A candle melting system includes a candle shaper having a guard that operatively separates a handle from a wax cutting blade is thermally controlled by a heating assembly. The candle melting system also includes a candle mold that includes an outer kiln that is sized to accommodate an inner mold. In some embodiments, the inner mold includes a heat sink positioned near the bottom of the inner mold. The candle mold includes a wick placement assembly configured to hold a wick in place so that wax can be melted around the wick to form a custom candle.