I am helping a friend with his wedding and we are trying to find candles that will float in the pool. They need some sort of protection from the wind. Does anyone know how to make or where to find floating, waterproof luminaria?

How interesting!

One question: How high is the water compared to the top of the pool (on average). If the pool isn't overfilled, there should be some protection from wind.

They're not as popular as they had been, but floating candles are still a common sigh (especially with centerpieces). I know that floating tealights and that size are available in "floating", but if you expect the lights to last through a whole wedding service or reception, I think you're out of luck. Www.surroundings.com has a good sized collection of floating candles, including various shapes (stars, hearts, seashells) and colors (silver, gold, seasonals).

If that doesn't work out for you, let me know!

Good luck!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by lillyegg

I am helping a friend with his wedding and we are trying to find candles that will float in the pool. They need some sort of protection from the wind. Does anyone know how to make or where to find floating, waterproof luminaria?

---

I used wine glasses in the pool one summer. I found some that had tall, basins that flared a bit at the top. (I use them regularly as stemmed waterglasses) . I experimented quite a bit with them before I figured out I needed to fill them about a 3rd of the way up with water, and put in my candle. The water helped to keep the glass stable, and the candle floated just slightly below pool water level. I then gently placed the glasses in the pool, lit the candle, and let them float away. They stayed lit for about 2 hours, give or take (I think this had more to do with the candle than the method)

I thought the glasses would eventually tip and fill with water and we would have to fish them out, but I used them all summer and this didn't happen even once.

One problem we had to solve was how to keep them in place - they tended to congregate at the end of the pool. So we tied heavy bolts on a long fishing thread and attached them to the stem of each glass. After we lit the candle, we threw the bolt head approximately were we wanted it in the pool. By the time it sank (it took a few seconds to sink) it dragged the glass to the right spot in the pool.

Experiment to get all the weights right. This didn't work so well with thin-stemmed glasses, only with thick, handblown glasses. My friend had some wine red glasses with clear stems that were absolutely beautiful! The ones I found were light bottle green glass with white stems.

I have found that Floating Water Lily Candles are pretty wind resistant. The lily is centered on the green lily pad and together they make a beautiful candle. The edges of the lily pad are curved up and it acts like a little boat that works well in a pool, pond or spa. You can find them at this site
Www.CozyHearthAndHome.com among a variety of other pool candles. But, it is also good to turn off the filter motor or they will all meet up together.