The Wedding Client Keeps Changing the Fragrance After Samples — At What Point Should I Stop Buying Additional Raw Materials Without Another Payment?
शेयर करना
What does a round actually cost? In the worked example (400 × 200 g, two oils a round, 100 g bottles, CSI 464, Eco C2, your jars, courier and hours), a 15 g sniff round is ₹682.42 and a candle round ₹3,541.02 to ₹4,239.54. A sniff round plus two candle rounds is ₹7,943.66: ₹19.86 a candle, 4.4% of a ₹1,80,000.00 order. Price that into the quote.
Why not keep sampling until they are happy? Because rounds 3 and 4 add ₹8,297.56 that nobody priced, and because a late switch can be a price change too: the bulk oil for 400 candles is ₹21,369.80 in British Rose and ₹52,876.00 in Dark Vanilla.
What if they change after I bought the bulk oil? That is a different problem with different options (charge, absorb, reuse): the lavender-to-oud post.
- Straight answer: the stop point is in the quote
- The order and the sampling, as numbers
- What each sample round costs at CSI prices
- A sample policy with three stop rules
- What you buy during sampling, and what you never buy
- What to say: a practical script for each stage
- The decision rule and what you never skip
- The products used in sampling
- Frequently asked questions
The order and the sampling, as numbers
The title gives no figures, so the page uses a worked example you replace with your own: 400 candles of 200 g at 8% (16 g oil + 184 g wax each, the series default), quoted at ₹450.00 a candle (₹1,80,000.00 in all, your price, not a CSI figure), a 50% advance (₹90,000.00), and a wedding 75 days after the brief. The client has been through samples and keeps asking for different scents.
| Input | Figure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Candles | 400 | 200 g at 8%: 16 g oil + 184 g wax |
| Quoted price and order value | ₹450.00 a candle · ₹1,80,000.00 | your price; CSI sells raw materials only |
| Advance | ₹90,000.00 | 50%, taken at signature |
| Bulk pours after approval | 426 | 400 + 8 extras ÷ 0.96 |
| Bulk oil after approval | 6,898 g | incl. 1% heel and a 30 g sealed reference |
| Sniff round | up to 4 oils, 15 g bottles, blotters | no candles poured |
| Candle round, per oil | 80 g oil · 920 g wax · 5 wicks · 5 jars | a 6/8/10% ladder plus two client samples at 8% |
| Your jar, courier, hours | ₹60.00 a jar · ₹250.00 a dispatch · 4 h at ₹200.00 | your figures; CSI publishes none |
| Calendar per candle round | 8 days | pour, cure 72 hours, burn, courier, client reply |
| Wedding | day 75 | production tail after signature: 23 days |
Two of those figures shape everything that follows. A candle round per oil needs 80 g of oil, which is why it takes a 100 g bottle: a 50 g bottle covers the 6/8/10% ladder in a 200 g candle (48 g) with 2 g left and nothing for client samples. And the production tail after signature is 23 days, which fixes the last day a change can arrive without moving the wedding delivery.
What each sample round costs at CSI prices
| Round | Oils | Oil bottles | Wax, wicks, jars | Courier + hours | Round cost | Cumulative | Policy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sniff | Jasmine, Gardenia, Raat Ki Rani, British Rose (15 g each, blotters) | ₹432.42 | none | ₹250.00 | ₹682.42 | ₹682.42 | included |
| Candle 1 | Jasmine, Gardenia | ₹863.00 | ₹1,628.02 | ₹1,050.00 | ₹3,541.02 | ₹4,223.44 | included |
| Candle 2 | Raat Ki Rani, British Rose | ₹1,042.20 | ₹1,628.02 | ₹1,050.00 | ₹3,720.22 | ₹7,943.66 | included: the allowance ends here |
| Candle 3 | Dark Vanilla, Ylang Ylang | ₹1,380.00 | ₹1,628.02 | ₹1,050.00 | ₹4,058.02 | ₹12,001.68 | billed before buying |
| Candle 4 | Gilli Mitti, Neroli | ₹1,561.52 | ₹1,628.02 | ₹1,050.00 | ₹4,239.54 | ₹16,241.22 | billed before buying |
Per oil, a candle round carries ₹814.01 before the bottle: wax ₹466.81 (920 g of CSI 464 at the 10 kg rate), five C2 wicks ₹47.20 and five of your jars at the worked ₹60.00 (₹300.00). Add the 100 g bottle, then the round’s courier and your hours. The wax is valued at what it consumes; you buy it in 1 kg packs and the remainder goes into the next round or your own range.
