Two products that we’re excited to decorate with are Floating White Blossom Lights (available at Target) and Floating Wish Lanterns. Not only are they affordable, but they also blend in naturally with the water and come off as sophisticated pool décor. When doing a search for pool lights you’ll find a number of products that are tacky, crazy expensive and a bunch that are just plain unappealing.  After doing a lot of research I can honestly say these are the best options for a bride on a budget.  Floating orbs/ball lanterns are pretty cool, but they’ll cost you a pretty penny. Remember, in the end, water feature décor should be subtle and it should seem fitting for the occasion–so set a small budget for it and enjoy the atmosphere it creates!

For those looking for a similar stand to ours shown above, we worked with Postscripts on Etsy to design our gorgeous piece.

Kransekake
2 cups soft butter
1 cup almond paste
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 tsp. almond extract
4 egg yolks
5 cups sifted flour

Frosting
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
4 Tbsp butter, softened
10 tsp. orange juice
11/2 tsp. almond extract

Cream together until smooth the butter, almond paste, powdered sugar and almond extract. Beat egg yolks in well. Measure flour after it has been sifted and, add gradually, mixing by hand until it is very smooth. Lightly flour a clean surface and roll the dough into long snake shapes that will fit inside the cake forms.  Gently pick up the dough and place it into the cake forms and pinch the ends together.  Do this until all the forms are filled.

Bake in oven at 350 degrees F. 17 minutes or until very lightly browned. Cool the cake forms on a wire rack for 1 hour. To assemble the cake, line all the forms in a row from largest to smallest (this helps to keep the ring sizes in order). Mix the frosting ingredients all together place in a piping bag. Drizzle some frosting on the base of the cake platter (this will anchor the cake). Gently pop the cake out of the form and place largest ring on frosting. Apply frosting in scallops on first ring. Place next largest ring on top and decorate and stack in order until you have used all 18 layers. The scalloped frosting will hold each ring in place. If pieces break, use the frosting as “glue” and seal them together.  Once complete, the cake should be covered and will keep fresh for 1-3 days. For decoration, place Norwegian flag toothpicks in the cake.

To serve: Guests can break off 2 1/2 inch pieces from the cake form.  Cake should make approximately 60 broken pieces.

Photo: Leigh Miller Photography

Here’s what you’ll need: 

• 4 ft. Wooden Garden Stakes
• Galvanized Flower Buckets (around 13-inches)
• Sand
• Hammer & Nails
• Globe String Lights

Instructions: 

Step 1. A few inches from the top of each garden stake, hammer one nail in (leaving about half an inch of the nail exposed).

Step 2. Fill each of the tall flower buckets with sand (about 3/4 full).

Step 3. Place one yard stake in each bucket.  Wiggle them around until they are level.

Step 4. Spread the buckets several feet apart in the area you want to light.

Step 5.  String the lights from post to post (hanging them on the nail).  Remember to leave some slack between posts.  Step back and see how they look all together–you can easily  move the string lights and the sand buckets if they need to be evened out.

Step 6. Flip the light switch and enjoy the ambiance!

This can be used in small yards, next to pool patios, for outdoor weddings, and everything in-between. We hope you enjoy today’s tip! How do you light your home for outdoor entertaining?

Antique nail barrels can be found on Etsy, e-Bay or in most antique malls. Large, affordable lanterns can be found at Kirklands.

What you’ll need: An old vintage lantern (you can find these at antique stores or on Etsy for around $10 or more) and one strand of  Restoration Hardware’s 5 ft. Starry String Lights (about $10-15).

Simply open the glass chimney and feed the string lights into it.  Once the string is fed into it (not the battery pack), close the chimney.  The batter pack can be hid behind the lantern or underneath the base.  When you’re ready to use, turn on the battery-operated lights and enjoy the look of fireflies in a lantern.

A similar fabric can be purchased from BigZFabric–called the Leaf Style Taffeta Fabric-Ivory for $13.99 a yard. I recommend ordering six yards per table.  Cut the fabric in half (this is quite easy to do along the seam), sew the fabric so it is approximately 120” x 120”.

To achieve the lighting effect shown in the picture, I suggest purchasing some of Restoration Hardware’s Starry String Lights (sold in Amber or Diamond). I went with the amber lights to give it a softer glow.  You can use one or two of the battery-operated 5 ft. string lights, depending on how much light you want shown underneath the table. Just tape the battery pack to the bottom of the table and wrap the lights around the base.  The wire is bendable, so it’s flexible and easy to conform to any shape.  Then stand back and enjoy your beautiful tables as day turns into night!