If you’ve ever wanted to make DIY lavender soy candles, but were afraid to try, today is your lucky day! We’ve been making and selling soy candles for more than a year and we’ve learned a few tricks along the way. Not only are we going to let you in our candle making secrets, we’re going give you some free editable candle labels that you can personalize any way you like.

It took us months of trial and error in our studio to nail down a foolproof method for candlemaking. We’re going to save you time and money by passing along what we’ve learned.

If you are making lavender soy candles as bridesmaid gifts, either 4 oz candles in tins or 9 oz candles in jars are excellent options. This tutorial is for 9 oz lavender soy candles in jars. If you prefer another fragrance, you can simply swap it out with one of your favorites (lemongrass is another wonderful scent, and it’s less expensive!).

All of the candles that we make are scented with essential oils and natural, plant-based fragrances. We’ve never even experimented with synthetics, as we prefer natural products in our home.

Our lavender soy candles are one of our biggest sellers at artisan markets. If you are making these as gifts for your bridesmaids, there’s no doubt that they will be over the moon with these handmade candles.

Before we get into the nitty gritty of making soy candles, you’ll want to keep a few things in mind.  First, is to have a well ventilated space. Even though you are using natural plant based oils, the concentration of oils is strong and will fill up a room. If you are making these in your kitchen, turn on your kitchen fan.

You will also have to decide how much you want to spend on each candle. There are several varieties of lavender essential oil. Varieties include English lavender, French lavender, 40/42 and Lavender population. We used French lavender for our candle. No matter which variety you choose, you will discover that lavender is pricey.To cut down on cost,  reduce the amount of essential oil that you use in the candle, giving it a more subtle scent.

You will need:

• double boiler
• thermometer
• Digital Kitchen Scale
• 198 grams Natural Soy 444 Wax
• 17 grams (by weight) Lavender Essential Oil (or 19 ml by volume)
• ECO 12 6″ Pretabbed Wick from Candle Science
  
• wick stickers (you can also use a glue gun to adhere the wick to the bottom of the jar) from Candle Science
• small wick centering tool from A Candle Co. You can also use chopsticks or a pencil to center the wick.
• 9 Ounce Glass Straight Sided Mason Jar with metal lid

Get your jar ready by adding the wick to the bottom of the jar. Make sure it is centered. If you are using a wick sticker to adhere the wick to the jar, make sure you press on the bottom of the wick so it won’t come loose from the glass.

Weigh your wax. You will need 198 grams for an 8 oz candle.

Add water to bottom pot of double boiler. Place your wax on the top pot of a double boiler.

Keep heat on low to medium and let wax melt. Soy wax has a low melting point, so it won’t take long.

Once wax has melted, remove from heat.

Let cool for several minutes until temperature is between 100-120 F.

Meantime, pour your essential oils into a container and weigh them. You will need 17 grams.

We usually wait until the wax has cooled to 100 degrees and appears milky before we add the essential oil. Through trial and error, we have learned that this method will help to prevent sink holes (trust us, sink holes are the devil!)

Gently stir the essential oil into the wax, then pour the wax into your jar.

Add centering tool to keep wick centered.

While the wax is cooling, wipe out your double boiler with a paper towel, when wash it with soap and water. We always recommend wiping it out first; you don’t want soy wax to harden in the pipes of your kitchen sink!

Let the candle cool for several hours before trimming the wick.

Open your printable and customizable ‘will you be my bridesmaid?’ candle label in Canva.

Click on File found on the status bar.

Select Make a copy. This will open a new window with the copy of your design saved to your account.

Now you can go ahead and edit the text in in Canva.

Print your label on label paper, or use a glue stick to adhere label to jar.

That’s it! Now, you get to watch your bridesmaids swoon over your creation!

*This post includes Amazon affiliate links.

Where to elope in Arizona? If you love the Southwest and dream of running away from it all to get married there, you might feel a bit lost when it comes to choosing the perfect location. Well, we’ve got you covered! We’re going to discuss some of our favourite locations to elope in the area – but first, let’s talk a little bit about some of the travel highlights.

I fell in love with Arizona during my first trip to Sedona in 1999. I had never been to the southwest, and I was blown away by the rugged beauty of the landscape. While we were there we explored Sedona’s famous red rock formations on foot, and took in the most incredible sunset at Airport Mesa (the best place to watch the sunset in the area!).

We watched the constellations during an evening sky tour where we learned how to find the North Star and Betelgeuse. We explored ghost towns (make sure to visit the town of Jerome!), abandoned gold mines, and met hillbilly eccentrics that have never left the desert.

