TREND ALERT...Balloons

Forget tacky arches and sad-looking sacks of air.... balloons are back in a big way, as one of the major trends for weddings. My own balloon obsession started with the Blurred Lines video. I thought the foil balloons made a massive impact and so I ordered DANCE for our wedding.

Since then, my Pinterest has been flooded with huge foil balloons and "organic balloon" installations. These trends have been lead mainly by my current girl crush and Queen of Balloons - Jihan Zencirli aka Geronimo Balloons.

If you're currently planning a wedding, you can't have missed her incredible work online. Not only did she create the original tassel balloon, she also designs and makes the most amazing installs for TV, Film, Kardashians and more.

Unless you've been avoiding Instagram for the last year, you will have definitely seen the rose gold "Love" script balloon from Northstar. This design has been as popular for weddings and events as it has for home decor. The beauty of Northstar's script designs is that they can be filled with air or helium, are self sealing and totally reusable.

This new style of balloonery(??) is shaking up the industry, forcing the party shops to try something new and is quickly filtering into weddings. I spotted this beautiful set-up at Southend Barns and LOVE IT SO MUCH - credit Bubblegum Balloons.

If you want to incorporate balloons into your big day, but are worried it will look too party-ish and not wedding-y enough, why not bring flowers into the design? Even adding some foliage is enough.

Next month, I'll be going on my first Balloon Training course and hopefully gaining the necessary skills and qualifications to offer balloons as part of our services! Watch this space....

OVER-THOUGHTS ON BALLOONS

1. Foil Balloons

Rose gold alphabet foil balloons will soon be available from party-shops, these have been long awaited from the major manufacturers. This would be my preferred choice, but if it's gold you are after, make sure you ask for the antique gold. The normal gold is too yellowy.

2. SELLOTAPE THE VALVE

If you are DIYing your own foil balloons - make sure you sellotape the valve out of the way. The valve is the bit you use to blow air into. Just use a piece of sellotape to tape it to the back of the balloon, so it's not hanging down. Trust me, it looks so, so, so, so much better.