Candles at reception

Is the actual reception 5 hours, or is it a ceremony and cocktail hour, then a 3-4 hour reception? Votives last longer, or you can get LED candles and resell them, if you're really worried about burn time.

Usually your reception vendor is in charge of the candles and will have ones that are made to last. Eventually they go out, but usually everyone is up dancing at that point and doesn't notice (at the weddings I've been to anyway). If this is something you're supplying yourself, you can ask around about what brands last the longest - pretty sure people have done experiments before. If not, I'd recommend experimenting yourself!

I went to a wedding a couple years ago where the candles were lit towards the end of cocktail hour, but before everyone had entered the reception hall so they were glowing while everyone ate. Once the dancing was in full swing, the DOC started clearing off the centerpieces. One minute tgey were there, the next the were stealthily gone! It was nice because none of the guests even noticed her or what she was doing. She was a ninja!

Anyways. I assume she snuffed out any candles that were still burning.

Our reception will be 5 hours. We will be supplying our own candles. We are planning on doing five tables and the head table full of candles, I guess if I've never noticed, it wont be a big deal if the candles are gone by the last hour.

Usually candles are lit just prior to or during cocktail hour. Even if no one is in the reception room during this time, it gives the photographer an opportunity to include the light in room detail shots. By the time the 1st Dance is over with, the candles are down to their last hour and left to burn out without being replaced. It's perfect timing IMO. Reception hall details are done, guests first impression of the reception room have been made, dinner is done, and people are out on the dance floor or mingling.

You can buy longer lasting tealights.

PSA ... please make sure you buy quality tealights if you want them to burn as long as possible. Usually the tealights that are sold in bulk for very cheap are mostly made of water. When they are lit, the water cannot burn off quickly enough. A deep, small ring burns around the wick and fills with water and puts the flame out within an hour of being lit.

They make 6+ hour tealights. Michaels sells them in packs of 100. If you're afraid of the open flame, the battery operated ones work great too.

I got LED votive tea lights on Amazon and they were an excellent price for battery life of 7-8 hours.

We bought long burning tea lights. I believe Michael's had them.