There, I have admitted it! I am a coffee addict. I have one cup of coffee every morning — either a Tall Mocha (with whip) from Starbucks or just a plain old cup of jo. It’s my ONE guilty pleasure in life (ok, maybe I have several guilty pleasures).
So when we were deciding the colors for the wedding, I knew the color of coffee (and chocolate) had to be one of our colors. However, I want to pay homage to this delightful roasted bean by more than just using its hue, I want to incorporate its smell, as well! My favorite part of making my own coffee at work is grinding the beans, which releases a wonderful bitter aroma that immediately wakes me up.
I found this image while indulging in my daily digest of wedding blogs. (I need to be better at writing the sources down!) When I saw it, a light went on in my head - why not sprinkle coffee into candle holders and place them throughout the dining and cocktail rooms. Not only will the ambient light give a very romantic feel to our rustic location, but the slight aroma of coffee will be wafting in the mountain air.
Are you incorporating an aroma into your wedding?
Miss Cookie - warning, the beans are super flammable. We did those exact centerpieces at my wedding February (looked great, smelled better!) until, they caught on fire. Half way through the reception someone had to go around and blow all the candles out. As soon as the wax starts to melt into the beans, disaster strikes. Maybe use LED candles instead?
@EastportBride: @Kelly: Yikes! Thanks for the warning. Do you think a little water in the holders will work to avoid disaster?
I’ve also seen people put coffee beans in a vase with the pens for the guest book..very cute!
you can always insert the candle in it’s own little candle holder before putting it in a vase of coffee beans.
That is a great idea. It looks really cool, will smell great and is personal - score!
My fiance and I meet throught Starbucks and were both working there at the time we met. He still does and we’re giving away coffee beans as favor and doing the beans in candles except with a flameless candle. I love the idea
That’s genius! I love coffee too! Could you tell by my screenname?
A little water may work. We did a test run prior to the actual day with Starbuck’s beans (former barista here myself!) and had no problems with flames. However, when we did the day of centerpieces I could not stomach the 12 dollars a lb for 20 centerpieces, so used bulk cheap beans from Walmart, which had a lot more oil on them causing the flames.
Maybe try a glass-in-glass look. Put a clear votive with your candle in the center of a clear water glass (juice or short tumbler size) and then fill the space in between with the beans?
I think EastportBride’s idea would work really well for centerpiece vases as well!
My sister did something similar. She used a tall hurricane vase. Inside she had a pillar candle and surrounded the base of the candle with beans. With a tall candle, you should have little issue with the beans catching fire.
Check out the website for NicEvents. Nicole Block is an invitation designer and was a NYC knottie who did a whole coffee theme for her own wedding (and I believe there are pics on her website). She had similar centerpieces and used coffee bags for favors, etc. Good luck!
Whew, thank heavens for the people who warned you about flammable beans — I had no idea!
In terms of “aroma”, we used strawberry and vanilla tealights in some of our candle holders because that’s what Ikea had in the proper colors…. I was a bit worried that the smell would be overwhelming once everything was lit (the unlit candles already had a noticeable scent), but in fact I didn’t notice at all on the big day. If anything, it was just a yummy undertone on a subliminal level.
We did a test run with hurricane vases and pillar candles and all appeared fine. The flame ended up getting smothered because of too many beans. My main concern is the fear the smell of coffee may be overwhelming?
I’d just be careful about having too much of an aroma, not only because of people with scent allergies (probably wouldn’t be a problem with coffee but at Mrs. Tulip’s wedding I would have been a sneezy mess) but also because it can affect the taste of food. I’ve heard of other people using the beans for decoration but leaving them sitting out for days ahead of time to lessen the scent.
[...] vases are filled with coffee beans, which was inspired by Miss Cookie’s coffee addict post. I’m not a coffee drinker, but Mr. CC can’t start his day off without it, so it’s my ode to [...]
Mrs. Cookie, Denver
Age and Occupation: 25, Nonprofit Fundraiser/Theatre Designer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Financial Analyst
Engagement Date: September 2007
Wedding Date: September 2008
Blogging Since: May 8, 2008
Venue: Ten Mile Station
About Me: With a degree in Theatre I never realized that planning a wedding was a lot like Theatre Management, until I started planning my own. I am a coffee addict, especially Starbucks' Grande Mochas, yummy! I love to cook (especially chocolate chip cookies for my honey), travel to exotic places, and be creative. As a couple, Mr. Cookie and I are extremely practical, down to earth, and children at heart. We live in a cozy abode with our adorable Pomeranian, and love to play board games and watch movies into the evening.
great idea! just be careful b/c the beans are flammable…