Made In New Jersey: Buy or make your own candles at Brighter Days in Marlboro
Diana Ulke says she decided to make her own products when she couldn’t find the right one in other stores.
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For this week’s Made In New Jersey, News 12’s Syma Chowdhry visited Marlboro where Brighter Days candles are made.
Diana Ulke, the founder of Brighter Days, said she's always had a love for candles. Like many business owners, Ulke says she decided to make her own products when she couldn’t find the right one in other stores.
“Wanted to bring something clean-burning and non-toxic but I couldn’t find anything on the market at that time,” she said.
Ulke, 30, started making candles in her kitchen eight years ago. By 2019, she opened shop on Main Street near Ryan Road where she makes soy-based candles with wooden wicks that come in a variety of scents.
Ulke said the name Brighter Days is “to spread positivity and good vibes from our hands to your homes.”
Visitors can make their own candles in a workshop or order their own scent in bulk. Ulke says she also works with other local businesses to create custom private labels for their businesses.
This summer, customers can expect two new scents with a Jersey theme — one will be a herby, tomato scent with some basil and the other will have a beachy scent that is coconut.
Brighter Days can crank out up to 500 candles a week and there are plans to expand. Ulke says the company is looking to also include reed diffusers, soy wax melts and room sprays.
