The base is assembled with a hot glue gun at least a day or two before the party so the glue will completely set. If you are making a centerpiece secure the florist foam into the water container saucer and the water container saucer onto the base with hot glue. Whatever you decide to use for the floating centerpiece secure it to the disguised sytrofoam. If hot glue doesn’t work, try the kind of wax you use to secure candles in place in a holder or you can go to your home improvement store and they have a product called Museum Wax , which is a waxy product used in Museums to secure things in case of a natural disaster (I might not have the name right it could have Earthquake hold in the name, but they should know what you’re talking about). There are also glues in a tube (not crazy glue, but more looks more like a tube of toothpaste) that work very well and will last forever.

If making an arrangement, add water to the containers so that the florist foam will become soft and saturated. It’s easiest to insert the flowers while the base is floating in the pool, of course that means who ever is making the arrangment will have to stand in the pool, After the flowers have been added anchor the float to the center of the pool by stretching the monofilament wire from each corner of the float to planters or
anything else heavy at the edge of the pool.
MAKE SURE THE FLOAT IS BALANCED so it won’t capsize in the water!

Choose a festive color scheme and keep it two toned or limited to two colors for a more sophisticated look.

Make sure your food stations have some interest by making levels of the trays of food. (see my other post about buffet tips). If you have some pretty floral or print table cloths, utilize them at the food stations. Put the print on the table first, then a solid coordinating cloth over it scrunching it over your props. Or you can do it visa versa.

Think tall and big!! You can’t have too many twinkle lights or candle light for a party like this. It turns the space from a pretty yard to something spectacular when it gets dark. Twinkle lights also provide surprising light in areas that might otherwise be dark.

If there is a place you can hang the lights vertically and make a “twinkle light curtain” that would be spectacular. From a tree, from the fence, etc. If you have to, borrow lights from your friends, make sure they are white only bulbs. Write their names with a magic marker on the ends of the lights so everyone gets theirs back. Use a power strip hidden somewhere that they can hang from. If the party starts after dark you won’t have to worry about disguising the dangling end of the lights. If it starts during light, use two large headed silk flowers with their stems removed and either use velcro or double edge tape with them back to back to create an “envelope” to insert the plug at the bottom of the lights into. So to visualize this, you will have a “curtain” of twinkle lights with flowers at the bottoms. You can make them hang at different levels.

If there are trees or bushes cover them in twinkle lights as well. Wind the lights around the base of the tree and into the branches (you might as well leave them there…you will love how it looks).

If there is a place where you can hang wide ribbons from a tree or something where the ribbons will gently fly around in the breeze, that’s a beautiful look also. Lots of them, and long.

If you are making arrangements for the tables, think tall again. Use branches or twigs and some orchids and your done. If you can hang votive candles in glass holders from the twigs (you’ll have to add ribbon and make a “nest” for the votives to sit in).

Remember, the magic happens when the sun goes down and your yard is all aglow.

Use favors in your theme (http://www.favorsbyserendipity.com/wedding-favors-theme-ocean-1.html ) for additional decorating.

Have each couple stand in front of your favorite decorated spot and take a picture of them for the couple of honor and for them to keep as a rememberance. You can also use a picture frame ( http://www.favorsbyserendipity.com/wedding-favors-frames-1.html ) as a favor so they can put their picture inside.

I hope this helps and if you use any of these ideas you will send me pictures. I’d love to see what you came up with.

Answering these questions will help me to visualize what we have to work with.