If you love the wilderness and visiting offbeat places, you will never run out of places to explore in Sedona – or the rest of Arizona for that matter. If you visit in the spring, you might just catch the cacti in bloom like we did!

If you are looking for popular tourist attractions with throngs of visitors you also don’t have to look far. The Grand Canyon, for instance, attracts more than 6 million people each year.

If the Grand Canyon is on your bucket list, consider staying at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel. We took the train from the hotel to the canyon. I would definitely recommend this to anyone heading to the canyon for the first time! The 298-room hotel is right next door to the train depot and just a block away from downtown Williams and historic Route 66. The Grand Canyon Railway departs daily from Williams, Arizona, which is about 30 miles west of Flagstaff. The train travels almost due north to the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. The trip measures 65 miles and takes 2 hours and 15 minutes each way.

You can charter an individual car on the train for an intimate wedding, but it requires 6-10 months advance booking and costs $5,200. There are wedding planning companies online that can make this option more affordable, however, with elopement packages that include the train ride as well as a ceremony at the Grand Canyon.

If you are considering an Arizona elopement in  Grand Canyon National Park , you will need to obtain an Arizona marriage license, acquire a Special Use Permit from the park, and arrange a Justice of the Peace, Municipal Judge, or an ordained clergy to perform the ceremony. Permits range from $240-$500. There are several companies online that will handle all the details for a fee.

During another trip to Arizona we stayed just outside of Tucson. I truly fell in love with this region – and it become my favorite part of Arizona. Hiking through the Sonoran desert, visiting the Desert Museum, exploring outdoors market such as the Farmer’s Market in Green Valley, visiting an artist village in Tubac, visiting the strange and wonderful town of Bisbee (make sure you visit the Killer Bee Guy when you are there!), having an outdoor barbecue complete with roaming (and hungry!) javelinas at Tanque Verde Ranch, and exploring Old Tucson where Western movies have been made since the 1940’s are just a few of the highlights.

If you are considering an Arizona elopement in the Tucson area, you have plenty of options! Saguaro National Park provides an incredible backdrop for an elopement. The park is named after the iconic (truly a symbol of the Southwest!)  saguaro cactus that grow there. These majestic cacti are found only in a small portion of the United States and they are protected by Saguaro National Park, to the east and west of Tucson. Wedding permits for Saguaro National Park cost $50.

The Arizona-Senora Desert Museum also offers weddings. The Museum offers two outdoor ceremony sites as well as a shaded desert oasis, patio, an dining room, or a  hall for your reception.

Wilderness lovers aren’t the only ones who will be smitten with Arizona. No matter if you are heading to Sedona, Tucson, Phoenix, Scottsdale or somewhere in between, those who prefer heels to hiking books will find vibrant and sophisticated hotels, restaurants and stores in cities throughout Arizona.

We got to spend some time in Phoenix and Scottsdale where we experienced numerous hotels that would be perfect for small weddings or as home base for an offsite elopement. (There are plenty of breathtaking elopement locations in the area including The Salt River, Superstition Mountains, Gilbert Riparian Preserve, and Phoenix Mountain Preserve to name a few.)

Palm trees, sparkling pools, spacious rooms and longing spaces await you at the Hotel Valley Ho, a fun, bright and energetic hotel in Scottsdale. We love the fact that Hotel Valley Ho was a Hollywood hideaway in its heyday, host to Bing Crosby, Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh and Zsa Zsa Gabor.

The modern and cosmopolitan Mountain Shadows near Scottsdale in Paradise Valley, was rebuilt in 2017, retaining echoes of the resort’s historic legacy for the 1950’s.

The  stunning desert surroundings provide a breathtaking backdrop while you sip cocktails by the pool (try their Peachy Mule… so yummy!).

The Sagurao Scottsdale is at the centre of Scottsdale’s best shopping, dining and art district. In fact, over 109 restaurants, shops and art galleries are just 3 blocks and a few steps from the hotel. The hotel hosts weddings – celebrate poolside, fireside—or park-side in the Agave Complex.

Whichever location you choose, make sure you bring lots of sunscreen – chances are you’ll be in for plenty of sunshine and warm weather – one more reason that Arizona is the perfect place to elope!

Check out the Intimate Weddings venue finder to discover more small wedding venues in Arizona.

*Some of the accommodations in this feature were provided free of charge to us. Opinions for what’s been mentioned in this feature are our own.

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and if your approach to this special day is a little unconventional, you’re in the right place!

