Balloon Waterfalls Elevate the Atmosphere

Balloon Waterfalls Elevate the Atmosphere

Balloon Waterfalls elevate the atmosphere in marble, black, gold, silver, and mini pearl balloons. This party idea is stunning and brought a stately, modern, explosive and presidential impact to a very special event! This party inspiration started when Calli, my daughter, was studying the election process with her Civic's class. Her tutor decided to add some real muscle to the material by having a class election, followed by a an inauguration ceremony to swear in the winners, and to put the icing-on-the-cake, an inaugural dinner and ball! 

Inaugural Ball! Enter Lifted Balloons with a little, no-actually a LOT of dance in my step! I volunteered to bring some serious luxury balloon swag to this fun, family, educational event! Confession. This was my opportunity to style one for the very FIRST time! I knew that I'd be offering Balloon Bursts and Balloon Waterfalls on my menu of products for party style, BUT I needed an event to play around with technique and make clumsy mistakes without the pressure of performing for a client. This could not have lined up more perfectly. I was overjoyed to create a beautiful balloon installation with high drama!

Balloon Bursts and Balloon Waterfalls-

are the best party idea for visual impact that is unforgettable! Attendees of this event still talk about this balloon installation months after the ball!

Sometimes art is so innovative and new that the world doesn't even know what to call it. My research shows that this level of balloon art / balloon work has only been on the scene for roughly two years, which I consider very new-and most of this kind of work is being pioneered way outside of the San Francisco Bay Area. I have found that the balloon industry/party event industry hasn't really figured out the perfect name for what I am showing you. The terms "Balloon Arch" and "Balloon Garland" are what is currently being used to describe what you see at Liftedballoons.com and the subject of this post. However, as you can see, it does not look like an arch in any way, nor does it resemble a garland. My team and I have wracked our brains to create names for these balloon creations and balloon installations that strike an accurate impression of what they actually look like. I don't know if I will be able to turn the vernacular to my chosen interpretation, but at least my Lifted Balloons clients will have a clear picture in mind when I suggest a Balloon Waterfall for their wedding reception entrance or a Balloon Burst for their Graduation Party. The above balloon installation falls under the category of a Balloon Waterfall, but I prefer to call it a Balloon Burst as it doesn't cascade over itself like a waterfall. It doesn't have the same movement and is fixed in place in an architectural fashion like a balloon sculpture. The color palette came from the tutor and I was relieved that she chose such an elegant color story. 

Photo booth idea that is sensational!

The students loved posing in front of this over-the-top balloon backdrop.

Homeschool students generally don't have many social special events to get dressed to the hilt for, so they embraced the semi-formal/formal attire only dress code with enthusiasm. I am proud to say that Lifted Balloons brought a photo booth balloon backdrop that matched the formality one hundred percent! Don't they look so stately and dignified posing in front of that sensational photo backdrop?

Calli is sworn in as Class Secretary-

"I, Calli Angeline Gilmore, do solemnly swear to uphold..."

What a dramatic focal point to this community clubhouse space?! The Main Clubhouse at Sycamore, is a beautiful space, yet it's a neutral canvas just begging for serious event styling. Calli is sworn in as Class Secretary after she and her running mate won the class election, in front of a Balloon Burst visually exploding with balloons of all sizes while hovering over a massive fireplace. Her tutor is a first class lady and polished educator, and it was so grand of her to give these students and our families this elegant ceremony and ball! It is noteworthy that the tutor also taught all the students, third graders up to high school, some basic ballroom steps and required every student to participate. It was such a joy to see fathers dancing with daughters, sons dancing with mothers and the younger students bravely asking each other to dance. There were several sets of pretty little shoes on top of their daddy's feet spinning around the ballroom floor! My eyes welled up many times as families carved memories into eternity while swaying, swinging, dipping and twirling. The gentlemen made sure their daughters and wives knew how spectacular and beautiful they were and the young men felt the freedom and fun of leading a lady in a dance. 

