A night out at The Candle Pour in St. Pete

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — From suede to rain to sunshine, it’s a scented candle journey, and Dennis Akers is the guide at The Candle Pour in St. Pete.

Owned by Akers and his wife Misty Akers, the St. Pete location is one of four in Tampa and Sarasota.

When the Tampa family began their small business, they said the first step was researching their extensive scent library.

More than 100 candles line their walls, each topped with a cork cover.

“What we do is you pop a cork, you smell the cork,” Akers said.

You have a clipboard and free rein, but candle experts help with scent families and ideas.

“If you’d like it calm and laid-back, we’ve got lavender, eucalyptus,” Akers said. “If you like fresh or floral, we can do that as well.”

Once you choose your scents, you’ll use your favorites — about four — and fill a small shot glass with the fragrance oils.

The experience lasts about 45 minutes.

“So that’s when you go explore — go have lunch, go have some dinner,” Akers said.

Akers said it’s not completely about the candles.

“It’s about spending quality time with your family, your friends,” Akers said. “My job is literally forcing you to hang out for three hours.”