Wow with your Christmas party balloon decor
The countdown to Christmas had started and if you haven't yet decided upon your Christmas party balloon decor, we're here to help.
Whether you're planning a festive family gathering or a large corporate Christmas party, you want your venue to look it's very best. Here's how to ensure your venue is dressed to impress.
How long do you want your Christmas balloon decor to last?
This might seem like a strange question to ask, but you would be surprised how many of our customers want to reuse our creations after their event. So, consider this question at the outset when planning your decor.
Does you Christmas decor only need to last for the duration of your event, or have you got a secondary use for the decor when your event is over: maybe your event spans more than one day, or maybe you want to uses the decorations to dress your business premises for the festive season.
Maybe your guests will love your decor so much that they want to take it home with them - what a compliment that would be, but you would want to be confident that the decor would last.
All the decor from this Christmas party was taken home by guests at the end of the evening.
Venue constraints
The venue you have chosen will affect what decor you can install. For example, venues with low ceilings don't lend themselves well to arches which need sufficient space above the arch for them to be visually pleasing. Too often, balloon arches are installed in venues with insufficient ceiling height and look cramped in their surroundings.
With the right amount of space, balloon arches can create a magical effect - like this amazing Alpine Arch by Sue Bowler CBA.
More venue considerations
It's also important to know what policies your venue has in place which may affect your decor. Do they allow helium balloons? If your venue has had a bad experience in the past with helium balloons being released to the ceiling, they may be reluctant to allow them.
Are there any existing rigging points that can be used? Make a note of their precise locations so neither you nor your venue dresser have to hunt for them on the day of your event.
Can magnets be used to create temporary rigging points which can be removed after your event? You'll need to check this with your venue.
Helium versus air-filled balloons
Whilst floating helium balloons can create a magical effect, helium-filled latex balloons don't always last as long as people think they will, particularly if the balloons haven't been treated with Ultra Hi-Float. Ultra Hi-Float is a treatment used by balloon professionals to maximize the flying time of natural latex balloons.
Balloon flying times also depend upon the size of balloon used: larger balloons float longer than small balloons.
If you want your decor to last longer, here are a few things you can do:
Choose larger helium-filled balloons rather than small ones;
Be careful not to add too much weight to helium balloons in the form of heavy tassles, tails or material such as tulle or organza;
Choose good quality foil balloons from a reputable manufacturer which can float and look good for a few days - they may even float for longer but they will start to lose their fullness;
Consider using plastic bubble balloons which can float for a couple of weeks or even longer in the right conditions;
Consider using air-filled balloon decor which can be surprisingly long-lasting if kept out of direct sunlight and at a consistent room temperature away from any sources of direct heat;
Not handling or touching latex balloons will also help prolong their life.
Budget for your decor
Ensure you set a budget for your venue decor. So often, how an event will look and how the venue will be dressed are only considered at the last minute as an after-thought and one of two things happens:
The venue decor ends up costing more than it needs to because it has not been planned;
The cost of dressing your room comes as an unpleasant surprise and ends up being done on the cheap or not at all.
Expect allocate 10-20% of your overall event budget on decorating your venue.
About the author
Melanie Allen CBA is a certified balloon artist and owner of specialist events company, Balloon Artworks, based in Ripley, Derbyshire. Melanie has a passion for creating beautiful balloon decor that her customers love.
Melanie is a member of both The Balloon Artistes' Guild and the National Association of Balloon Artists and Suppliers (NABAS). Melanie is also a member of the Qualatex Balloon Network (QBN).