Balloon Burst is Center Stage

An unforgettable night of ballroom dancing!

Everyone had a fabulous time and didn't want the enjoyment of the evening to end. Months after the ball families continue to discuss what a magnificent experience it was from start to finish! Also, I still receive praise about the Balloon Burst that I styled for the event and how they had never seen anything like it. Personally, I love how it turned out and how it really transformed a community space into a sensational event styled in a presidential fashion! 

HAND PAINTED GARLAND IS ON TREND FOR HOME DECOR

Hand painted garland is trending in home decor and party styling for Lifted Balloons' clients this year.

Tissue tassels hand painted with gold metallics, or mixed metallics, seem to be flying out of the studio!

I love this home decor trend for so many reasons. Here is a list, in no particular order. It's visual impact is beautiful-soft, airy, and light. It's festive and cheerful, even in the most serious dramatic color palettes.

Garland is versatile. By simply adding a custom hand made garland in your accent colors, you can change the entire look of a room, without much effort or expense. They could not be easier to hang! Indoors, one only needs a couple of clear command hooks and a slip knot on each end of the garland. That's it. Slip those knots over the hooks, finesse the fringe and you're done! They are simple to hang, to move and even to restyle. Our Lifted Balloon's custom garland is inexpensive. When you consider the spacial impact of one garland in the expanse of a focal wall/or interior space, compared to most design elements, it's pretty amazing. AND, no need to poke holes in your walls!

This above photo just blew me away! Actually, this was my first client to ever request custom garland that wasn't attached to a giant, luxury balloon! It's the perfect example of the versatility of Lifted Balloons offerings. She ordered the garland for her niece's bridal shower and used one to trim the dessert bar and one to party style the drink station. I suggested that when she had recovered from the celebrating, thinking it could be several days, that she should see how pretty the custom garland looked on the fireplace mantel. Within an hour or two, she sent me this GORGEOUS picture! As far as I know, it may still be there!

I have several styling ideas that excite me.

Custom garland gives presence to a beautiful desk, like in the charming Lace & Bustle bridal salon in Lafayette, CA. It creates atmosphere for a lovely bridal in-store event!

Another fun way to use festive garland is as valance over windows.

I love the sound and the airy look of them when a breeze brushes through the tassels.

The fringe moves with the breeze like leaves on a tree and they make the most beautiful soft, wispy sounds. As previously mentioned, above a bed is wonderful interior application. It can be dramatic, romantic, sexy and/or all of the above. Especially when treated with sheer, dazzling fabrics. It's still lightweight and where I live, in California earthquake country, having a garland drop on me as opposed to a heavy mirror or art piece seems like the smartest decorating choice. 

A custom garland hovering over the dinner table will make every meal feel like a special occasion.

I absolutely love it

Although this photo features a custom garland hanging above a handsome dining table for an intimate birthday brunch, I love the idea as a permanent styling idea. Why not? If you have a rustic beam like this, a lower ceiling or you just want to add some visual interest, then this is a fantastic idea. I absolutely love it. 

 

Calli asked me to make her some hand painted custom garland for her seventeenth birthday.

I was so flattered of course that I made her two!

Here I taped the string to an embroidery hoop to mimmic the look of a pendant light fixture. I thought that in our tiny little kitchen with about 15 of her close friends that a giant, luxury balloon would be a bit much. I also didn't want 15 teenagers fighting over the helium. For a fun alternative I thought the custom garland as a make shift light fixture would be super fun and girly. Everyone loved it and I just added some extra touches to the party like mini pearl balloons and scattered photos & flowers. The lamp inspired me to consider actual light fixture decor, baby mobiles and small 70's inspired pieces. You'll have to track with me and see what we come up with! 

luxury balloons for glamorous wedding decor

Luxury balloons are a genius wedding decor idea to elevate the atmosphere with a little glamour! Recently I had the joy of creating two luxury, giant balloons for my niece’s wedding reception.

