Memorial Day weekend was absolutely incredible for the Catrina Maria Designs team. With the help of some other AMAZING vendors, we executed two gorgeous back-to-back weddings. Kelsey and Lyle Chan’s wedding at Sacramento’s Crocker Art Museum on Saturday brought to life the enchanting love story of Disney-Pixar’s “Up,” while Rena and Ian Concepcion’s Sunday wedding at the Grand Island Mansion put a lavish spin on the typical backyard matrimony, combining the lush outdoors with Middle Eastern flavor. Overall, the weekend was sensational – except for one teeny, tiny blip on the radar: the balloons!
Don’t take this the wrong way – the Chan’s wedding would not have had the same effect without all of the balloons, and we wouldn’t take back any of it! But, as the saying goes, hindsight is twenty-twenty; looking back, we would have taken an entirely different approach to our balloon blowing escapades. Because the Crocker does not allow helium balloons inside the Museum, the Catrina Maria Designs team delved into the wonderful world of 200+ balloons versus oxygen tanks – as well as our own personal C02 (a.k.a. our breath)!
As we were blowing up balloons, for some reason, the oxygen tank nozzle began to freeze, and the balloons kept popping (from being too cold, I’m assuming). We were forced to call in for an emergency delivery of a secondary tank. Meanwhile, we did what we had to do and started blowing up the balloons – manually (in this business, the show MUST go on)!
Needless to say, we were a bit light-headed by the time the second tank arrived. Although this tank did not freeze as much as the first, it still caused our hard-earned balloons to pop at an alarming rate. Also, by mid-setup, the vast majority of the balloons started to shrink and get that “wrinkly” look to them – we were NOT happy. Despite the little setback, the entire ceremony and reception went off without a hitch (and without any balloons shrinking or popping!), and made a beautiful addition to the other decor.
The Catrina Maria Designs team plans on staying away from balloons for some time; however, if at any time in the future we, or YOU, need non-helium balloons, we strongly suggest utilizing an electric balloon blower! These machines come with multiple facets to make balloon blowing teamwork more efficient, and they never have to be refilled. If you are fortunate enough to be able to utilize helium, here are some helpful hints to help your balloons avoid the wrinkly deflation process:
- Do a test-run. Just as you would stretch and gradually work your way up to your full performance potential on a 5k, your balloons should be tested for endurance before they’re filled with helium. Fill the balloon with air before filling them with helium, so as not to waste the gas, as well as to determine the stamina of its elasticity.
- Store the balloons in a trash bag. Latex and mylar are sensitive; therefore, balloons are easily withered, dirtied, and torn. By storing the balloons in a trash bag before and after inflation, you help keep your balloons spry.
- Use a coat. Using Hi-Float coats the outside of the latex or mylar, and Super Hi-Float coats the inside of balloon. These chemicals help to keep the surfaces of the balloons from oxidizing, and can extend the life of your balloons by several days, perhaps even weeks.
- Maintain temperature equilibrium. If you’re planning on taking your balloons to the snow (for some odd reason), consider storing them in the fridge beforehand. Likewise, if you’re planning on having an outside party at the beach, leave them outside for a few hours beforehand.
Photos Courtesy Of: Ashley Douglas
Catrina Maria Event Planning & Design 