It is hard not to feel cared for if you are lucky enough to receive flowers or balloons. Yet there are times when, as the sender of such a gift or the organiser of a particularly important event, you want something much more personal either to you or the recipient. Read on for ideas that really demonstrate how much you care!
Flowers
Choosing flowers from a florist gives you the opportunity to include a message of your choice with your bouquet. Having them delivered as well adds to the surprise and the emotional response as this is seen as a very thoughtful gesture.
Some florists offer personalised ribbon for your bouquet which has a special message on it at an additional cost. Within the bouquet you can have decorative wire numbers incorporated to celebrate a special milestone birthday or anniversary. Alternatively, you can combine a bouquet and a personalised foil balloon with your special glittery message on it!
Funeral tributes can be deeply personal, using silver letters to spell out a name or message. These are perfect for smaller tributes such as hearts or cushions. For something larger, foam letters covered in flowers are very effective to spell a name or statement word, and often these travel along the side of the coffin in the hearse so that they are fully visible.
Balloons
There are a huge number of ways to personalise balloons –this is not an exhaustive list!!
Floato photo balloons: These 23” balloons have a photo printed directly on to them, so you can have a cheeky baby photo at an 18th birthday party, or a wedding photo to celebrate a golden wedding anniversary. These are not suitable for outdoor use as the ink will run.
Letter foils: Want an unusual way to propose? Why not spell out ‘Will you marry me?’ in an arch made of jumbo foil letters? Or use letters to spell out the name of the birthday child at their party? Jumbo letters can be helium or air filled, and the smaller letters must be filled with air, so there are a huge array of ways that these can be built into a really impactful design!
Glitter foils: Choose your message to be written onto a foil star, circle or heart using glitter for a simple yet effective gesture.
Letters in bubble balloons: It is possible to insert a small letter inside a bubble balloon, so you can choose to either have an initial, or spell out an entire name or word. Bubble balloons are made from a type of plastic and can float for much longer than standard foil or latex balloons.
Corporate personalisation: Printed or vinyl wording or logos can be reproduced (with permission) and applied to foil, bubble and latex balloons. This is particularly effective when a logo is applied to a 36” foil star at the top of a spiral column and adds an air of professionalism to an event.
Do ask your florist or balloon decorator what options they provide for personalising their work. You’ll be amazed how much delight or comfort can be gained from adding that extra touch!
If you’ve found this useful, why not have a look at my blog on giving your party maximum impact with balloons? How to give your party maximum impact!
Claire Carney is an independent florist, a Certified Balloon Artist and NABAS Approved Balloon Décor Instructor based near Norwich, Norfolk, UK.
