Hosting your ceremony and/or reception outdoors or under a tent is a great way to save energy and cut costs. It also creates a convivial, natural vibe among partygoers. But, unless you’re holding your event in the morning or afternoon on a sunny, cloudless day, you’re going to need at least some light. Chandeliers and tin can lights—two party rental staples—require electricity to power. Even string lights are going to need an outlet (unless they’re solar, that is, which most aren’t). Not only can this drive up the price of your location’s site fee, it can also contribute to the ecological destruction, air and water pollution and increased occurrence of cancer that accompany the extraction of coal, the natural resource that accounts more than 50% of America’s energy consumption. Plus—to bring it back to a more immediate concern—no one wants a bunch of unsightly cords lying around to take away from the décor, or worse, trip an unsuspecting guest.
Candles are an obvious alternative, but as a stand-alone light source, they pose their own set of risks—fire, hot wax, you get the picture. That’s why we love these genius little luminaries.
Real Weddings couple Shannon and Jay employed votive candles anchored in rocks and shielded by glass hurricane lamps to cast a softer, more atmospheric glow onto their wedding. These would look great on a table, lining a walkway or scattered in small clusters wherever light is needed. (Just be sure to use beeswax or soy candles, as paraffin, a petroleum by-product, is about as safe as car exhaust or second-hand smoke.) And while energy costs are skyrocketing, biodegradable wax candles run about $16 for a pack of 12 and burn cleanly for 10-12 hours. Guess you could say we’ve seen the light.
