I've been twice now and loved both experiences! The first time was for an event and we got an abbreviated version of the full candle process but still really enjoyed it! I loved the scent blends they provided for us. The staff is super helpful and made the whole thing super fun! The most recent visit was on valentines for a date night. They were busy but we still felt like the staff was attentive and walked us through the full process. This is a luxury experience but you get both the time making candles together plus the candles, so I'd say it's worth the money. There's tons of scents and vessels to choose from and we had a blast picking and making them. Anyone with any level of "craftiness" would enjoy coming here! read more

Wax Poetic Candle Bar - Gift Shops Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

What a fun and unique date. I reserved a spot online and our table was ready for us when we walked in. The staff quickly explained how everything worked and let us do everything ourselves. I picked a base for my candle and my wife had hers turned into wax melts. They have tons of bases to pick from in all different sizes. They had so many different scents that it's honestly overwhelming. We eventually each picked a variety of scents to blend together and made our wax. The entire date didn't take very long but luckily there are tons of places to go after within walking distance. You have to come back a different day to pick up what you made once it turns into a candle! read more

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Wax Poetic Candle Bar is super cute, great aesthetic space, location and overall concept, but I do feel like they could do a few things to really make it more special and a bit better value. They have a great wall of different classic votives, vases and candle holders, various colors, materials sizes, some with or without lids, ranging from 40-80 or so depending on the size. They also have an adorable thrifted section with adorable tea cups, mugs, glasses and other cute ceramics, all very much leaning towards fall as the season is upon us - these start at 36 or so regardless of size. So lots of fun options from eccentric, clean, fancier, big or small. You can also bring in a vessel of your own. I don't know what the cost is of doing this, I think it's only a five dollar discount or so. They have a nice wall of scent options, but could expand it a bit. As well as a recommended and employee favorites which is a nice touch. Typically you choose 2-4 scents. The tables are super cute and have a little pamphlet you can fill out, as well as all the tools needed for your candle. They even have these fun conversation cards. I'd love to see some bag hooks to keep the workspace clear! That being said, you don't really do much. You choose your vessel, pick your scents, measure your scents and mix it into the wax. The employee adds the wick, adds the wax and label at the end. I think the experience could really be elevated with a few things: A option to customize a bit more, whether that's glitter, color of wick, color of wax, ability to select a cute label or create one, even a label maker would do the trick with the cool raised vintage look. Maybe even toss in a small matchbook with their logo, talk about a good reminder. For the price point, the overall experience is pretty minimal and you could be in and out on 15-30 minutes, They have some other cute trinkets and take home options as well, which is a nice touch. The space itself is lovely, friendly service, great concept, I just would love to see a bit more out of the experience for the price and l to return. read more

I had a really positive experience with Wax Poetic Candle bar. My boyfriend booked us a slot on a weekday for a fun date! There was one individual working and she was friendly and informative. She got us though the process with ease and didn't rush us at all. Because we went on a weekday, there was only one other party of two in the space. I liked that it was virtually empty... added to the relaxed vibes. Overall they had a wide array of scents to choose from and we were recommended to pick 2-3 for our candles. As for pricing, you can select from a variety of containers or candle sizes. Prices are based on size. read more

Wax Poetic Candle Bar - Gift Shops Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

I took a class here on a Thursday afternoon and it was a treat! You get to pick the scent of your candle from a ton of different options and can even mix them together to create something super special. The staff are super helpful and lead you through the entire process. It definitely takes less time than I thought it would. You only need to actually mix the ingredients and stir. I was completely done within 20 minutes of arriving, but I knew what kind of candle scent I wanted. You can pick up the next day! read more

Wax Poetic Candle Bar - Gift Shops Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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I made a reservation to bring my three nieces here on a Sunday afternoon. I think reservations are a good idea, but not necessary. Girls ranged in age from 6-10. Upon arriving they greet you and give you first set of instructions about finding scents and picking a vessel. They have a ton of scents and they are unique and fun - Hotel, Lavender, and Midnight Swim were my favorites. They had unique ones like sweater weather, bib lettuce, and dirt! Vessels range from $28 -$99 - i did not see the $28 ones, so we all picked the $44. Little pricey for three little girls, but my fault for not asking for a less expensive container. Once we had our scents and containers, we took our seat and our next round of instructions followed. Mixing the oils to make your unique scent was fun - girls had fun blending and making their own. Their setup is great - large trays to help prevent spills and messes. You fill out your card with name and info and you get to create your custom label, as well. Markers, coffee beans, and a hand wash spray were all on the table, too. Mixing was easy and then they brough out our containers filled with the liquid wax. You mix in the oils with the wax, create your label and you are done. The candles take 2 hours to set, so you can either hangout or comeback later. You can also pickup at a later date, not sure how long they hold them for though! The shop is super cute and they have premade candles available, as well as some fun jewelry, candle related items like matches, and some ChapSticks, and lip products. Loiev the welcoming, bright, and fun vibes of the space! You can rent the space for private parties, you can order custom gifts and there are fundraisers available, as well. It was a fun afternoon experience for the girls and I. I think we were there for maybe 30 minutes or so total. read more