| Line | Required | Spare | CSI packs | ₹ | Left over |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil A and oil B | 80 g each | 20 g each | 1 × 100 g each | ₹863.00 (round 1) | 20 g each, useful only if that oil is chosen |
| Luxury Soy Wax CSI 464 | 1.84 kg | none | 2 × 1 kg | ₹1,014.80 | 0.16 kg, reusable |
| Eco C2 wicks | 10 | none | 1 × 10 | ₹94.40 | none |
| Your jars | 10 | none | your supplier | ₹600.00 | none |
The figure that matters is not any one round. It is the running total: ₹7,943.66 after the included rounds, ₹12,001.68 after a third and ₹16,241.22 after a fourth. On a ₹1,80,000.00 order, 4.4% for sampling is a reasonable cost of winning a wedding. Doubling it, unpriced, is a discount you did not mean to give. How to keep each round as lean as possible (fewer options, smaller sizes, sample kits from standard materials) is the sampling-cost post.
A sample policy with three stop rules
Stop rule 1: the included rounds are used
Write the allowance into the quote in plain words: "one scent preview (up to four fragrances) and two candle sample rounds (up to two fragrances each) are included." When round 2 has gone out and the client asks for something new, the next round is quoted (₹4,058.02 in the worked example for two oils) and paid before you order its bottles. Whether a paid round is later credited against the order is your commercial choice; many makers credit it if the order proceeds unchanged, which turns the charge into a commitment signal rather than a penalty.
Stop rule 2: nothing for bulk without signature and advance
Do not let a warm "we love it" after round 1 trigger a bulk purchase. A bulk oil order for 400 candles is ₹21,369.80 to ₹52,876.00 depending on the scent; buying it on a verbal yes is the exact mistake 6351 has to clean up. "Approved" means a physical, burned sample in the final jar, signed and dated by the client, with your retained twin of it on your shelf (what must be client-approved).
Stop rule 3: the last-change date
Count back from the wedding: CSI dispatch and your transit (7 days in the worked example; CSI does not publish transit, so confirm on WhatsApp), lot check 3, pour 3, cure 3, QC and pack 2, delivery 2, slack 3: 23 days. The last change is day 52. Before it, a change costs a round; after it, a change costs the date or the scope (fewer candles in the new scent, or the original scent for part of the order). Put the day in the quote, not in your head.
What you buy during sampling, and what you never buy
| Item | Buy during sampling? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 15 g bottles for the sniff round | Yes, within the allowance | ₹432.42 for four oils |
| 100 g bottles for a candle round | Yes, when the round is included or paid | 80 g used; 20 g useful only if that oil wins |
| CSI 464 in 1 kg packs | Yes | Reusable, flat per kilo from 1 kg |
| Eco C2 in 10s or 20s | Yes | ₹9.44 a wick in every pack: small packs cost nothing extra |
| Bulk oil (1 kg bottles) of a shortlisted scent | No | Client-specific until signed |
| Wicks in 1,000s | No | The wick is confirmed by the final oil’s burn test |
| Printed labels, custom colour, custom jars | No | Entirely client-specific |
One more reason to keep bulk purchases behind the signature: the final scent can change the order’s cost, not just its smell. For the same 400 candles the bulk oil runs from ₹21,369.80 (British Rose) through ₹27,213.00 (Jasmine) and ₹46,831.00 (Raat Ki Rani) to ₹52,876.00 (Dark Vanilla), a swing of ₹31,506.20, or ₹78.77 a candle. If your quote was built on a mid-priced oil, a late switch to a dearer one deserves a revised price, and the quote should say so.
