mercury-glass votives, about 2.2 inches wide and 2.6 inches tall, for regular votive candles, or tea lights under 1.5 inches across. Candles are not included, so test one candle for fit before buying in bulk. Suits a large reception where every table needs several.
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Twelve gold mercury-glass votives, about 2.2 inches wide and 2.7 inches tall, for votives, tea lights or LED tea lights, and listed as dishwasher safe. Suits a smaller reception, a sweetheart table or the cake table.
View on AmazonHow to choose candle centerpieces
Check the venue’s flame rules first
Some venues allow real candles only inside glass, and some do not allow open flames at all. Ask before you buy. If real flames are out, LED tea lights (small battery candles that glow without a flame) work in all three sets here. The VINCIGANT listing says its crystal holders are not for open flames, so use LED tea lights in them.
Tea lights or votives
Tea lights are small candles in metal cups; votives are taller and usually burn longer. Check the burn time on the candle box against the length of your reception. The LETINE holders take regular votives, or tea lights under 1.5 inches across, and the Volens holders take votives, tea lights or LED tea lights. Candles are sold separately.
Outdoors, plan for wind
A breeze can blow out a tea light in an open holder, and both mercury-glass listings describe their holders as indoor pieces. For a garden or patio reception, use LED tea lights or ask the venue what it recommends.
Mercury glass or crystal
Mercury glass has a speckled, antiqued gold finish that hides the candle and warms the light, which suits romantic, vintage and candlelit evening weddings. Crystal beads throw sparkle and read more glamorous. They mix well: crystal at the head table, mercury glass on the guest tables.
Keep it low
All three holders are under 3 inches tall, so guests can still see each other across the table. Pair them with a low floral arrangement, a garland of greenery or a lace runner rather than something that blocks the view.
Set sizes
The LETINE holders come in sets of 6, 24, 36 or 48, and the Volens in sets of 12 or 24, so one order can cover a large reception. The VINCIGANT holders come in packs of 4, 8, 12 or 16, so you can add a few for sparkle without buying for every table.
How many candle holders to buy
There is no fixed rule. Three to five votives on each round guest table is a common starting point; long banquet tables need more along their length. Count your tables and multiply:
| Guest tables | 3 per table | 5 per table |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | 24 | 40 |
| 12 | 36 | 60 |
| 15 | 45 | 75 |
Then add holders for the sweetheart or head table, the cake table, the guest book table and the bar. For example, 12 tables with 3 votives each is one LETINE box of 36 plus a few spares, and a 4-pack of VINCIGANT crystal holders covers the head table.
How to use them at the reception
- Put the candles in the holders before the day. With LED tea lights, test them and pack spares.
- Ask one person or the venue team to light or switch on every candle before guests walk in, and agree who collects the holders at the end of the night. With a box of 36, keep the box and give one person the job of counting them back in.
- Group them in threes around a low arrangement, or space them evenly along a runner on long tables.
- To clean wax out of glass votives afterwards, a short time in the freezer helps it pop out.
Common questions
How many candles do I need per wedding table?
Three to five low votives on each round table is a common starting point, with more along long tables. Remember the head table, cake table and guest book table too.
Are real candles allowed at wedding venues?
It depends on the venue. Some allow real flames only inside glass, and some do not allow them at all, so ask before you buy. LED tea lights are the safe fallback and fit all three sets here.
What is mercury glass?
Glass with a speckled, mirror-like metallic finish that looks antiqued. It softens candlelight and gives a warm gold glow.
Do candle holders come with candles?
Usually not. The LETINE listing says candles are not included, so plan to buy tea lights, votives or LED tea lights separately.