Before things Pop...

A few things you may want to be aware of as you consider making us a part of your next event.

Fees, FAQs and Other Things

Balloons and Small Children

Kids like to chew on things. Balloons pop into tiny pieces when they are chewed on. For safety's sake, 3+ only, please.

Helium

Whenever possible, I prefer to avoid using helium as the cost to you can be quite high. We often have other ways of hanging things from the ceiling for a similar effect.

Set-up and Delivery

We always try to build ahead and deliver, but some builds need to be finished on-site. In the winter, we do most of our building on-site, as the temperature changes can be hard on balloons. We will need time, space, and electricity to finish. It is not a perfectly quiet process.

Travel

While we gladly serve the UP and beyond, we do live in Marquette. Anything farther than Harvey has a minimum purchase amount and possible tear-down fees. Read below for complete breakdown.

Longevity

Indoor, outdoor; touchy, no-touchy; sunlight or shadow - these all play a part in how long balloons last. Also, "last" is a relative question. Scroll down to see a monster before and after.

Indoor vrs Outdoor Builds

Balloon displays built outdoors require extra effort and attention to keep them in place and keep them from blowing away! Outdoor builds cost about 10-15% more, and some builds cannot be made to survive outside.

Tear-Down

All prices include delivery and set-up. Tear-down and disposal may cost extra outside of Harvey, but is not always required except on certain builds to get stands and add-ons back. More information below.

Environmental Impact

In the wild, a latex balloon will biodegrade at approximately the same rate as an oak leaf, roughly one year. So no need to stress about picking up tiny popped pieces!

How long they last

Balloon life can't be measured perfectly. Sometimes they pop, sometimes they shrink slowly over time.

This monster (A Beholder from the game Dungeons and Dragons) was made in mid June. The owners sent me the second picture in late October.

The Art of Balloons

Balloons are, at their core, an art. And art, as we all know, is inconsistent.

As such, we cannot promise that anything we make will look exactly like the inspiration photos, even if those photos are from our own website. (Every balloon picture on this website is proudly ours, btw!)

We will always do our best, but every creation is different - and that's part of the joy of balloons! Mounting locations vary, wind blows things around, and even available balloon brands and colors change over time.

Every build is a unique adventure, and even we are startled when balloons pop unexpectedly, uniquely changing the shape of the art of balloons.

Travel and Tear-Down: Full Breakdown

The Upper Peninsula is not a tiny place, but it is a lovely one. We are happy to travel the whole UP and beyond, but further travels do come with extra expenses and more frequent car repairs.

Tear-down is a complimentary part of our services at no extra cost to you... assuming you're not far away. When that is the case, you often have the choice to do the tear-down yourself and avoid the extra travel fees. Most of our builds do not require us to tear-down, if you have the time and energy to do the popping and cleanup yourself at the end.

We try to use balloons and only balloons in our builds, but sometimes we need hoops, stands, weights or other fixtures to achieve the desired look. When that is the case, we do need to return in order to get our parts back in time for our next builds. We will always communicate this beforehand and not spring extra costs on you.

Travel Radius

Anything within about 15 minutes of the Yooper Dome in Marquette has no minimum purchase, we will happily deliver, set up and return to tear down if/as needed. (Marquette, Harvey)

Anything farther but still within about half-an-hour of the Yooper Dome has a $50 minimum purchase. There will be a $10 fee if a return for tear-down is needed. (Gwinn, Ishpeming, Rock River)

Anything farther but still within an hour has a $125 minimum purchase. There will be a $30 fee if return for tear-down is needed. (Rapid River, Munising, Channing, Covington)

Between 1 and 1.5 hours has a $200 minimum purchase, with a $50 fee if return for tear-down is needed. (Iron Mountain, Manistique, L'Anse, Crystal Falls, Escanaba)

Greater distances within two hours have a $300 minimum purchase, with a $75 fee if return for tear-down is needed. (Houghton, Bruce Crossing, Iron River, Naubinway, Newberry)

Between 2 and 3 hours, $425 minimum purchase, with a $100 fee if return for tear-down is needed. (Copper Harbor, Ironwood, Menominee, St Ignace, Sault Ste. Marie, Whitefish Point)

UP Balloons