I went on a little date with a friend and we decided to make candles! This place is incredibly fun and the workers are extremely kind and welcoming. You get to choose a container for your candles (which is super difficult by the way because all of them are so adorable!) and you can choose up to three scents for your candle. After creating your candle and naming your scent, they'll put aside your candle for 90 minutes to set. While you wait, there are some cute shops and cafes around to pass the time! Also, what's really nice about Wax Poetic Candle Bar is that once you've burned through your candle, you can come back with the same container and create a new one. I can't wait to come back! read more

We came here for a date night. We easily made a reservation online. Upon arrival, we were quickly greeted and shown what we had to do. Overall, it was an easy and fun experience. The candle making did not take very long. Our candles would be ready in two hours. So we had some lunch and picked them up. Honestly, it is one of the best smelling candles I have ever had. I mixed 3 different fragrances. I need to go back and make an even bigger one next time. This is a fun date night idea. read more

So glad my friends and I decided to come here! The experience was so fun. When you enter the shop, you are given a clipboard and are directed to start smelling all the candles they have to determine what scents you like. You write down all the ones that stand out for you. Then, you pick out your top 5-6 scents and mix and match to determine what 2-3 scents you think smell best together/what you want your candle to smell like. I ended up using White Birch, Seabreeze, and champagne and it definitely was the perfect candle for me! You also get to choose from their selection of jars, ranging in price. Once your candles are finished, they tell you when they will be set and ready for pickup. The time depends on what size you got and ours was 2 hours for a medium sized candle. You have 90 days to pick it up so it doesn't have to be same day! Overall, a quick but fun experience and is something different to do if you are looking for something new! read more

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I loved my experience at Wax Poetic today! I brought my girlfriend here for a fun birthday activity- something different which was perfect on a cold winter day. I chose the candle-making option, which you can make reservations for online- so great for planning a group outing! The steps go like this: choose 2-3 scents from the wall of bottles, choose your vessel (this determines the price which typically seems like $28-$40+), and wait for the staff to walk you through the next steps. The entire candle creation process took about 30 mins, and you pick up your candle approx two hours later or the next day. The shop has a lot of cute retail items too! Jewelry, candles, gifts- it's worth stopping in even without the candle making shin-dig! read more

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We had so much fun for Valentine's Day! Cute idea for a Sunday afternoon date! Our candles were done in two hours

Interactive fun night with the girls! They have over 130 different scents to choose from, and they have an incredible staff to help a very indecisive creature like myself choose a great concoction to scent your candle with. I chose a mixture of Bordeaux, maple syrup, and sugar cookie and it turned out incredible! I love the casual and classy atmosphere of the place, with lots of stools and easy parking on a Sunday night. It took about 30 minutes to sift through the complex smells and different candle sizes and styles, and about a full hour for set time. Prices range from $15-$30 depending on size and style. Will definitely return, such a fun idea! read more

Wax Poetic Candle Bar - Gift Shops Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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I've been to a few types of DIY Bars (perfume, lipstick, etc) and was fairly disappointed with this experience. It was not very hands on. They left you alone to pick and mix your scent, and that was pretty much it. Employee hardly talked to us (store was not that busy), we didn't even see the candle get poured. I went because I was told by a staff member on IG that I could mix certain scents to get the smell I was trying to achieve. When I showed up, they didn't even carry the scents she talked about. It's a cool experience for someone who wants their own candle, but the "experience" was maybe 10-15 minutes total. No intro/story, no history of store, no information on other stuff you could make that day. My friends and I all agreed that there was no reason to come back. read more

This was so fun :). Came here tonight with some girlfriends and made our own candles. So fun smelling all of the fragrances and then mixing our own scents together to create a personalized candle! It takes a few hours for them to set so you do have to come back and pick them up after. The gals helping us create our candles were so friendly! Anyone can do this, it's easy, fun and quick. Definitely give this place a try! read more

