Elegant Ideas for a Poolside Wedding with a Palm Springs Vibe

What would be the perfect ambiance for a wedding reception on a balmy summer evening? Why, a poolside setting of course! One with that relaxed but oh-so-elegant Palm Springs elan that guests will be talking about for months afterwards. We knew the precise look and feel of this occasion that we wanted to inspire you with. So imagine our delight upon finding these great images and ideas on the web! They capture just the fun and fabulous elements we had in mind for a stylish poolside event. So let’s dive right in and help you make a splash at your own summertime reception!

Inspiration Board for Throwing an Elegant Poolside Reception

1. The minute we stumbled upon this image via Bride and Groom Store, we knew this was it! The perfect Palm Springs vibe we were looking for. Don’t you just love the long tables set in an open garden, the ivory and brown palette, the aqua-print table runners matching the sparkling pool water? We can almost hear the breeze in the palm trees!
2. Continue the elegant, understated look with a wedding cake like this lovely “Oceanside” creation by Flower and Flour. Decorated in the softest shades of seafoam green and aquamarine, this cake features sugar pearls and a white sugar cactus bloom. And note the graceful wave action going on in the decorative borders!
3. A growing trend for today’s weddings is for the couple to choose a signature drink or concoct their own. Wouldn’t this fab-looking Bubbles & Blue cocktail be perfect sipped by your guests by the pool? It’s a mix of champagne and Hypnotiq which, as described by the Houston Press blog, packs a serious punch. So be forewarned!
4. Now, here’s a fun addition to the scene: an artsy alternative to your wedding guest book. Found on Bridal Musings, it shows how even guests in their wedding best can have a blast painting in a portion of a message mural just for the two of you. Best to have muslin aprons and rags on hand, though, lest guests rinse off their hands in the pool!
5. Such a classy setting calls for a gourmet spread of finger foods and single-serve desserts. And you can’t get much classier than a wedding buffet menu by chef-to-the-stars, Wolfgang Puck! Just some delicious examples: hard-shell tacos with spicy black bean sauce and diced avocado (see photo), and fruit sorbets in lemon-raspberry, lime-mint, and orange creamsicle flavors.
6. Personalized cupcakes would be great to serve at any party. But we love the cool aqua color of these ones from Marilyn of Pink Martinis and Pearls, perfect for a poolside occasion! Although these were inspired by Marilyn’s son’s alma mater, you could easily have cupcake caps, as they’re called, customized with your monogram or a symbol to match your wedding theme.
7. In the spirit of summer, plan activities to keep the guests mingling and having a great time. Spotting this blue-and-white striped changing cabana on the Amazon site got us to thinking—wouldn’t this be just the thing for a fortune teller booth?! Or maybe a photo or video station full of zany props for guests to record their wishes for the newlyweds!