Balloon Columns in Charlotte
Balloon towers and pillars that frame entrances, stages and dance floors
Classic, spiral and organic balloon columns for both sides of a door, the edges of a stage or the length of an aisle, finished with star, letter or custom toppers and delivered across Greater Charlotte.
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- Delivery, setup & pickup
- Indoor & outdoor installs
- Air-filled or helium
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Charlotte balloon columns, the short version
Balloon Arch Charlotte delivers and sets up balloon columns, towers and pillars across Greater Charlotte, typically 5 to 8 feet tall on weighted bases. Classic columns start at $85 each, organic columns at $165 and towers with a big foil topper at $185.
- Height
- Most stand 5–8 ft
- Styles
- Classic, spiral, organic and themed
- Toppers
- Stars, numbers, letters, bubble balloons
- Balloons
- Roughly 40–60 for a 6 ft classic column
- Ordered
- One at a time or in pairs, often with an arch
The basics
Balloon Columns, Towers and Pillars: What They Are
Column, tower, pillar, post: different names, one idea. Balloons stacked up a pole that stands on a weighted base.
Since a balloon column holds itself up, usually at 5 to 8 feet, it can go nearly anywhere: flanking a front door, at each end of a stage, along a ceremony aisle, at the corners of a dance floor or beside a booth at a convention. It's the most flexible piece of balloon decor we make and the simplest way to add height to a room without hanging a thing.
Columns are also the budget-friendly way to dress an entrance. A pair costs less than a full balloon arch, and you can always join the tops with an arch later. That arch-and-columns combo is still the standard look for school dances, church events and grand openings.
Column styles
Balloon Column Styles
The pole and base never change. The pattern you build on them does.
Classic stacked columns
Tight four-balloon clusters stacked straight up, in a single color or in bands. Crisp, sturdy and the lowest-priced column we build.
Spiral balloon columns (2, 3 and 4 colors)
Shift the colors one position in each cluster and they wind up the pole like a candy stripe. Two colors look clean, three colors are what most people order (red, white and blue around the Fourth is a classic), and four colors suit rainbow parties and team themes.
Organic balloon columns
Mixed sizes in relaxed clusters give a column a softer, fuller shape that matches an organic arch or garland. They need more balloons, so they cost more than classic columns, and they're the more current choice for showers and weddings.
Themed and novelty columns
With a few extra pieces a column becomes something else: a crayon or pencil for back-to-school, a palm tree for a pool party, a stoplight or a checkered-flag tower for a race-car birthday, a snowman or candy cane at Christmas. Themed columns are a fun way to line a school hallway or a kids' party.
Photo ideas
Balloon Column Ideas
The column styles and setups we build most often.
Pair of spiral balloon columns at a porch front door
Organic balloon columns lining an outdoor wedding aisle
Purple and white balloon columns with silver star toppers for a graduation
Tall balloon columns on each side of a stage
Balloon columns joined by a red and white arch
Palm tree balloon column at a pool party
Mini tabletop balloon columns as banquet centerpieces
Red, white and blue spiral balloon columns at porch steps
Toppers
Balloon Columns With Numbers and Toppers
The topper is the part that makes a column about your event.
- Number toppers: a 34- or 40-inch foil number for an age, an anniversary or a class year. It's the topper we're asked for most.
- Stars, hearts and crowns: foil shapes for graduations, Valentine's Day, quinceañeras and Queen City princess parties.
- Bubble balloon toppers: a clear bubble balloon stuffed with confetti, feathers or a printed name.
- Grad caps and diplomas: for grad parties and senior nights.
- Logo and letter panels: for company events, expos and store openings.
Sizing
Balloon Column Heights and Balloon Counts
A standard column stands about 6 feet before the topper goes on.
| Column | Height | Balloons (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Mini or tabletop | 2–3 ft | 12–20 |
| Standard classic or spiral | 5–6 ft | 40–60 (11-inch) |
| Tall classic | 7–8 ft | 60–80 (11-inch) |
| Organic | 5–7 ft | 60–100+ (mixed sizes) |
These counts cover the column itself. Toppers, base clusters and decorative accents at the foot add a handful more.
What size balloons make a column? Mostly 11-inch latex, grouped four to a cluster, which gives a column roughly 18 to 20 inches across. Organic columns work in 5-inch and 16- to 18-inch balloons for texture.
Pricing
How Much Do Balloon Columns Cost in Charlotte?
A single column usually runs between $85 and $275, depending on the style and the topper.
| Column | Starting at |
|---|---|
| Mini tabletop column | $55 |
| Classic column | $85 |
| Spiral column (2–4 colors) | $105 |
| Themed column (graduation, holiday, character) | $145 |
| Organic column | $165 |
| Balloon tower with star or number topper | $185 |
Prices are per column, delivered and placed in our core Charlotte service area.
What do two balloon columns cost? Since most entrances get a matching pair, budget about $170 to $550 for two, depending on style. Pairs are priced below two singles, and adding an arch across the top costs less than ordering the two pieces separately.
Placement
Where Balloon Columns Go
Columns look their best in pairs, standing guard on either side of something.
Entrances
On both sides of a front door, a clubhouse entrance or a shop door, so nobody has to ask where the party is.
