Balloon color combinations and palette ideas
The best balloon color combinations start with one main color, add one or two partners from the color wheel, and finish with a neutral or a metallic. Try yours on an arch, garland or column in the tool below, then read on for palette ideas by occasion, age, season and mood.
Try balloon colors on real decor shapes
Start from a ready-made palette or pick your own colors, then switch between shapes to see them on real decor. Your first color is used the most and your last color the least, the way decorators balance a palette. Clear starts over, and Surprise me suggests colors that go together.
How to choose balloon colors in three steps
- Start with one colorPick the color you love most, or the one your invitation, cake or outfit already uses. That is your main color.
- Add partnersPick colors next to it on the color wheel for a calm look, or across from it for energy. Two or three colors is plenty.
- Finish with a neutralWhite, cream, gold or silver gives the eye a rest and ties everything together.
How many colors should balloon decor have?
Three colors is the safest choice for an arch or garland: one main color, one supporting color and one accent. One or two colors can look even more striking when you mix balloon sizes, because the shape of the decor does the work.
Simple color rules that always work
Designers use a handful of simple rules from the color wheel, and Surprise me in the tool uses the same ones. Each rule gives a different feeling, so you can choose the feeling first and the colors second. Colors from the same tone group, all pastel or all deep for example, always sit well together.
Balloon color ideas by occasion
Start from the occasion and the people in the room. A kids party wants color you can see from the door. A shower or a wedding wants softer tones that look good in photos. These palettes are starting points, and every one of them can be changed in the tool.
Balloon colors by age
Age changes what feels right. Little kids love bright, simple color, teens often want something that looks good on their phone, and adults usually lean toward fewer colors with a metallic.
Seasonal balloon color palettes
Seasonal palettes borrow from what is outside the window. In Los Angeles the light matters as much as the weather: strong midday sun makes pastels look even lighter, so an outdoor daytime party benefits from one deeper color. Warm evening light makes gold glow and softens cool blues.
Balloon palettes by mood
If you know how you want the party to feel, the colors follow. Pick the mood first, then adjust the shades to your theme.
Venue, light and photos
Look at the room first
Balloons that match the wall disappear into it. White balloons on a white wall lose their shape, and navy balloons in a dark room fade away. Make sure at least one color stands out from the background. Use the Dark room switch in the tool to see the difference.
Think about the light
Daylight shows colors most truly. Indoor evening light is warmer, so whites look creamy and blues look a little softer. Metallic balloons pick up whatever light is around them, which is why they look so good at night.
Plan for the photos
Most balloon decor is really a photo backdrop. Mid-tone and deeper colors keep their shape in photos better than very pale ones, and one neutral in the mix flatters skin. If you have an outfit, a dress or a cake color in mind, build the palette around it.
Matching brand or school colors
Latex balloons come in set shades, so a brand or school color is matched to the closest standard balloon color rather than mixed to order. Send your colors, a logo or a photo with your quote request.
Palettes from our own work
The photos at the top of this page show four palettes from Boom Balloon decor in Los Angeles: hot pink, black and gold on a pair of columns; royal blue, light blue, silver and white columns; blue, orange, gold and white on a circular arch; and gold, rose gold and white around a round backdrop. See more on the balloon arches and balloon garlands pages.
Questions about balloon colors
What balloon colors go well together?
Colors from the same tone group always work, for example all pastels or all jewel tones. Beyond that, pick neighbors on the color wheel for a calm look or opposites for contrast, and add a neutral like white, cream or gold.
How many colors should a balloon arch or garland have?
Three colors is the easiest to get right: a main color, a second color and an accent. Two colors look graphic and clean, and four look rich as long as one of them is a neutral.
What colors go with gold balloons?
Almost everything. Black, white and cream are the classics, and gold also looks great with navy, emerald, burgundy, blush and sage.
What balloon colors are good for a baby shower?
Soft pastels like pastel pink, baby blue or mint, or neutrals like sage, cream and sand with a little gold when the baby is a surprise.
Can balloons match my brand or school colors exactly?
Not exactly. Latex balloons come in set shades, so each color is matched to the closest standard balloon color.
Do you have every color in the tool?
Not every color is in stock at all times, but Batel can order the colors your event needs. Tell us your combination in your quote request.
Are the colors in the color tool exact?
No. The tool is for inspiration. It shows screen versions of common balloon colors, and real balloons vary by brand and look different in person. Use it to choose a direction, then tell us the combination you like.
Decor for your colors
Installed prices include delivery, setup and breakdown anywhere in our area, from Pico-Robertson and Beverly Hills to the Valley, Downtown and the beach cities. Outside it, a $120 travel fee covers the delivery and teardown trips.
Prefer to set it up yourself? Most pieces come as Grab & Go: we build it in your colors, you pick it up in Pico-Robertson, for about 40% less.
See balloon garlands vs. balloon arches, how to plan balloon decor, or read more guides.