Baptism candle favors are small candles you give your guests after the baptism, as a thank you and a keepsake to take home. Keep it simple: pick one candle style for everyone and a few bigger ones for the godparents. Count one per guest or one per household, and put your child's name and the baptism date on a tag, not on the candle. Try to order six to eight weeks before the baptism, and add ten to fifteen percent extra. If the baptism is only two or three weeks away, don't worry: choose candles that are in stock and print the tags at home in one evening.
What are baptism candle favors?
A baptism candle favor is a small candle you give each guest, or each household, to say thank you for coming. It goes home with them, sits on a shelf or a home altar, and gets lit again on the baptism anniversary or on the feast day of your child's patron saint. A candle keeps working long after the cake is gone.
Candles fit the day because a candle is lit for your child at the baptism. Nobody needs an explanation at the table: guests get it right away, which you can't say about most baptism favor gifts.
They're practical too. Candles ship well, they don't spoil, and they work for guests of every age. For ideas on sizes and finishes, our devotional candles collection is a good place to start.
Baptism candle favor or baptismal candle: which one is which
There are two different candles on the day, and they do two different jobs.
The baptismal candle is part of the ceremony. There's only one, for your child, and it's lit from the big Easter candle during the baptism. Families usually keep it for years and light it again at First Communion or Confirmation. Some parishes provide it and others ask you to bring one, so call the parish office before you buy anything.
The candle favor is part of the party. There are many of them, one for each guest or household, and they have no role in the ceremony. Nobody lights them from the Easter candle. They're a gift from your family, handed out at the reception.
Keeping the two apart saves you money. You don't need a ceremony candle for every guest, and your child's baptismal candle stays with your child, not in an aunt's gift bag. If you're still figuring out what your parish needs for the ceremony, start with our guide to baptism candles and their meaning.
When to give baptism candle favors to guests
Hand out the favors at the reception, not during the ceremony. Most families pick one of these four moments:
- At each place setting. The candle is already on the table when guests sit down. Nobody has to remember anything, and the candles double as decoration.
- At the door on the way out. Set a basket by the exit with a small sign. Fewer candles get left behind under chairs.
- After the toast or the blessing of the food. The godparents or an older cousin go from table to table and give one to each household. That turns the favor into a small moment, not just decoration.
- Godparents and grandparents first, privately. Many families give these few special people a bigger candle before the party starts, and the regular favor to everyone else.
If the baptism is on the same day as a long Mass, the basket by the door is the easiest option.
What size and color candle works best for a baptism favor
Size is mostly about budget and shipping, not meaning. These four sizes cover almost every baptism:
- Tea lights and small votives. The usual pick for big guest lists. They're cheap to ship, easy to wrap, and burn for a few hours.
- Standard votive glass. A step up: they look more substantial. The glass protects the wax, so they survive a purse or a car trunk.
- Small pillars. Heavier and more expensive each, so families save these for godparents, grandparents and sponsors.
- Thin tapers in pairs. An older custom and very elegant, but fragile on the road and easy to snap in a gift bag.
For color, white and ivory are the safe choice because they match the white garment your child wears at the baptism. Gold and cream look festive and go with everything. Pale blue for a boy or pale pink for a girl is a family custom, not a Church rule, and plenty of families skip it. Red, purple and black are tied to other moments in Catholic life, so they don't look right on a baptism table. Our Spanish language guía de colores de veladoras y su significado explains what each color traditionally means, and the same ideas work for English speaking families.
If there will be kids at the party, give the candles unlit and in a closed container. It's the calmer choice with little ones around.
How families add names and dates to baptism favor tags
With personalized baptism favors, the family almost always adds the personal touch, not the candle maker. The name and date go on a tag or the wrapper, not on the wax. It's cheaper and faster that way. Here's how families do it:
- Printed baptism favor tags. Small cards with your child's name, the baptism date and the parish, with a hole punched and a ribbon tied through it. For example: “Baptism of Sofia, St. Joseph Parish, May 3. Thank you for being with us.” With a home printer and a hole punch, you can make a hundred in one evening.
- A local print shop. For bigger counts, any neighborhood print shop can make tags, stickers or paper bands for little money. Bring one candle so they can size the band right.
- Handwritten names. If you want the favor to work as a place card too, write each guest's name by hand. It looks thoughtful and costs nothing.