When it comes to selecting a valentine card, swap sappy love poems and cheesy sentiments for something laugh-out-loud funny. Puns, punchlines, pop culture- we’ve selected 10 of the most hilarious Valentine’s Day cards out there, and any one of them is sure to be a hit on February 14th. Just be sure to pair your card with a box of chocolates and/or a bouquet of flowers (or maybe even an engagement ring).

This is probably not the Valentine’s Day poem that your S.O. had in mind. Don’t worry, though- they’ll love it! Be sure to check out the rest of FinchandtheFallow‘s “poetry” card collection for more lol-worthy options. Psst… They also have a custom “Rose are Red, Violets are Blue” poem card. 

Okay, okay; cheesy Valentine’s Day cards are still a perfectly acceptable option- if they’re pizza-themed like this one from PattieJansen, that is.

This funny relationship card from PersonalPaperHugs is sure to make your valentine chuckle.

Emily McDowell & Friends truly knows the language of love. How perfect is this “Look at My Phone” card?

Nothings says “I love you” quite like this Valentine’s Day card from PersonalPaperHugs.

Any fan of The Office would appreciate this Dwight relationship card from YeaOhGreetings. 

Your S.O. will laugh out loud at this Valentine’s Day card from SadShop.

We otter-ly believe that this Valentine’s Day card from Emily McDowell & Friends is one of the cutest (and quirkiest!) romantic greeting cards out there.

Your otter half will love this adorable illustrated love card from WunderkidArt.    

Let bae know that you love them just as much (or *gasp* more) as your fave junk food with this adorable nugget card from Urban Outfitters.

*This post contains affiliate links.

Valentine’s Day will soon be here, and you have two options: either spend half an hour standing in front of a wall of cards at the drugstore, trying to find a card that sorta works, or choose a unique, one-of-a-kind Valentine’s Day card from the options below- best paired with a box of chocolates and/or a bouquet of flowers, of course!

From funny Valentine’s cards (Friends quotes, anyone?) to sappy Valentine’s cards, you’re sure to find the perfect card for him or her.

Adorationdesign‘s collection of handmade 3-D hot air balloon cards are simply adorable.

Somebunny would love to receive this cute Valentine’s Day card from ArgusArtStudio.

We’re always here for food puns, so needless to say we’re smitten with SweetpeaLetteringCo‘s hand painted Valentine’s Day cards.

Your fiancé (or soon-to-be fiance) will treasure this beautiful hand-embellished Valentine’s Day card from herestousUK- and the heartfelt note that you write inside, of course.

Keep it to the point with this Valentine card from SimplySaidPaperCo.

.

Not a Friends fan? ShopLittleRedSparrow has many more adorable love greeting card options!

*This post contains affiliate links.

The Seattle Courthouse is a popular location for elopements. It’s a beautiful location, with the option to say your ‘I do’s’ on the rooftop. That’s exactly what Cissy and Lewis did.

The couple opted for a simple elopement with no guests. This made their wedding stress-free and allowed them to save money.

“It all worked out perfectly,” said Sissy.

Kudos to photographer Emily Ganey from The Ganeys for the gorgeous photos!

Cissy, 30 & Lewis, 29

Location: Seattle, Washington

Wedding Date: September 13, 2019

Number of Guests: 0

Wedding Cost: $1,200

Wedding Ceremony Location: Seattle Municipal Court (roof top)

Wedding Reception Location: n/a

Why did you have an intimate wedding?

We had an intimate wedding because it was quick and easy, without months of wedding planning. It also allowed us to save money.

What are some the challenges that you faced planning an intimate wedding?

It was all very easy except a small hiccup on the judge. We were very set on getting married on Sep 13th, which was our 6th anniversary of meeting each other. Two months before September 13th, we were told by the courthouse that all of the judges would be on retreat and they asked us to pick a different wedding date. After some back and forth with the courthouse admin, we were able to find a retired judge who could come in to be at the courthouse that day to perform our ceremony. The retired judge was so nice! It all worked out perfectly.

Was it difficult to pare down the guest list?

No

Did you have any ‘issues’ with the small guest list from friends and family? If so, how did you address them?

No

What were the highlights of the ceremony?

I loved the rooftop, it has the Seattle city view in the background.

What were the highlights of the reception?

n/a

What was the best thing about having an intimate wedding?

It was easy to plan. There were very few logistical details to worry about. No one to stress out about.

What advice do you have for couples who are considering an intimate wedding? 

It removes the formality and allows couples to focus on a few things that matter the most – each other.

Vendors:

Photography: The Ganeys

Florist: Gather Design Company

Hair and Makeup: Christy K Hair and Makeup

Dress: Renz Rags

Film Lab: Richard Photo Lab

Rings: Tiffany & Co