Here we continue the discussion of mistakes that can ruin your party:

5. Ceiling Sensors.

In some locations smoke sensors are in use on the ceiling, so if a balloon flies up, an alarm rings and fire engine drives up to the building just a few seconds after. Guess who will pay! Usually, the owner of the building will tell you about the sensors 10 times, but, just in case, ask.

Do not stress! Even if they have the sensors, you will still be able to use balloons. Nearly every party decoration that can be done with helium filled balloons (the kind which floats) is possible with air filled balloons on a frame and does not need to be close to the ceiling.

6. Doing it the day before.

If, for whatever reason, you must do balloon decorations the previous day, remember that normal (11" rounded) helium filled balloons are going to be half-dead by the morning and on the ground by noon.

If you just want basic balloon bouquets, you can ask the decorator to use high float. This is the substance that keeps balloons from deflating so they fly considerably longer. (for the sake of completeness: high float works 99 times out of 100, so there is always a risk!)

For those who have more sophisticated party decorations - just use air filled balloons on a skeleton as an alternative, as I pointed out in the last point. Or, use bigger latex balloons, they fly longer. Google " helium balloon chart" to see the flying time of balloons of different diameters.

Another option is to use mylar balloons with helium. They should be fine on the next day. If you have a very important event that must be flawless, inflate a few extra ones.

7. Transparent balloons.

Simply remember that they look wonderful at the very first, particularly if you have shiny balloons within, however in several hours they will be somewhat less translucent, a bit gray and can turn out to be a lot more opaque as the party continues.

8. Balloon lights.

This can be a extremely effective technique for low-light parties!!! In bright light parties or daytime outside parties they are barely visible. If, for some reason, you have no choice and have to have balloon lights, use a lot of them and put them in the blinking mode. Also, the lights can be glued (cold glue!) on the balloons from outside, that makes them a lot more visable.

9. Centerpiece bases.

Bottoms for balloon centerpieces, and well as long-and-low centerpieces are occasionally masterpieces of fine art, as well as noticeable part of your party decoration budget.

But you have to keep in mind: they will stay on the tabletop along with the food. Sometimes, caterers serve so many dishes on the table and the food is so decorative as well as abundant, that the bases are lost. In fact, the smaller the base, the easier it is for your catering service. Your guests would also appreciate a less crowded table.

Therefore, whenever you intend to spend money on the bottoms of balloon arrangements or different table decorations – think about dishes, bottles and other things competing for the space.

10. Balloon ceiling (ceiling covered with balloons with hanging ribbons)

Things to bear in mind:

a) When the ceiling surface is a rough area, numerous balloons might pop during the inflation process, and a lot more during the celebration, unless the ceiling is covered completely.

c) 1 balloon takes up a bit less than a sq ft. Thus, when you are in a big space, you will need a considerable budget to pay for the ceiling totally covered. If it is – fine, but I would consider the other options in the same price range as well. Also... I do not know if you know, but we are "out of helium" on this planet, so the price is rising and it will rise higher.

If you are only covering the ceiling partly, a A/C or fan may blow the balloons about and will rub all of them against the ceiling. If that is the case and the ceiling surface is ruff, a sizable part of balloons will pop.

However, ceiling balloon decorations is a big part of our service! In a few days we will have a post where I will discuss all aspects of ceiling balloon decorations. Also please take a look at balloon ceiling decor our portfolio. You will find many excellent decoration ideas for your party.

11. Balloon Drops

An ideal place for that is a theater - type space. That is to say, a space having a very high ceiling and a relatively little floor area. In this situation on their way down balloons "have time" to go sideways and cover the whole floor.

In a regular party whole we will be fortunate if we manage to cover dance floor. Also (although it's a matter of individual judgment) the dangling web filled with balloons does not make the room look better, in addition to telling everybody what's coming. And, even worse, if a person is not looking at the net with balloons at the moment when the balloons are dropped, he could miss the entire thing – it takes a moment for the balloon to get to the floor!

A remedy to all these difficulties is the so-called "explosive balloon", also called "popping balloons".

Stay calm! There aren't any actual explosive used! Just about all it is a big (3-foot or even bigger) balloon, full of small balloons or even occasionally with confetti as well as lotto wins. One or more of those balloons are placed upon the ceiling so when time arrives, they will all be popped at the press of button.

You could distribute all these explosive balloons all around the ceiling if you wish to include everyone, or just use a few at strategic places you wish. Forget about large dangling netting and nobody ever guesses what will happen!

A word about the confetti in the explosive balloons: make sure you have a permission from the owner of the place. In some places they do not allow confetti and will charge you extra for cleaning.

Also, it's really worth mentioning that we can build an 'explosive' wall for you out of the explosive balloons. We'll discuss this the next time!