Perhaps the best way to do this is horizontal not vertical. Rather than trying to anchor to the pool bottom, you could use fishing line to make a grid on the top of the water. You wound need to fasten it at the ends and sides of the pool and pull it taut. This way the candles could float in their own "square".

Trying to anchor to the bottom may be difficult. You would have to have the wire or string exactly the right length and I think most things would "move" across the bottom just like they would the top. Especially if you have a shallow end and a deep end.

I actually have no idea I'm just greenlighting!

How deep is the pool? If it goes from deep to shallow, I think the candles will drift to the shallow end even if they're tied to weights on the bottom. The grid idea might help. or diagonal lines that the candles are leashed to.

My weight idea would be clear plastic bottles with something heavy inside- sand, maybe?

You could use fishing wieghts, (the grey kind) and attach fishing line to the bottom of the candle.

Been there....done that......use any line ( dental floss worked for me!) and I used round lead drapery weights on the end of the line and ran the line through the bottom of the tray I put the candles on.,...
Make sense????
Linda C

question: would you turn off your filter so there is no movement in the water......

If the candles are well anchored, wouldn't matter.....
But likely it would be better....if you could also turn off the breeze!
Linda C

I bought some clear plastic trays, about 14-16" in diameter. I placed some tea lights on them, lit them, and set them in the pool last night. I thought for a few minutes that the breeze might extinguish them, but they stayed lit until they burned out. They were beautiful

I thought maybe the heat would affect the plastic tray, but it didn't at all. The tray drifted around the pool rather nicely. I think I'll just do several more trays and anchor some with fishing line and let some drift.

Thanks for all your good suggestions. Pray that it doesn't rain on Feb. 8th!

I tried this last summer; definitely you have to turn off the filter since the current of the water makes things gravitate to the basket area.

Better late than never as they say. . . Thanks for the post mrsc22, it helped me with the idea for my Engagement party.

Easy and cheap. Tea candles, Styrofoam bowls. Place candles in bowls. Turn off skimmers(let the pump draw from drain only). This will move the candles around. Or turn the pump off to keep them still. Light candles and place in pool.