Magical Big Ass Balloons Take Over Houston — and This Party Planner’s Over the Moon

A Fare Extraordinaire owner Rachel Volz was beside herself — not because her spanking new event space, The Revaire, was bubbling over with 50,000 party balloons and was about to welcome a clutch of event planners.

No. She had just booked the 2019 Houston Grand Opera Ball, a dream she has had since first purchasing the vaunted catering/special events company several years ago. Volz was over the moon.

If opera ball planners had dropped by on this day, they surely would have been awed by the wildly creative collection of latex and mylar orbs which were put on magical display by Big Ass Balloons.

Big Ass Balloons? Yes. When Katie Nolet, then working in the restaurant business, and Kathy Nguyen in medical sales were considering a name for their party balloon company three years ago, they wanted a catchy label that would stick. Big Ass Fans seemed to be a success. So, why not Big Ass Balloons?

Today, their company has outposts in both Atlanta and Dallas. The Houston balloon bash was the ultimate marketing ploy. Invite event planners to see their work at its finest — in person. Then, charge a modest admission for the general public, a move surely to generate even more business.

Air-filled, helium-filled, big, little, all shapes and themes — The Revaire became a balloon paradise for a long weekend. The various spaces followed certain themes such as weather, for which elaborate balloon confections implied a cloudy day, a rainy day and the perfect rainbow. Other balloon creations mimicked various emotions including sad (blue balloons, of course) happy and love while other displays focused on celebrations.

While the “Balloon Ballroom” was filled with big ass displays, the company also has single balloons with various trimmings. Nolet allowed that customized balloon bouquets are priced from $25 to $70 for a single and the full-blown creations range from $180 to $10,000.