Stages and DJ booths
A column at each end of a stage or DJ table frames whoever is speaking or playing in every photo.
Wedding aisles
Short columns lining the aisle, or a tall pair marking where the couple will stand.
Dance floors
One at each corner of the floor, sometimes linked overhead with a hanging garland.
Expo and trade show booths
Brand-color columns make a booth easy to spot from the far end of a convention hall aisle.
Gyms and school halls
Lines of school-color columns for graduation, prom, homecoming and senior night.
Occasions
Balloon Columns for Graduations, Weddings, Birthdays and Holidays
Late May and June graduations are our busiest stretch for columns, but they fit almost any event.
- Graduation: columns and towers in school colors with stars, caps or the class year, for grad parties, prom and senior night.
- Weddings and bridal showers: ivory and gold or blush organic columns at the ceremony and the reception.
- Birthdays: a column with the age on top, for everything from first birthdays to 60th birthdays.
- Gender reveals: pink and blue columns finished with a question-mark topper.
- Company events and expos: brand-color columns for booths, lobbies and ribbon cuttings.
- Holidays: Christmas, Halloween, Valentine's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Fourth of July columns.
- Quinceañeras and sweet 16s: a pair of columns marking the court's entrance.
Outdoor columns
Outdoor Balloon Columns in Charlotte Weather
A column is tall, top-heavy and catches wind, so outdoor columns get built differently.
- Outside, columns get heavier bases and a tie-off to a porch post, rail or fence whenever one is close by.
- Air-filled columns outlast helium ones outdoors by a wide margin.
- Shade is everything from June to September: full sun clouds and pops latex within a few hours, and dark colors heat up first.
- On breezy lake-house decks and busy storefront sidewalks, columns go where the building blocks the wind.
Longevity
How Long Does a Balloon Column Last?
Days indoors. A few hours in hard summer sun.
Air-filled and inside with the AC running, a column holds up for several days and often a week. In outdoor shade it's good for roughly a day. Under direct July sun around Charlotte, columns start clouding over and popping within a few hours. For indoor events we can set columns up one or two days early, which makes morning graduations and school assemblies easy.
Where we work
Balloon Column Delivery Across Greater Charlotte
Columns arrive fully built and get set in place, or we build them on-site for large orders.
- Uptown & South EndHotel ballrooms with loading-dock windows, plus warehouse and brewery event spaces along the light rail where parking takes a plan.
- Dilworth, Myers Park & SouthParkPorch arches on older homes, garden parties under big oaks and hotel event rooms around SouthPark.
- NoDa & Plaza MidwoodIndustrial-style venues in the arts district and bungalow front porches made for a birthday arch.
- Ballantyne & South CharlotteLarge homes with two-story foyers, neighborhood clubhouses and corporate campuses off I-485.
- University CityGrad parties near UNC Charlotte, apartment clubhouses and campus-area event rooms.
- Matthews & Mint HillChurch fellowship halls, cul-de-sac birthdays and community celebrations on the east side.
- Huntersville & CorneliusLake Norman homes and docks, where wind off the water changes how outdoor pieces are anchored.
- Davidson & MooresvilleCollege-town parties and lake houses on the north end of Lake Norman.
- Concord & HarrisburgCabarrus County event halls and family parties. Speedway race weekends mean planning around I-85 traffic.
- Waxhaw, Weddington & Indian TrailBarn and farm venues and big-lot backyards across Union County.
- Fort Mill & Tega CayNewer neighborhoods and lake-access homes just over the state line off I-77.
- Gastonia & BelmontGaston County homes, church halls and Belmont's small downtown across the Catawba River.
More balloon decor
Pair Your Columns With an Arch, Garland or Wall
Think of two columns as bookends. Here is what usually fills the space between them.
Questions
Balloon Columns in Charlotte: FAQ
How much do balloon columns cost in Charlotte?
A classic column starts at $85, a spiral at $105, an organic column at $165 and a tower with a large foil topper at $185, each delivered and set in place. Most entrances use two.
How many balloons are in a balloon column?
A 5–6 ft classic column takes about 40–60 11-inch balloons, a 7–8 ft column about 60–80, and an organic column 60–100 or more in mixed sizes.
What size balloons are used for a balloon column?
Mostly 11-inch latex in four-balloon clusters. Organic columns mix in 5-inch balloons and 16- to 18-inch balloons.
How long does a balloon column last?
Air-filled and indoors, several days. Outdoors in the shade, about a day. In direct summer sun in Charlotte, a few hours.
How far in advance can a balloon column be made?
One to two days early for indoor events. Columns that will stand outside in summer should be set up the same day.
Is there a difference between a balloon column, tower and pillar?
Not really. All three describe a self-standing stack of balloons on a pole and weighted base. People tend to say tower when there's a big topper on it.
Can balloon columns have a number on top?
Yes. A 34- or 40-inch foil number is the most popular topper we put on columns, for ages, anniversaries and class years.
Do balloon columns need helium?
No. The pole and weighted base hold a column up, so it's filled with air. Only a floating topper or a bubble balloon on top might use helium.
What is an organic balloon column?
It's a column built from mixed balloon sizes in loose clusters rather than uniform stacked rings, so it looks fuller and softer, the way an organic arch does.
Tell us the date. We'll build the balloon columns.
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