Got an upcoming birthday blowout or corporate celebration that needs a little elevation? 🎈 How about a decor lift from a lot of balloons and… you don’t have to lose your breath blowing them all up! 😮‍💨

Meet Melissa Mueller Gildea, owner of Pop on Pretty, our very own Chadds Ford balloon design baddie.

Melissa in front of her balloon garlands at a party

Several years ago, Melissa was on the hunt for a creative outlet, something totally different from her day job. She searched around, discovered the world of balloon décor, and the rest, as they say, is ~~history~~ herstory.

She’s entirely self-taught. Over the last several years, she’s built a thriving business fueled mostly by neighbor referrals and a whole lot of community love. Turns out, your neighbors really are your biggest cheerleaders. 🩷

Green, white, and cream balloon garland at The Yoga Space from Pop on Pretty

Melissa creates custom balloon garlands, arches, columns, and other festive décor for everything from wildly themed kids’ birthday parties to baby showers, bridal showers, restaurant events, grand openings, and more. She recently added balloon cake sculptures to her repertoire, which are just as delightful as they sound.

One major highlight? Her balloons were featured on a float in the Unionville Chadds Ford Centennial Parade! That’s pretty cool for a self-taught balloon artist from the neighborhood, right?

Melissa also makes a point to support local community organizations through her work. She’s partnered with the Kennett Rotary, local schools, Healthy Kids Running Series, and more. Investing in community organizations is just as important to her as the perfect color palette.

Pink balloon garland at a Princess themed birthday party

What’s it like to work with Pop on Pretty?

Everything starts with an intake form (linked on her Instagram and Facebook pages or linked directly here). Melissa asks about your budget, size needs, and color preferences through the intake form. Then she connects with you via text or email to walk through color samples and nail down a vision. When you’re both on the same page, she orders supplies from her wholesale vendors and gets to work.

I asked her if blowing up all those balloons was the hard part. Nope! According to Melissa, that’s actually the easy part. The design and installation are where the real magic (and muscle) happen. ✨

How much does it cost?

Balloon garlands start at around $22 per foot, with delivery and installation fees additional. Plan to book at least 3 weeks out, as Melissa typically takes 1 to 2 events per month.

Melissa mentioned that the high-quality balloons she uses last a long time. A garland can stay afloat for several weeks. Most people keep them, and some even pass them along via Facebook Marketplace or Buy Nothing groups when they’re done. If you don’t want to keep the balloon decorations and would prefer her to break them down, that’s an option, and there’s a small fee for that additional service.

To get started, find Pop on Pretty on Instagram or Facebook, and fill out her intake form. Trust your neighbors on this one. They’ve already blown up their events with Pop on Pretty, and they loved it! 🎈

P.S. If you’ve had Pop on Pretty balloons at your event, leave a comment and let us know your color palette and how you liked it! I can’t wait to hear.

🎂 P.P.S. If you need a cake for your event, we’ve got a cake queen in Chadds Ford that can make your cake dreams come true.