Brand Story

Hello!

I'm Donna, founder of Whimsy & Wist Candles, wedding venue Director and mum of 3 from Northamptonshire.

Whimsy & Wist was dreamed up long before I'd ever made a candle. The 2020 pandemic had a devastating affect on the wedding venue I own and run with my husband. Overnight we had all our bookings cancelled and we didn't do a 'normal' wedding for over a year. Financially, this was terrifying and we realised that we had all our eggs in one basket. So you'll be thinking that I started my candle business there and then? Nope! With 3 kids to homeschool, a business to salvage and no money for materials it was a dream for another day.

I've always loved candles and would buy them all the time, however I was increasingly concerned about what was in them. I started to do some research and was horrified to find that most candles on the market are made from parrafin wax, a by product of petroleum. The seed was planted and I decided that I wanted to start my own candle business, making candles that were free from toxins and safe to burn in people's homes, as well as diversifying my income. Whimsy & Wist Candles was dreamed up long before I'd ever made a candle and I came up with the name and branding before throwing myself into learning everything about candle making in 2022 - turns out there is a lot more to it than putting some wax and fragrance in a jar! 

I love being in nature, spending hours walking my labrador Bo in the woods and cross country, so it seemed obvious that my candle fragrances would be nature inspired. I also love the idea of scent evoking a moment or a memory, thus Whimsy & Wist, as a play on whimsical and wistful.

 My business motto is 'tread lightly'; therefore, I have tried to make candles in the most ethical way possible, including using sustainable plant wax, eco cotton wicks, and fragrances that are vegan, cruelty-free and free from pthalates, parabens and silicones. All my packaging is plastic free, recyclable and/or compostable. My range also includes wax melts and diffusers, and I hope to introduce a candle refill option very soon.