- Ribbon and a small medal. Tie on a white, gold, pale blue or pale pink ribbon and add a small medal for weight. This is the usual way to make custom baptism favors look finished without printing anything.
Two quick tips. Keep paper, ribbon and anything else that can burn away from the wick. And if you're shopping for personalized christening favors and a seller promises engraving right on the wax, check the fine print on how long it takes to arrive.
Just so you know: Nuestra Fe doesn't engrave, print or personalize candles. We sell the candles, and you or your local print shop add the names and dates.
How many baptism candle favors should you order?
Start with your invitation list, not the size of the room. Then make three adjustments:
- Decide per guest or per household. One per household is common and cuts the count almost in half. A married couple gets one candle, not two.
- Add ten to fifteen percent extra. Cousins show up unannounced. Candles break. Someone asks for a second one for a relative who can't leave the house. A little extra saves you an awkward moment at your own party.
- Add the special set. Godparents, grandparents, the relative who drove in from far away, the parish secretary who found you a date. That's usually four to eight bigger candles, set aside on their own.
Here's an example. Sixty adults invited, about thirty five households, one favor per household. Order forty regular candles and six bigger ones. If this is your first baptism and you're not sure, round up: leftover candles always find a use, and running short is worse. Our baptism kit collection shows how families put together the pieces for the day.
How to order baptism candle favors for a large guest list
Order six to eight weeks ahead. Favors are easy to leave for the last week, and ordering early gives you one less thing to worry about.
Go in this order:
- Confirm the baptism date with the parish.
- Settle your guest count and decide: one per guest or one per household.
- Pick one candle size for everyone and one bigger size for the special set.
- Order the candles.
- Only then order or print the tags, once you know exactly how many you need and how big the label has to be.
Ask two things before you buy. First, the burn time: a candle that burns two hours and one that burns fifty hours are meant for different uses. Second, how the candles are packed, because bare wax that arrives loose in a big box will show scuffs.
If you need a lot of candles, or you're buying for a parish program or for several families over a season, send us the quantity and the date through our wholesale inquiry page. We'll tell you what we can do in your timeframe.
Are candles a good baptism favor for guests?
Yes. A candle is a simple way to carry a little of the day's light home, and guests understand it right away. Even when it's blessed, a party candle isn't a sacrament: it's a sign that helps you pray.
If you'd like the candles blessed, ask a priest or deacon. Many families ask for one blessing over the whole batch right after the ceremony. It's a lovely touch, and it's completely optional.
Giving favors at all is up to you. If your family doesn't usually do it, that's completely fine. It's a family and regional custom, strong in Mexican, Filipino, Italian and Polish American families and lighter in others. For anything about the ceremony itself, a quick call to your parish office is the fastest answer.
For the baptism and for the godparents
Baptism sets with the candle, rosary, shell and towel, the candle for the ceremony and a pillar candle for the godparents.
Arrives in 2 to 4 days. Free shipping on orders over $35.
Frequently asked questions about baptism candle favors
What is a baptism candle favor and how is it different from the baptismal candle?
A baptism candle favor is a small candle you give your guests at the reception as a keepsake. The baptismal candle is the single candle used during the ceremony: it's lit from the Easter candle, and your family keeps it for years. The favor has no part in the ceremony, and one never replaces the other.
Is it appropriate to give candles as baptism favors?
Yes. Candles are a classic, widely accepted choice, and they go naturally with the light that is part of every baptism. Giving favors at all is a family and regional custom, not a Church requirement, so you don't have to, and there's no wrong amount. If you want them blessed, ask a priest or deacon.
What size and color of candle works best as a favor?
Tea lights and votives work for big guest lists, votives in glass travel better in a purse or a car, and small pillars are nice for godparents and grandparents. White, ivory, cream and gold are the usual colors because they match the white garment from the ceremony. Pale blue or pink for a boy or a girl is a family custom, so use it only if you like it.
Can baptism favor candles be personalized?
In practice, families personalize the tag or the wrapper, not the wax. A printed tag, a ribbon, a sticker, a small medal or a handwritten name carries your child's name and the baptism date, and a local print shop can handle big counts for little money. Nuestra Fe doesn't engrave, print or personalize candles.
How many candle favors should I order?
Count your invitation list, decide on one per guest or one per household, and add ten to fifteen percent for breakage and surprise guests. Set aside four to eight bigger candles for godparents, grandparents and anyone who traveled. If in doubt, round up: leftover candles are easy to use.
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