Wax Poetic Candle Bar - Gift Shops Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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Awesome experience! We booked online and showed up to a warm greeting from the staff. We did think the process would have been longer, we were there for maybe 30-40 minutes if that. You pick your scents, mix them, pour them in the wax and that's it. You return ~2hrs later to pick up the candle. The containers they had to choose from were beautiful as was the shop as a whole!! I do wish we could have colored our candles or at least had the option. We did feel sort of rushed with the experience although we were the only ppl there initially. The team member who assisted us spoke pretty fast and gave directions once then walked away which is probably their style just wasn't expecting that. All in all, we will be back and can't wait to burn the candles! read more

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I went with a bachelorette party and we had so much fun. It was a super easy and quick group activity. The staff was awesome and explained everything perfectly. read more

I am absolutely in love with Wax Poetic Candle Bar and the experience they create. I absolutely love the idea, that you can walk in and create your own fragranced candle. Like how rad is that? A lot of times, the smell of a candle just doesn't jive with me. Whether it is too strong, too much of one fragrance overpowering another, etc. This is literally the solution. You can make a candle smell exactly the way you want to! They have from over 100 fragrances to choose from to create your own custom candle. There are also premade candles too that you can grab and go if you aren't wanting to try the experience, but let me tell you it is oh-so-worth it! They also have reed defusers, soaps, room-sprays, etc. This would be a great way to grab some friends together and enjoy an experience together. It says the experience takes about 30 minutes from start to finish. Why not grab some friends, create candles together, go grab dinner and come back to grab your candle when it is set and ready to take home!? I say, heck yes! Who wants to join me? read more

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You know when you walk buy the perfume store in the mall and you're instantly overcome with a tsunami of scents? Wax poetic is nothing like that. The building is full of a plethora of fragrances that keep your mind racing to come up with the best combination for your personalized candles. We were greeted immediately, handed our clipboards to begin the process, and then shown to our reserved places at the bar. The staff was so involved and supportive through the entire experience. If I could give it 10 stars I would. Absolutely PERFECT location for a date. read more

Wax Poetic Candle Bar - Gift Shops Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

This was such a fun thing to do as a girls day. I haven't had a chance to really go anywhere since Covid happened so to feel safe in a public environment is huge and they did an incredible job! Super clean, very friendly and helpful employees, and the concept of this is so much fun!! read more

Wax Poetic Candle Bar - Candle making - Gift Shops Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

I saw a candle called "Boyfriend's Hoodie" on Instagram by this place, and I knew I had to check this place out. The shop is super cute and has a great array of candles! Plus you can make your own. I found the candle I wanted, and it smelled homey, fresh, clean, and warm--everything you'd want your boyfriend's hoodie to smell like. The candles are made of soy, and burn super clean. I'm excited to come back and make my own custom candle smell! read more

Why have you and I been buying candles already made? Please, do yourself a favor by visiting Wax Poetic Candle Bar. They have a gazillion scents to choose from, including unique options like bonsai-tree, champagne, and ginger-ale. Cool, right? I am thrilled with my bourbon, leather, mug and brush mix. My gentleman partner is thrilled with the scent, too. For myself I paired peonies with basil for a refreshing scent to work under. The fragrance bar may overwhelm you, so visit when you are in an explorative or adventuresome mood. They offer coffee bean sniffers to calm the nose between smelling. The overall space lets the scents lead the sensations by keeping the walls colorless and the material a cool, crisp silver. No music either. Seriously, this is brilliant on their part. It keeps what may be a potential seriously overwhelming experience at a minimum. And their staff are all gems. Bring a group of friends or family...bachelorette or company party in on Sunday's with a BYOB opportunity with the low, minimum spending limit of $300. Again, this is an excellent opportunity to create the ideal scent to calm, excite, focus, invigorate, romance...whatever the body chemistry you are seeking to attain. The price point is on point with a variety sizes, jar types, and fragrance mediums to choose from. read more

Wax Poetic Candle Bar - Waiting to begin the mixing of scents - Gift Shops Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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This was awesome. My boyfriend took me here for a surprise date and it was so much fun. The process of picking out your own stylish candle jar, then getting to choose from the wide wall of scents. After picking out your scents you are able to become the scientist and mix together different smells to find your perfect candle aroma. There was a very friendly, knowledgeable staff to assist in your candle experience. The whole process takes about 45 minutes but you have to return later for your candle to be complete. It takes about 90 minutes for your candle to be completed. I would recommend planning a day in Grand Rapids so there is it is not a rushed process and you can grab your candle before heading home. read more