What to say: a practical script for each stage
The wording below is practical judgement, not legal advice; adapt it to your voice and send it in writing (email or the chat you use for the order), so the history is in one place.
| Stage | What to say |
|---|---|
| At quote | "Your price includes a scent preview (up to four fragrances) and two candle sample rounds (up to two fragrances each). Further rounds are charged at cost before we prepare them. The last day to change the fragrance without moving the delivery date is [day]." |
| When round 3 is requested | "Happy to try those two. As this is beyond the two included rounds, the sample round is [₹4,058.02 in our worked example]; once it’s paid we’ll order the oils and send the candles in about 8 days." |
| When they approve | "Wonderful. Please sign and date the sample card for candle [code]; we keep its twin. Once the advance is in, we order the bulk materials." |
| After the last-change date | "We can still change it. A new fragrance now means either a new delivery date of [date] or [x] candles in the new scent and the rest in the approved one. Which would you prefer?" |
| After bulk is bought | "We have already bought the approved fragrance for your order. A change now involves the cost of that material; here are the options." (see 6351) |
The decision rule and what you never skip
The decision rule. A change request is accepted free if an included round remains; accepted on payment if the allowance is used and the last-change day has not passed; accepted with a new date or reduced scope after the last-change day; and handled as a commercial change (6351) once bulk is bought. The settling numbers: included sampling ₹7,943.66, round 3 at ₹4,058.02, last change day 52.
| Step | Why | Calendar time |
|---|---|---|
| Cure before judging a candle sample | An uncured soy sample can mislead in both directions | 72 hours in the worked rounds |
| Burn test in the final jar with the final wick | A new oil can change the wick it needs | Inside each candle round |
| A signed physical sample, with a retained twin | The approval is of a candle, not a description | At approval |
| Lot check on the bulk oil against the approved sample | The bulk lot may differ from the sample bottle | About 3 days after arrival |
The products used in sampling
Six CSI products from the worked rounds: four oils at sample sizes, the wick in small packs, and the wax. Nothing is ranked on performance (CSI publishes no burn data); the oils are the worked story’s shortlist, not a recommendation.
| Size | Price | Per gram | Use in sampling |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 g | ₹103.00 | ₹6.87 | sniff round (blotters) |
| 50 g | ₹230.00 | ₹4.60 | ladder only: 48 g, 2 g left |
| 100 g | ₹430.00 | ₹4.30 | ladder + 2 client samples: 80 g |
| Size | Price | Per gram | Use in sampling |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 g | ₹130.00 | ₹8.67 | sniff round (blotters) |
| 50 g | ₹370.00 | ₹7.40 | ladder only: 48 g, 2 g left |
| 100 g | ₹700.00 | ₹7.00 | ladder + 2 client samples: 80 g |
| Size | Price | Per gram | Use in sampling |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 g | ₹94.40 | ₹6.29 | sniff round (blotters) |
| 50 g | ₹212.40 | ₹4.25 | ladder only: 48 g, 2 g left |
| 100 g | ₹342.20 | ₹3.42 | ladder + 2 client samples: 80 g |
| Size | Price | Per gram | Use in sampling |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 g | ₹130.00 | ₹8.67 | sniff round (blotters) |
| 50 g | ₹410.00 | ₹8.20 | ladder only: 48 g, 2 g left |
| 100 g | ₹790.00 | ₹7.90 | ladder + 2 client samples: 80 g |
| Pack | Price | Per wick | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thick (C2) / 10 | ₹94.40 | ₹9.44 | one candle round (2 oils × 5) |
| Thick (C2) / 20 | ₹188.80 | ₹9.44 | two rounds |
| Thin (C1) / 10 | ₹59.00 | ₹5.90 | Out of stock on 7 October 2026 |
| Size | Price | Per kg | Use in sampling |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 g | ₹260.00 | ₹520.00 | tops up a round |
| 1 kg | ₹507.40 | ₹507.40 | two per candle round |
| 5 kg | ₹2,537.00 | ₹507.40 | several rounds; reusable |
CandleMakingSuppliesIndia sells the oils, wax and wicks used in these rounds and does not sell finished candles. This page still tells you to buy 100 g bottles rather than our cheaper-per-gram 1 kg while a scent is on a shortlist, to buy wicks in 10s, and to stop buying altogether until the client pays or signs.
Every CSI price was checked on the live store on 7 October 2026; every bottle and pack offered here is in stock on that date, and the Eco C1 10-pack, which is out, is not offered. Raat Ki Rani’s page address mentions a 2025 shipping date although it is in stock: confirm dispatch on WhatsApp. Stock depth, dispatch dates and lot continuity are not shown on product pages.
