Groom hamper for the engagement or wedding: a calm candle chest from the bride or her family, not another grooming kitGroom hamper for the engagement or wedding: a calm candle chest from the bride or her family, not another grooming kit

When the groom gets a hamper too

At a roka, a sagai or the wedding itself, the bride's side often sends a hamper for the groom. Most of them hold the same things: a perfume, a grooming kit, a wallet, a box of dry fruits. A groom hamper that he will remember is one that says something about the two of them, or about the family welcoming him. A chest of candles does that quietly.

On Raajkosh you build it in the gift chest builder: choose 3 to 6 handmade soy candles, then the chest style, a ribbon and your message. We deliver it across India. Each piece is charged at its shop price, plus the chest style, and 4 or more pieces get 10% off the pieces. The builder shows the full price before checkout, so the totals below are for the pieces only.

Three groom chests, by who is sending it

Add the chest style to each. A fourth piece takes 10% off all four.

From the bride. Vanilla Reverie is our only scented candle: warm vanilla in an amber glass jar with a black screw lid, which suits a man who does not want anything ornamental. A single navy spiral is plain and handsome. The ten red heart tealights are the one romantic note, for the evening he wants to surprise her back.

From the bride's parents. This chest is less about him and more about the home he comes from: an urli pair for the doorway, a shankh for the mandir and six terracotta-red diyas. It is a respectful, traditional gift that his mother will put to use at the next festival.

From his friends. For the groom who is setting up a new home with his bride: two conch-shaped seashell vessels for the bathroom or bedroom, five spirals in five colours for the dining table, and the vanilla jar.

What suits a groom, and what to leave out

• Fewer hearts, fewer teddies. Unless the bride is sending it as a joke he will enjoy, keep the chest calm: spirals, vanilla, shells, and the festive pieces for the family.
• Navy and ivory. Our Spiral Pillar Candles come in five colours; for most men the navy or ivory single is the safe choice.
• Something for the house, not just for him. In many Indian families the groom's room becomes the couple's room. Pieces that will look good there are pieces the bride will enjoy too.
• A message from the person, not the family. If the bride is sending it, the message should sound like her, not like a wedding card.

Perfume, watches and grooming kits

Our chest is only candles. If the groom hamper your family has in mind holds a perfume, a watch, a wallet, a kurta or a grooming kit, those come from a department store, a brand's own site or a menswear shop. Dry fruits and sweets come from a sweet shop. Many families put the candle chest in as one tray among several.

For gift hampers for men in general, not just grooms, see our gift basket for men page. For every other kind of chest, start at our gift hampers page.

Want his initials, or both your names, on a piece? Ask through custom orders with the idea and the date. Custom pieces cannot be returned unless damaged or wrong.

Getting it there before the function

Orders dispatch in 24 to 48 hours and arrive 2 to 7 days after dispatch. We do not promise a delivery date, so order well before the roka or wedding and check the estimate for the pincode on the product page. Sending it to your own home first lets you add it to the trays yourself.

Orders of Rs 999 or more ship free; below that, Rs 79. Payment is prepaid only, by UPI, card, net banking or wallet; no cash on delivery. Report damage within 24 hours of delivery for a replacement or refund.

For the groom, one line: trim the wick to about 5 mm, keep each burn to 3 to 4 hours, and never leave a candle burning alone.