The table is set with your best china. Red roses fill the room with their rich fragrance. You even pulled out your finest linen for the evening. Everything is perfect. Well, almost. You’ve forgotten one of the most key elements to setting a romantic table - candles. Every restaurant knows that after seven is the time for couples, so they dim the overheads and light that candle on the table to create a soft shimmer. The same thing is true in your own home.
Why Candles?
Yes, candles can be messy, particularly if they drip on the table or on the cloth. However, this is the only light that can flicker off of a face with that soft glow that illuminates any skin type while simultaneously creating the kind of ambiance needed for romance. Well, the same could be said for a fireplace, but candles lack the heat and can be used anywhere.
There are several easy ways to avoid the mess that candles can create. First, you can always make sure to keep them in holders designed to catch the wax. Second, buy only dripless candles. Third, cut a piece of wax paper to fit under your holder as a precaution. Fourth, and finally, fill a bowl with a material you can throw away later, like sand, which can be decorative when you need it to be, but tossed out without worry after the evening ends.
What Kind to Use?
The type of candle to use depends upon the scene you are trying to create. If your goal is something elegant, then try tapers. This is especially true when you have candelabras that can be used. Imagine this: a wonderful old oak table, two place settings, long stemmed red roses offset by six candles in two silver candelabras, crystal, silver, and linen. There is no way to deny the romance in that room.
However, simplistic may be in order as well. Maybe an old checkered table cloth, two plates of spaghetti and a single candle in an old wine bottle. Or, a little bit of overkill: candles everywhere lighting up the room like the fourth of July. Any way you decide to use them - candles are a must for any romantic setting.
It’s hard to imagine romance without the soft glow of candlelight; however, avoid allowing that glow to become a raging fire by always carefully placing your candles away from any draperies or other low hanging pieces of cloth and any other fire source. Upon heeding these precautions, your candlelit dinner should be a romantic, glowing hit.
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