Pros Reveal Where to Never Place a Scented Candle in Your Home When Hosting Guests for Dinner – And What to Use Instead for Ambiance

When I have guests on the way, whether for dinner, drinks, or a cozy night in, the first thing I do is light a candle. It's a simple yet so effective way to create a welcoming, relaxing atmosphere, but where should you never place a scented candle when hosting?

The answer, really, is obvious once you think about it – strongly scented candles on the dinner table can heavily affect the way you smell and taste food and drinks.

Here, our home fragrance experts explain exactly why it's best to keep your best candles off your carefully curated tablescaping and what to use instead.

Why A Scented Candle Doesn't Belong on Your Dinner Table When Hosting

While I personally love scented candles and love swapping them out with the seasons (I'm currently using them to make my home smell like Christmas), Amy Keller, a candle-maker and the founder of apidae candles, says she tends to avoid scented candles in all parts of the home, as she finds that manufactured scents can often be too overpowering.

'However, most importantly, a scented candle should not be placed on the dining room table during a meal,' she warns, no matter how beautiful they look on your dining table decor ideas.

'Part of the pleasure of eating is enjoying the smells of the food. Smell allows us to distinguish the nuances of complex flavors. Without a proper sense of smell, food tastes different.'

Certainly, after all that preparation, the last thing you want to do is ruin your hard work cooking up party food recipes and seasonal menus for late Autumn.

What To Do Instead

Luckily, you don't have to sacrifice your dinner table styling. All you need, instead, is to pick non-toxic candles, specifically those that are unscented.

Darryl Do, senior perfumer at Delbia Do Fragrance, advises, 'Use unscented taper candles at your table, and keep scented candles or your best reed diffusers in your hall, living room, and bathrooms.'

For this, I recommend using colorful candles to still add a touch of flair or personality to your table – these Fluted Taper Candles, available in a pack of four at Anthropologie, would be my pick.

Alternatively, recommends Amy, burn beeswax candles. 'The bees give the beeswax its natural, subtle, honey scent, which is never overpowering,' she explains. These dinner candles are ideal for a holiday table setting. They are dripless and burn clean. The golden beeswax adds a touch of warmth to any festive table.

'And most importantly, they will never overpower the food, which should be the star at the dining table. The subtle scent of beeswax candles takes a backseat to the aromas being served up at the dining table. They burn elegantly in the background.

'In addition to being a beautiful source of light, beeswax candles are also a conscious and healthy choice. Made without additives or artificial fragrances, they offer a pure and natural alternative to conventional scented candles.'

If you're crafty, you can also try your hand at making your own candles, using candle wicks and beeswax, both available at Amazon.

What to Shop

All prices were correct at the time of publication.

Meet the Expert

Amy Keller

Amy founded Apidae Candles back in 2014, and has been a professional beeswax candle-maker since then, after spotting a gap for non-toxic, reusable candles with a subtle, sweet scent.

Our candle care guide is packed full of actionable expert tips to make your candles last longer and burn better.