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Had such a fun time making candles here with my family! Friendly staff, amazing atmosphere, fun process, and great finished products! I would highly recommend this activity! The prices are reasonable as everyone can choose their own candle size. read more

Wax Poetic Candle Bar - Gift Shops Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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This place is so fun! It's a perfect place for a date or a great spot to take your girlfriends for a day out. There's a lot of different scent options to make your own candle with. The employees are super helpful when mixing your scents in order to get the right combination. There's also a wide variety of options for the container. Some modern, some rustic. A little pricier than candles you would get at the store, but the experience is worth it. If you're a candle lover, this is a spot you must go! read more

Wax Poetic Candle Bar - Finished candle - Gift Shops Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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So I have been to Wax Poetic several times now and I think it's one of the most awesome concepts and I wish we had one where I live. I have done date night here, as well as making candles with my wife here for our family and friends. There are SO many scents, you'll be amazed at the combos you come up with. Pick a few scents and sit down at the bar, let one of the awesome employees help you mix and match quantities of the scents to your liking and then come back in about 90 minutes to pick it up! You think you'd be overwhelmed by such a unique experience and you know...not actually being a candle maker, but it's totally fine, they got you! Oh, and they have amazing soaps, sugar rubs, and pre-made candles too if you just need to grab some great gifts on the go. I come back here every time I visit GR to make a new scent! read more

Wax Poetic is one of my absolute favorite places in Grand Rapids!! I live around the corner and it's very difficult to not stop in every single day. All of the staff are super friendly and knowledgeable. I love getting their opinions on my candles and they're also just great to chat with! The overall vibe is very calming and relaxing, down to the music they play. I've already been 4+ times and brought friends and family as well. I can already tell everyone on my Christmas list is going to get a personal candle this year!! read more

Wax Poetic Candle Bar - The difficult task of picking only 2-3 scents! - Gift Shops Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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What a fun, well-run, stylish place! Great for a date night (or afternoon) or a chill time with friends. I didn't know what I was walking into, only that I'd be able to design my own candle scent. My husband and I walked in on a rainy Saturday afternoon and were immediately greeted by a friendly associate and shown the ropes. We were handed little clipboards on which we were to record all of the scents we liked plus the candle style. There were more than 130 scents. And I mean ... what a selection. Baked bread, "old books," shaving cream, wasabi, champagne. If it's got a pleasant odor, this place has it. They also have a wide variety of sizes and styles when it comes to holders (traditional glass jars and metal tins along with more aesthetic styles). Once we'd filled out our selections, we moved to a table where another associate walked us through the process; having us narrow down to our favorites, then working (patiently) with us to design a hybrid fragrance. I liked champagne-tomato leaf for one of mine and grapefruit-strawberry jam-chardonnay for the other. Yum! My husband went with something more floral in scent. We blended the scent ourselves -- deciding how many drops of each scent to include -- designed cute labels, settled up for very reasonable prices ($18 for a candle that will burn 60+ hours! No more Yankee Candles for me, ever!) and got a cup of coffee next door at Early Bird. We were able to pick up our solidified candles about 90 minutes later. Solid addition to the burgeoning Eastown 'hood and I'm looking forward to having a girls' night here soon. read more

I had visited a similar place called Candle Lab in Columbus, Ohio (and had so much fun) so when I heard about Wax Poetic, I was thrilled. It's perfect for Grand Rapids! I knew what to expect but I took my friend and she was instantly hooked. We had so much fun, that we went back with our teenage daughters and made more candles. Now they're hooked so they want to go back and do it again. First of all, it's fun. There are all sorts of fragrances to choose from; florals, food, clean scents, masculine scents, garden and earthy scents, etc., so there's something for everyone. You can mix and match to make one that smells exactly the way you want it to be. My daughter did Agave, Rain and added a touch of Cherry Blossoms! Awesome! I stuck with Lily of the Valley, Gardenia and Jasmine. Love, love, love it! Mine is saturated in scent, so I can smell it through the whole house. Secondly, it's a high quality candle. They burn slow and cleanly. As a person who enjoys burning candles, it's nice when you spend $20 on a candle to not have sooty smoke. We do the really larger candles that cost $22-$28 and they take forever to burn. Candles start out around $16, and they run specials so the day we took our girls, it was "Buy 3, Get 1 Free". Here's a tip! Bring back the container for a discount on your next candle! Definitely a fun activity and I could see the appeal for a bridesmaid bash, birthday party or other group outing. read more

