Balloon Decor for a 100th Birthday at Tiburon Yacht Club in Strong Wind

We were setting up balloon garlands at Tiburon Yacht Club for a 100th birthday, and when we pulled up just after 1pm the wind coming off the water was crazy. It was pushing straight at the front door, which is exactly where our biggest piece was going, because the grand entrance they asked for was a thick entrance balloon garland in an uncovered spot right out front. The woman who opened the club for us kindly warned that on a day like this we wouldn't want anything outside.

That set the stakes for the afternoon. We had about 1,000 balloons to place, 40 feet of balloon garland to hang across the dining room rafters, helium balloons planned for the railings, and guests arriving at 5pm. It was also our second job of the day, so we had been out since early morning. Here's how we got every piece up, how we kept the entrance from blowing away, and what we learned about decorating a waterfront venue in the Bay Area.

What the family asked for

The party came to us through the family's event planner. They wanted a grand entrance that still left the ramp and handrails clear for guests, balloon garlands across the dining room rafters, and floating helium balloons at different heights on the railings. They chose balloon garlands over helium for the ceiling because they cover it more fully, and they asked for no tinsel. The colors were blue, dark blue, teal, seaglass and sand.

Emily from our team was with me for the day, and she helped with the rigging so we could stay ahead of schedule.

Step 1. Unloading in the wind

The wind changed how we unloaded before a single balloon went up. Someone had to stay with the truck the whole time, and we waited to prep any helium until it was inside, because "if one goes, I can't go chasing." Even so, two helium balloon clusters blew away while we unloaded, but we had come prepared with extra helium balloons, so the plan didn't change. Clients never see this part, and it's a big reason the finished decor still matches what they asked for.

There was one bit of good news. When we got there I said, "Luckily the ceilings are shorter than I thought, so we'll move faster," which meant we could finish the rafters first and give the entrance the time it was going to need.

Step 2. Rafter balloon garlands before the tables arrive

We hung the ceiling first so it would be done before the tables and chairs came in. We tied each rafter balloon garland to the wooden posts in the ceiling with two 260 balloons tied together, and I used brown ones to blend in with the wood.

Once the first balloon garland was up, you could still see the ties. So I cut the balloon garlands into shorter pieces, some four feet and some eight feet long, and put one on each post. It "almost kind of created this wrapping around effect," and it covered the ties completely. It looked better than the original plan, and all 40 feet of rafter balloon garland ended up spread across the whole room.

Step 3. How we kept balloon garlands from blowing away outside

Outside in strong wind, a balloon garland needs far more anchoring than it would indoors. Give it more connection points than usual, put tape over every strip, and pull it tight with a line that won't stretch so the wind has no slack to grab, then cover every hook with balloon clusters so it still looks full. Floating helium is the one thing you can't really control in wind, so keep it inside.

That is exactly what this entrance taught us. The entrance balloon garland runs across the top of the doorway and down the right side over the ramp handrail, so it sits fully in the open. We put it up the way we normally do, and the wind was "just like fully blowing it around." A sign nearby blew over while we worked, and every fix lasted until the next gust.

Partway through, we stopped and talked through a choice on site. We could keep adding connection points where the balloon garland was, or take it down and rebuild it closer in where it would be more covered, and the longer we fought the wind, the less time we would have to move it. "I just wanted to communicate with you guys so that you know that we're fighting the wind," I said. We agreed to give it 30 more minutes in place.

In those 30 minutes we added more hooks and more command strips, with gaffer tape over each strip, and then I said, "Maybe I should do fishing line because that won't stretch." We ran fishing line from the balloon garland snug to the building so there was no slack left for the wind to grab. Then we filled balloon clusters in over every hook so guests would see balloons and not hardware. That fill took real time, and it's what made the entrance look finished. If the main piece at your venue is out in the open, plan for that extra rigging time.

Step 4. Moving the helium inside

The client really wanted floating helium on the railings, so the planner and I agreed to try it. I set it up, and right away the balloons wrapped around the banister, close enough that anyone walking up the ramp would have been hit by them.

So we changed the plan. We moved all of the helium inside and I made helium balloon bouquets out of everything, and we put balloon clusters fixed in place on the front banister and on the beams inside instead. Floating helium would have been beautiful, but as I put it that evening, "there's really no solution to helium balloons not floating still and straight when it's crazy windy," especially somewhere right on the water like Tiburon.

The finished Tiburon Yacht Club balloon decor

We finished the 100th birthday balloon decor around 4:15pm, ahead of the 5pm guests. The entrance balloon garland was holding at the top of the ramp, the helium balloon bouquets were inside, and the rafters were wrapped over the set tables. Kyle did the cleanup that night after the party.

Two days later the client left us a Google review that said, "The balloons for our party were gorgeous! Just what we asked for and the colors amazing." You can see more of our work in our birthday balloon decor gallery.

Planning balloon decor at a waterfront venue

What should I ask a waterfront venue before booking balloon decor?

Ask which spots are covered and whether the entrance takes the wind. That goes for a yacht club in Marin or anywhere else on the bay. We cover more planning questions on our FAQ page, and our homecoming balloon arch on a windy Pleasanton lawn shows another way we handle wind.

How do you plan balloon decor for a spot right on the water?

We pack extra balloons and extra helium, because outdoor jobs on the water use balloons up fast, and that's why losing two balloon clusters on the way in didn't change our plan. We also treat floating helium outside on the water as a gamble. Fixed balloon clusters outside and helium balloon bouquets inside are the safer plan, and they still look full.

How much does a setup like this cost?

Custom installs start at $650 and vary with the size of the setup. The price depends on how many pieces a job has and how much rigging it needs, so we quote each event. Our balloon decor cost guide explains what changes the price.

Tell us about your event

A 100th birthday deserves a grand entrance, and this one held in the wind all afternoon. If you're a planner booking a waterfront venue, our event planners page shows how we work with planners. We're Karlie and the Poptastic Parties team, a woman owned, family operated balloon studio in Pleasanton, and we set up anywhere in the entire Bay Area, including San Francisco, San Jose, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Oakland, San Ramon, Pleasanton and so much more. Send us your venue and date.