I came back from Greece with a suitcase worth of candles. Beeswax of course, never paraffin, ranging in width from half an inch to an inch, and in height from 8 inches to 24. These candles were intended to mark a prayer or act as an offering in Greek Orthodox churches, a tradition that Roman Catholics share. Back in my apartment, taken out of context, it still feels holy every time I light one.
Perhaps that’s because candlelight is decidedly unmodern. It takes us back to a time before clocks, and technology, when it was either day or night, sunshine or candlelight. A flickering flame brings down blood pressure, clears the mind, cleanses the senses. It’s the starting point for serenity after dark – light a candle in solitude and you breathe differently. Light a candle with friends, and feel the good-vibes compound like interest.
Good thing candle-lit dinner parties are still de rigueur. But, to do it right, there are several factors to consider.
A candlelit dinner scene from the movie, The Favourite.
First: The Setting
Our modern bodies are not accustomed to navigating open flames in domestic spaces, so you must have space to maneuver to pull off a stress-free candlelight meal. Is your dining room spacious enough for the risk of open flames? Too-tight corners and insufficient leeway between chairs, tables, and walls is a no go.
Second: Your Guests
This is not the night for expressive characters. Save heavy gesticulation, table banging, raucous laughter, and hair flipping for another night. Dinner by candlelight is for your calmest, quietest friends to shine. Match the romance of flickering flames with the most romantic souls in your rolodex. These are also the guests most likely to appreciate a lightbulb-less night.
Third: The Meal
Opt for something simple and easy to see (and eat) by low light. Soups do well in this context, as does a marginally medieval meal: choose roast chicken wings and drumsticks over a full bird that has to be carved. Other suggestions include a seasonal salad with edible flowers, a savory pie with a crust that gives, and a sweet pie for dessert.
Fourth: Reflective Surfaces
If you want your flames to do double duty, consider also your décor. Reflective surfaces were how the diners of yesteryear made the light of ten candles into twenty. Try decorating your dining area with mirrors, polished metals, or textiles (hung out of reach) with gold and silver threads.
Fifth: Candle Holders
For true romance go vintage. In my household we don’t say the “e” word out loud, but Etsy is a dependable resource for low stakes vintage objects, candlesticks included. Anyone with limited table real estate would be wise to go the five-arm route: A candelabra with one base but capacity for five candles can serve well in the tiniest breakfast nook or as a pair (or set of three) on the longest formal dining table. To add further glitter to the evening, find candelabras in steel or tin. For those without overhead lighting, use the opportunity to suspend a candle burning chandelier from your ceiling. Olde Hope Antiques usually has two or three in their inventory, like this early American tin version. Pierced tin lanterns placed around the rest of the room can add a bit of shadow play to the night.
Take cues from the restaurants that commit to dining by candlelight most rigorously. The Old Inn on the Green in Massachusetts, whose tables are lit with tapers in hurricanes is the old-school answer. Similar hurricanes are sold at Williams Sonoma and more modern versions at West Elm. Stissing House strikes a historic note with handheld candlesticks that are also available for sale when you dine.
Sixth: The Candles
All that’s left are the candles themselves. But the candlesticks you choose are of the utmost importance. For a standard taper candle, it’s best to buy contemporary if you want to avoid sizing mishaps. Most large retailers have simple, stylish versions. Zara Home’s iron candlesticks range in size from tabletop to floor-appropriate. Apparatus has modular candle blocks that can be assembled individually or as parts of a larger candelabra. Urban Outfitters has more playful options for the lighthearted dinner host, like this ceramic strawberry. Gohar World makes the candles themselves into surrealist statements, with persimmons, cauliflower, and baguettes that melt when you light them.
Beeswax tapers can easily be found with the simplest Google search, on Amazon, at Pottery Barn, or back on Etsy. More scrupulous shoppers can buy hand-dipped candles by Alysia Mazzell, whose work extends far beyond the traditional taper into pillar candles decorated by ancient Greek-inspired reliefs. The more anxiety-ridden of dinner hosts should also have some stick-um on hand: the secret to a firm candle in a rickety candleholder. With all these supplies, all that’s left is to light up and enjoy.
