15 Pool Decoration Ideas for Your Wedding

bride and groom in colorful attire walking next to pool with monogram — Photo by Erich McVey

Though you likely aren't thinking about planning a wedding reception pool party, there are ways to incorporate this body of water into your big day. How? Well, instead of ignoring the in-ground pool at your reception venue, turn it into an elegant part of your wedding décor by adding a few customized touches.

More specifically, candles, lanterns, and floral arrangements lining the edge of the pool work as both a safety element and a pretty addition to your overall décor. Personalized touches—like monogrammed floral arrangements or your initials painted on the bottom of the pool—can even tie the space into your other social areas. But that's not all! Floating decorations—like lanterns, colorful blooms, or delicate petals—will add a pop of color to your reception, all while deterring guests from spontaneous swims.

If you need a few visual ideas to help inspire you while wedding planning, ahead, see how 15 of our real wedding couples turned a traditional swimming space into an unforgettable part of their reception design.

01 of 15

Go All Natural

cocktail hour by a pool — Photo by Rebecca Yale Photography

At a cocktail hour centered around a pool at the Beaulieu Garden in Napa Valley, California, lanterns made of natural fibers protected tall pillar candles from the evening breeze.

02 of 15

Choose Coral and Citrus

Decor by the pool — Photo by The Present Perfect

A floral palette of bright pink and orange tones inspired lush arrangements that bordered the pool at this Indian and Western wedding in California. Tall glass hurricanes and white candles cast a soft glow poolside.

03 of 15

Add Orange Appeal

Flowers in the pool — Photo by Ana Hinojosa

This bride had a clear vision for the florals at her Wes Anderson-inspired, Hindu-and-Christian wedding: “Marigolds everywhere,” she says (in India, the blooms represent love). The splashy orange hue even filled the pool at the ceremony site.

04 of 15

Create a Pool Deck Garden

At their Tuesday night wedding for 80 guests, Natalie and Steven turned the pool deck at The Pearl Hotel in Point Loma, San Diego, into a “fun, funky, playful—and, like, really, really pretty!” reception space, the bride shares. Flowers in a rainbow of muted shades adorned the edge of the pool, matching the bright furniture and textiles.

05 of 15

Add Twinkling Candlelight

dinner reception around a pool — Photo by Brooke Miller Photography

The natural surroundings at this Joshua Tree wedding inspired the earth-toned color palette. Long tables flanked the rectangular pool, where dozens of hurricane-enclosed pillar candles reflected off the water during the evening.

06 of 15

Adorn a Backyard Pool

florals floating in pool — Photo by Olivia Leigh Photographie

Floral arrangements in “Starry Night” shades brought color to this Van Gogh-inspired wedding in Lake Geneva; floating versions—complete with wooden lanterns—drifted in the pool that served as the focal point of the cocktail hour.

07 of 15

Pack It With Petals

Lights above pool with rose petals in the water — Photo by Erich McVey

A hanging floral canopy over the reception space at this colorful wedding in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, matched the bright pink petals the couple used to fill the turquoise pool.

08 of 15

Make an Initial Impression

Corey and Brian's monogrammed flowers floating in the pool — Photo by Stephanie Sunderland

Lifestyle blogger Corey Golden and her husband, Brian, tied the knot at her grandparents’ home in Westhampton Beach, New York, where custom details included a floral layout of the couple’s initials floating in the backyard pool.

09 of 15

Put the Music in Motion

musicians sitting on top of the pool — Photo by Abby Jiu Photography

A bout of rainy weather forced this couple to install a tent for their English garden-inspired wedding, but the dramatic draping and climbing foliage created an intimate enclosure for the dining tables—and the musicians, who performed on mini stages that floated in the pool.

10 of 15

Go Above and Beyond

Katlyn and Raj's outdoor waterfront ceremony by a pool — Photo by Pablo Laguia

At La Fortaleza, a 17th-century fortress in Puerto de Pollença, Mallorca, a shimmering mirrored aisle was placed over the courtyard’s water features and accented with terracotta-toned florals.

11 of 15

Install Overhead Lighting

Hilary and Drew's poolside dinner reception — Photo by M. Hart Photography

At a tropical disco-themed party in Palm Springs, acrylic chairs reflected the pastel aqua of the tile-lined pool; woven lanterns, accented with feathers and disco balls, hung overhead.

12 of 15

Create a Custom Candle Layout

Sarah and Carlos' pool covered in candles and flowers — Photo by Carlos Lopez Ayerdi

A more-is-more aesthetic at this colorful wedding in Guatemala extended to the pool décor, where frames suspended hundreds of candles over the water and multi-hued roses lined the edge.

13 of 15

Spell It Out

custom signage in the pool — Photo by Norman & Blake

After more than a decade together, Christina and Cam received a nearly unanimous reaction from their friends and family to their engagement. They embraced the phrase as one of the themes of their playful and elegant Big Sur wedding, even creating oversized floating letters that spelled it out in the pool.

14 of 15

Make It Personal

Photo by Erich McVey

Bride and groom Angela and Justin were surprised by a custom detail at their destination wedding in Riviera Maya: The venue had painted the couple’s wedding logo onto the bottom of the pool.

15 of 15

Add Romantic Lighting

<p>pool side reception Finca Cortesin Hotel</p> — Photo by Patricia Lyons Photography

The deep green water in this courtyard pool in Malaga, Spain, matched the lush vines climbing the walls of the luxury hotel and the statement-making plants that surrounded the tables. Dozens of floating lanterns lit the couple’s after-dark party.

Wedding Décor Inspiration