A New Orleans Candle Company

by Gienine Fluegge November 17, 2021

This is the story behind why I started Parish Scents, a New Orleans candle company.

You can view my New Orleans candle collections here.

These are our most popular New Orleans Candles:

Coffee House candle by Parish Scents a New Orleans Candle Company

A Life-Altering Storm

I am a New Orleanian born in Uptown New Orleans on the east bank of the Mississippi River where my mom worked at various hospitals around the city. Eventually she saved up enough to purchase a house in New Orleans East, and though she passed away when I was just a child, I lived in New Orleans East until the age of 16.

At the age of 16, I moved further into downtown New Orleans just before Hurricane Katrina devastated the city.

Like many other people, much of my childhood was lost in the hurricane; homes, family photos, family heirlooms and more. The storm did not just devastate the city - it altered the lives of hundreds of thousands, including mine.

a home in New Orleans, LA

As a result of Hurricane Katrina, I relocated to Texas with some of my brothers and sisters. It was originally a temporary move, but ultimately, returning to a city devastated by such a cataclysmic natural disaster was simply not possible until years later. By that time, I had settled down in Texas, and returning to New Orleans to live was not an option.

Even though I have not moved back, the culture, cuisine, festivals, music, sights, and scenery frequently call me back. Many of my relatives have also moved back over the years, while some never left. My family is deeply rooted in the city of New Orleans - and has been for 150+ years - so I travel back and visit as often as possible.

Learning What Matters Most

The sudden, devastating, and complete loss of so many things that personally and deeply connected me to my New Orleans heritage has caused me to reflect over the years on the things that I value, and what matters to me the most.

And I always come back to the same thing, experiences.

Memories in Scents

And of all the things that I remember from New Orleans the most, it is the scents from the city of New Orleans that bring back some of my most distinct memories that resurface time and again.

Even when I'm not in New Orleans, I can still smell the scent of the French Quarter (I'd love a beignet right now), Magazine Street, the salty Gulf waters, the mighty Mississippi, the seafood, the historic parks... and yes, even the dirty downtown areas which do not always have such pleasant odors.

And it reminds me of home.

a 3-wick candle on display made by Parish Scents, a New Orleans Candle company.

But for many people, those scents are reminiscent of a favorite trip, a friend or family member, a festival, or some other memorable experience. And what better way to resurface all of those wonderful memories than the scent of a candle filling the room with the very essence of the city of New Orleans.

A Candle Company is Born

When I sit down to relax and read a book by the fireplace on a chilly evening with only a candle lighting the room, the flame dancing against the wall often reminds me of the streetlights of New Orleans.

As the smells from various candles brimming with scents of bourbon, tobacco, vanilla, coffee, and cacao fill my nostrils, I find myself back in the Garden District, the French Quarter and on Magazine Street.

a New Orleans paddle-wheel boat in New Orleans, LA

A smile inevitably forms on my lips as I dream of all of my favorite memories already made in the magical city of New Orleans, as well as the ones that will be made in the future.

Then one day I realized... If I enjoy these candles, the places, and the memories that these scents bring me back to, then I want to share the scents of my city with you!

And hopefully by sharing these carefully crafted New Orleans scented candles with you, you will also find yourself transported back to a world of which you too, call home.

Parish Scents: A New Orleans Candle Company

Aside from Alaska and Louisiana, the other 48 states have divided themselves into what we know as "counties". But in Alaska they call them "boroughs" and in Louisiana, each county is referred to as a "Parish".

The city of New Orleans proper is in Orleans Parish. The term "Parish" has deeply rooted, centuries-old ties to the culture and history of New Orleans. The term Parish is as deeply connected to New Orleans as I craft my candles to be - and that connection is important to me.

We were founded as a New Orleans Candle company, and that is what we will always be.

Parish Scents Candle Quality

I focus on using the highest quality soy-based candle wax that I have access to, along with natural smelling aroma's crafted from the finest fragrance oil (or essential oils where applicable) to create a beautifully scented candle every single time.

Each candle product that I sell in the Parish Scents store will detail the scent style used in that candle on the product listing page prior to placing your order.

All of our Parish Scents soy candle products are hand poured in small batches and each candle is visually inspected prior to shipping to maintain high quality control on our products.

Candle care is equally as important as the quality of the candle, which is why I also created an extensive guide with critical candle care tips and candle safety recommendations.

Cement candles by Parish Scents - a New Orleans candle company.

We offer a wide selection of candle vessels. If you prefer a glass jar, or handmade cement candle vessels, we offer a variety of both.

If you prefer a candle vessel that we do not currently carry, please feel free to reach out to us and we'll see if we can be of assistance.

Candle Packaging

Due to the nature of candles, the fact that they are generally considered a fragile product, and the way that all of the shipping carriers handle packages, we take great care in how we package our candle orders for shipment in order to reduce the number of shipping issues that plague many candle companies.

Customer Service

If you need assistance regarding your order, want to place a wholesale order, or just have general questions, please feel free to email our customer support at help@parishscents.com and we'll be happy to be of assistance.

Family & Friends

Every successful business thrives as a result of word-of-mouth advertising from customers. If there is anything that would prevent you from telling your family and friends to go buy Parish Scents candles - we want to know! Please tell us at Help@ParishScents.com if there is anything that we can improve on to make your candle experience better.