Meetings & Events Industry Veteran Turned Candlemaker

Welcome!

Thank you for visiting our store.

How did Chesapeake Beach Candle Co. come to be? Well, the short answer is - my life took a completely unexpected turn in 2020. Sounds familiar? I am sure for many of us, 2020 was among the most exhausting, chaotic, and surreal years (I can think of many worse adjectives) that we had to endure. And, so here is the long version of my story. 

I have spent my entire career, over 23 years, in the meetings and events industry. We have been through many crises including 9/11, SARS, H1N1, etc. We are resilient, we always bounce back. But, in spring 2020, COVID-19 brought the meetings & events industry to a screeching halt. My position was furloughed and with no end in sight, I realized I needed to do something to keep my sanity. My husband suggested that I think of something that I am passionate about and turn it into a hobby. But, I never had time to think about my passion for anything - not while having a full time job and chauffeuring the kids to practices and games most evenings and weekends.

A few months into the shutdown, stores began slowly opening back up and I rushed to a local store, specifically to the candle aisle, where I spent no less than half an hour sniffing all the candles. I know, I have a problem, but this is exactly how I discovered my passion (really obsession) with scented candles. I stood there thinking about ways to turn the passion into a hobby. And that's how it all happened. I spent hundreds of hours researching, learning, watching videos, calculating (there is quite a bit of math involved in candle making), experimenting, and failing, but eventually I succeeded. My husband has supported me all the way and now he is fully invested in our little company. 
 
All of our products are made in small batches, hand poured, and are free of artificial colors and additives. We use high quality ingredients and fragrance oils that are phthalate-free and adhere to RIFM and IFRA standards for safety and purity. Our scents are inspired by the joy of living near the Chesapeake Bay in Southern Maryland. Our goal is to produce top-quality home fragrance products that you trust in your home, around your families and in your businesses. We hope you will enjoy our products as much as we enjoy making them. 
  
With love,
Amra and Chris Elmore 

“Scent is the Strongest Tie to Memory.”
Maggie Stiefvater

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