The 400-candle order, ₹450.00 price, 50% advance, jar price, courier, hours, round contents, round length, production tail and wedding date are labelled worked examples; prices are data. This is practical judgement, not legal or financial advice. For bulk pricing, stock and lot confirmation, GST invoicing, and MSDS and IFRA documentation on request, message us on WhatsApp at +91 7397976926.
Frequently asked questions
- I Received a 500-Piece Wedding Candle Order in a Fragrance I Have Never Used Before — What Must I Test Before Buying 50+ Kg of Raw Materials?
- A Client Approved Lavender but Later Wants to Change to Oud After I Bought the Fragrance — How Should Custom Raw-Material Purchases Be Handled Commercially?
- Which Raw Materials for a Custom Wedding Candle Should Be Client-Approved Before I Commit to Bulk Purchasing?
- I Need 1,000 Wedding Candles in a Custom Fragrance — Should the Fragrance Formula Be Completely Finalised Before I Buy Bulk Wax and Wicks?
- How Do I Move a Wedding Candle Order from Sample Approval → Final Formula → Exact BOM → Bulk Raw-Material Purchase → Production → QC → Delivery?
- A Wedding Order Requires Custom Fragrance, Custom Colour and Custom Packaging — How Much Extra Development Time Should I Build into Production?
- A Client Wants Multiple Samples Before Confirming a Large Order — How Do I Prevent Fragrance and Raw-Material Sampling Costs from Becoming Excessive?
- I Received My First 500-Candle Order — What Should I Calculate Before Saying Yes to the Customer?
Customer reviews: The six reviews at the top of this page are genuine, published Judge.me reviews left by CSI customers on the product pages named on each card — British Rose Fragrance Oil, Dark Vanilla Fragrance, Eco Candle Wicks, Gardenia Fragrance Oil, Jasmine Fragrance Oil, Luxury Soy Wax CSI 464 (Flakes Form) For Container Candles. They are general product reviews, not assessments of the bulk-order advice on this page. Names, star ratings, dates and products are as recorded by Judge.me and wording is unedited. "Verified buyer" appears only on reviews Judge.me recorded as verified — Anonymous, Subhankar Roy, Sraddha, Jaya Sawlani. The reviews from S.A., Emma Bechara are published but not recorded as verified, and carry no badge. Reviews below five stars are included as published, not filtered out.
Figures verified 7 October 2026, CSI live pricing: Jasmine 15 g ₹103.00, 50 g ₹230.00, 100 g ₹430.00, 500 g ₹1,961.00; Gardenia 15 g ₹105.02, 100 g ₹433.00; Raat Ki Rani 15 g ₹130.00, 50 g ₹370.00, 100 g ₹700.00, 500 g ₹3,387.00, 1 kg ₹6,774.00; British Rose 15 g ₹94.40, 50 g ₹212.40, 100 g ₹342.20, 500 g ₹1,593.00, 1 kg ₹3,068.00; Dark Vanilla 15 g ₹130.00, 50 g ₹410.00, 100 g ₹790.00, 500 g ₹3,840.00, 1 kg ₹7,646.00; Ylang Ylang Flower 100 g ₹590.00; Gilli Mitti 100 g ₹896.00; Neroli 100 g ₹665.52; Luxury Soy Wax CSI 464 500 g ₹260.00, 1 kg ₹507.40, 5 kg ₹2,537.00, 10 kg ₹5,074.00; Eco Candle Wicks Thick (C2) 10 ₹94.40, 20 ₹188.80 (Thin (C1) 10-pack out of stock). Stock depth, dispatch dates and lot continuity are not published: confirm on WhatsApp. Per gram = price ÷ grams, two decimals.
Non-price figures: the title gives no figures; the 400 × 200 g order at 8% (16 g oil + 184 g wax, total-weight basis), ₹450.00 quoted price, 50% advance, round contents, 920 g wax and 80 g oil per oil per round, ₹60.00 jar, ₹250.00 courier, 4 hours at ₹200.00, 8-day rounds, 5-day sniff round, 23-day production tail and the 75-day wedding date are labelled worked examples. All eight oils’ pages state candle loads up to 10%; CSI 464’s page states up to 10%; ceilings are formulation limits, not regulatory ones. The wedding season is a common pattern, not data.