She chose blush balloons with 7’ tails. I was giddy over the color palette: blush and charcoal, which are gorgeous with gold metallic paint. I feathered in the colors and added the jeweled gold tassels that I’m obsessed with lately. I also added some cream and silvery tulle with a touch of sparkle as a nod to the wedding veil. I finished the look with a few blush rosettes staggered through the custom hand painted tails.

Congratulations Mr & Mrs Kline

The beautiful couple enjoying a dance in the company of a luxury balloon.

Actually, I was overjoyed! My niece Carrie is a doll! She was born when Jon & I began dating, her middle name is Nicole, and my daughter looks more like her twin than a cousin. It was an honor to do some balloon styling for her magical wedding day.

Falling in love with the materials.

rosette embellishment

It's all about the details.

We staged the balloons behind the head table and flanked the large screen, creating lovely symmetry with the head table. The venue needed the girth of the balloons to fill and soften the space.

Setting the Stage

All of the tassels on the handmade tails are adjustable, a feature I am proud of.  We styled them behind the head tables which meant that the bottom length of the tails were hidden. I was able to slide all the tassels up high in the sight line. It created a much fuller waterfall effect that was gorgeous and elegant! Blush up-lighting was added, illuminating all the sparkle as they gently twirled.

Up-lighting!

Also, because the tassels are adjustable, Carrie can use the tails as garland in her new home for a personal and memorable home decor. She can combine the tassels from both tails onto one to create a longer garland or a fuller one-another reason that I love adjustable tassels!

Save the tails for gorgeous garland to decorate with. The tails are simple to remove from the balloons and with gentle care they will last forever!

Just for fun I made a little balloon bouquet to tie onto the 1965 Malibu Sport getaway car that my husband would be chauffeuring them in. After I made the bouquet I discovered not one spot on the vintage car had an opening that I could attach it too. I opted to set it right on top so that they would see it immediately as they approached the car. This was the best pic I could get in the day light.

the getaway

cheers to a fabulous honeymoon

I was thrilled that all of my family loved their Lifted Balloons creations, especially the new Mrs. Kline!

Congratulations Carrie and Zac!

A Luxury Balloon for a Golden Anniversary

It only takes one luxury balloon with a custom hand painted tail to elevate the atmosphere of a golden anniversary! One giant balloon in gold and the custom tail/garland was one of my most loved tail creations to date. Lynn and Wally are a beautiful, gracious, and engaging YOUNG couple! You would not believe that this was a 50th wedding anniversary party. 

gorgeous family waits the arrival of the guests of honor

The whole time I worked on thier balloon I marveled at the power and story that this marriage tells. Fifty years of saying "I do!" and also being more in love than ever is beyond impressive and worthy of taking notice. I wanted this balloon to be pure golden magic!

wired gold decorator ribbon transformed into tasseled gold chain jewels

I was able to create gold tassels that dazzled like jewelry! It was anchored to a centerpiece on the table, nestled between a bottle of champagne and a magnum from their personal cellar. Their kids enlarged black & white photos from their wedding day and mounted them on the rustic walls of an intimate private room at Postino. It was stunning! 

In party styling, I'm a firm believer that less-is-more! Choosing a few elements and giving them room to breath will make an impact that is extremely effective and remembered. Who will forget those photos that transport you back to the wedding day in 1960's fashion icon style?! You don't need decorations everywhere your eyes land. Also, one of the reasons to celebrate in a restaurant is for ease and these decorations were easy and quick!. Elegance and sophistication requires much so much less than people think, but planning is crucial. Those lovely photos had to be ordered, but for installation only required a few pieces of double sided mounting tape. The luxury balloon was delivered. This family decorated with perfection! One giant, luxury balloon dripping in gold, a few enlarged photos that fill the space, close family and exquisite food. That's it! The gorgeous couple loved their golden anniversary celebration! I received a text that evening: My dad can't stop talking about the balloon. He keeps saying:  " 'Well, the balloon is spectacular! It really makes the party!' " 

Less is more! One luxury balloon, three perfectly placed nostalgic photos- a perfect recipe!