The Candlemaker @ AJs
 The Candlemaker @ AJs has been very busy over the last few months. It has been lovely meeting all the previous owner’s regular customers and many new ones have popped in to check out our product and now continue to purchase – we also have many sales from our website, which has proven to be valuable to customers outside of Christchurch.
John Lingard and Andrew Martin are enjoying their work and are excelling in the art of candlemaking. It is wonderful to hear them explain the candlemaking process with pride to all the customers and people of interest.
A BIG thank you to Roger Wood from “Reptiles” who encouraged Julian Meates from Rock Tops to donate the lovely polished porcelain bench tops we have on the tables in the wax room. Matt (Rocktops) did a wonderful job of polishing them as not only do they look great they are so easy to clean. If anyone is looking for benches you can get a top product from Rock Tops, 202 Main South Road.
The Candlemaker @ AJs has been invited to display and sell some candles at the Crater Rim Gallery, in Teddington, so if you are passing please pop in to see them and the lovely pottery Liz makes.
We had a stand at the Great NZ Bridal Show on 6 April – this went very well and we received wonderful feedback from people. We hope to be very busy when the wedding season starts again at the end of the year!
On 13 March we advertised in the ‘I DO’ supplement in The Press. From this we were asked to do a feature story, which has brought us many orders and is as follows:
Lighting the way
Candles can mean a lot at a wedding. While adding a decorative touch to the ceremony or the reception, they are also very symbolic.
They can be lit to remember loved ones who are absent, to celebrate the melding of two families, or as a symbol of lighting the way during the journey into married life.
For a true individual touch, candles can be personalised with special wording and decorations.
“Personal inscriptions are our specialty,” says Clare Sullivan, of The Candlemaker @ AJs.
“We are very flexible and are happy to accommodate people with whatever they want from within our range.”
Couples who are getting married typically have their names and the date of their wedding inscribed, but they may also choose to add a special verse with thread and symbols (i.e. hearts, crosses, korus, etc) for decoration.
“Most couples usually choose ivory candles with gold lettering, but inscribing our paua-coloured Aotearoa range with gold or silver lettering is also popular.”
“A lot of couples light unity candles, which is a special part of the wedding ceremony. The mothers of the bride and groom each light a candle, then the couple lights a bigger candle from those, to symbolise the uniting of the two families.”
Another option is to use smaller, floating candles to add a decorative touch.
“We have heart and star-shaped candles that are ivory coloured and tinted with gold around the edges. They can float in a dish of water or be put individually on the wedding tables (on glass plates) and either light or present in a coloured organza bag as a gift for each guest.”
The Candlemaker @ AJs makes candles in a variety of different shapes and sizes. Ivory candles are always in stock and coloured candles can be made to order using coloured beeswax.
“Customers can either call in to see us or order online. We just ask that they give us at least 10 working days if they want a large candle, a particular colour, or a large number of candles.”
Candles can be personalised for all occasions, including birthdays, wedding anniversaries, baptisms, corporate thank yours, leaving school and in memoriam.
The Candlemaker @ AJs is open weekdays from 9am to 3.30pm at 426 Tuam Street. Phone (03) 377 9030, www.thecandlemaker.co.nz
A Real Art
Fate brought The Candlemaker @ AJs into the lives of Trustees Clare and Jim Sullivan last year when they wanted a personalised candle to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the AJ Day Options Trust.
The pair run the Charitable Trust, which was named after their stillborn son, Anthony James. AJ’s provides opportunities, training and support for their ‘clients’ – people with an intellectual disability.
“Our long-term goal is to have 90 percent of the candle-making operation done by our clients,” Clare Sullivan says.
Clients start by learning to cut wicks to the right length and how to attach the wick to the candle mould. One client, John Lingard, showed so much aptitude that he has since learnt how to pour the wax.
“There’s a real art in it,” says manager Mary Rose. “The wick has to be ‘jiggled’ often during the cooling process to keep it straight in the candle and to stop any air bubbles forming in the wax. The candle also has to be topped up with extra wax.
“John has the skills and confidence to be able to work independently. He makes all our ivory candles now but I’m always there, too, to keep an eye on things.
“From start to finish our guys are producing a really great candle and also pride themselves on keeping the candle room clean and tidy, which is not an easy task.”
Mary Rose and Clare Sullivan
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