This is a super fun experience ! We went for my sisters bachelorette and had a blast ! Great staff and prices. read more

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LOVED THIS PLACE! Everyone was so helpful the second we walked in and showed us what to do as far as picking our fav scents and then our pieces we wanted to create. It was amazing smelling the many many fragrances they had to choose from. They were also so helpful in telling us what would be good with what. I ended up doing a candle made of tulips, basil, and white tea... which was to die for! It was $24 for a big candle and I thought it was fair. We waited about 2 hours after to pick it up. Such a great idea for a fun activity that is fairly priced with great service. read more

Wax Poetic Candle Bar - Gift Shops Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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Awesome experience! Very casual & relaxed atmosphere. I've been back several times!! Very friendly staff to coach you while creating your perfect scent. Browsing and sniffing their large selection of oils, letting your nose find just the right scent for you, choosing just the right vessel for your candle, then sitting at the bar mixing oils creating your very own unique scent then making it into your own very unique candle, reed diffuser, hand soap. The candle and reed diffuser scent my space perfectly. I'm looking forward to my next outing to Wax Poetic!! read more

Had a great time with friends mixing up scents. Love the candle I made. Will be back for sure!

So glad my friend and I stumbled on this place! We needed an activity to do in between our food and drank tour and this was exactly what we needed. The space is super modern and was notably clean! We were greeted right away and the process was explained for how the candle shennanigans would happen. We smelled a bazillion scents to figure out our favorites and then picked the jar out of really unique and cute options. The mixing part was rad; would have been fun if we were able to bring in booze like canvas painting/ pottery places but I guess it's a sign to cross the street and enjoy some GR craft beer! Everything about the experience was fantastic and can't wait to return. $20 for an hour of fun and a bomb smelling candle is totally worth it. read more

I contacted Wax Poetic on a weekend about making some custom candles for our small wedding that we were planning in Grand Rapids. Jill immediately got back to me and even though I live in California and we only needed 5 candles, she spent tons of time and effort to make sure we got exactly what we wanted for our special day. Our guests LOVED them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The candle Wax Poetic made has become the most important item we have from our wedding and is proudly displayed in our house. I wish we lived closer! We would be there everyday. We would give this business 100 stars if we could. read more

Stopped in last night to make a candle and had an absolutely wonderful experience. At first, picking from the 100+ fragrances seem a bit intimidating, but the girls at Wax Poetic make you feel right at home and are extremely knowledgeable with pairing fragrances to ultimately make a great-smelling candle. I was super impressed by some of the fragrances (the baked bread REALLY smells like it!) and had a great time picking out my candle. The process was really fun, I made a great winter candle and will definitely be back. Their pre-made candles were great as well! read more

Great experience and fun, friendly and professional staff will help and guide you through the process of creating your unique and individual Scented Candle via the many Oils on offer and the combinations you can make, was treated to this by my Mother In Law as a Birthday Present, highly recommend read more

I could smell the delicious scents on the street as I walked up to Wax Poetic. The store front was brightly lit and welcoming as I walked in, and smelled just as amazing inside as out. I visited with a group for my first visit; we were seated at the 'smelling bar' (for lack of a better term), and got started right away. The friendly staff explained the candle making process then we were let loose to put our noses to the test to pick out our favorite smells. From there, the staff took our favorites and suggested a few customs blends. There was no bad smell from my samplings and the combinations you can make are endless. I smelled my friends custom blends and was surprised to find that scents i didn't pick out, were actually pretty amazing put together with something else! I finally decided on a light, bright, floral blend for my first candle and just because I couldn't say no to the other custom blends the staff helped me with, I purchased a reed defuser in a deeper, more "manly" blend. read more

I'm not from the Grand Rapids area, but I was in town for Thanksgiving and saw this place as I was walking through the neighborhood. I didn't take advantage of the candle bar, but it looked like a great typical 'girl get-together'. There was also a couple there making candles together which looked like fun. I bought one of their premade Wax Poetic candles which I'm burning now, it's pretty great. The prices seemed reasonable for what you get and salespeople were helpful but not annoying or pushy. read more

Such a fun date night! Would be a great place for a kids birthday party. Candles smell amazing and are clean burning. Great customer service, too! read more