Please read these Terms and Conditions carefully. They form part of the agreement between Once in a Bal-loon and the Customer when a booking is confirmed.
1. Services
1.1 All services are provided by Once in a Bal-loon, operated by Elysia John-Jules. References within these Terms and Conditions to “we”, “us” or “the Company” mean Once in a Bal-loon. References to “you” or “the Customer” mean the person purchasing the goods or services as named on the quotation or invoice.
1.2 By confirming a booking with us, you accept these Terms and Conditions in full.
1.3 Following an enquiry, we may correspond with you by email or other agreed communication methods and provide examples of designs and styling options. Customers are welcome to provide inspiration images. Inspiration images are used as a guide only and will not be replicated exactly.
1.4 Where a bespoke digital mock-up is requested for a booking with a budget below £500, a design fee of £75 may apply. If the booking proceeds, this fee will be deducted from the final booking total.
1.5 Once the required design and services have been discussed, we will provide a quotation. Quotations are valid for 48 hours unless otherwise stated. After this time, pricing, products and availability may change.
1.6 If you wish to amend a quotation or confirmed design, please contact us at onceinabal-loon@outlook.com. Any requested amendment is subject to availability and may result in a revised quotation or invoice.
1.7 For bookings over £100, a non-refundable booking fee of 50% of the total booking value is required to secure the booking. The remaining balance is due no later than 14 days before the event. Bookings of £100 or less require payment in full at the time of booking.
1.8 A date is not secured until the required booking fee or full payment, as applicable, has been received. If payment is not received within the timeframe stated on the quotation or invoice, the date may be released for alternative bookings.
1.9 Event details, including venue access, installation times, collection arrangements and final styling requirements, will be confirmed as required in the lead-up to the event. It is the Customer’s responsibility to provide accurate information and to notify us promptly of any changes.
1.10 The Customer is responsible for confirming any venue restrictions, access requirements, parking arrangements, loading restrictions, ceiling or wall fixing restrictions, and other relevant conditions. These must be communicated to us before the event. We will not be liable where a venue prevents or restricts an agreed installation due to information that was not provided to us in advance.
1.11 Once an installation has been completed, the Customer or venue representative should confirm that they are happy with its position. Displays and hired items should not be moved unless this has been agreed with us. We accept no responsibility for damage, movement, popping or loss caused after a display has been moved or interfered with following installation.
1.12 Hire items, including but not limited to frames, moongates, sailboards, sequin walls, easels, signage, props, florals, cut-outs and other reusable equipment, remain the property of Once in a Bal-loon at all times unless expressly sold to the Customer.
1.13 Collection or return arrangements for hired items will be confirmed as part of the booking. Where the Customer is responsible for returning an item, return details and the Bracknell collection/return location will be provided privately.
1.14 The Customer is responsible for hired items from completion of installation or handover until collection or return. If an item is lost, damaged, broken or not returned, the Customer may be charged the reasonable cost of repair or like-for-like replacement. Any invoice for such costs must be paid within 7 days.
1.15 If a hired item becomes unavailable before an event due to damage, loss or circumstances outside our reasonable control, we will use reasonable efforts to source a suitable alternative. Where an identical item is unavailable, we reserve the right to provide an appropriate substitute and will discuss any material change with the Customer where reasonably possible.
1.16 Balloon arrangements are created by Once in a Bal-loon. Where any element of a booking is supplied or fulfilled by a third party, including specialist props or hired items, this may be arranged by us as part of delivering the agreed design.
2. Payments, Pricing and Alterations to Bookings
2.1 Each quotation is prepared for the individual Customer and reflects the design, scale, products, labour, venue, access requirements, travel, hire items and seasonal availability relevant to that booking.
2.2 Prices may vary between bookings because each installation is bespoke and may require different materials, preparation and installation time.
2.3 We aim to ensure that quoted prices are accurate. If the Customer requests changes, additional items or additional services, the price will be revised accordingly. If an exceptional supplier or product issue materially affects an agreed design, we will discuss suitable alternatives with the Customer before making a material change.
2.4 Payment is accepted by bank transfer unless another method is expressly agreed.
2.5 If you need to change the event date, please provide as much notice as possible. Date changes are subject to our availability. Where we agree to transfer a booking to a new date, the booking fee will normally be transferable on one occasion only. If we cannot accommodate the new date, the original booking fee remains non-refundable.
2.6 Changes to the scope or styling of a booking are subject to availability. Additional items or services will be charged accordingly. Reductions to a confirmed booking may be limited to a maximum reduction of 15% of the original quoted value because materials, hire items and event capacity may already have been reserved.
2.7 For bookings over £100, the outstanding balance must be paid in full no later than 14 days before the event, unless a different payment schedule has been agreed in writing. The payment deadline will be shown on the invoice. If payment is not received by the due date, we reserve the right to cancel the booking and any booking fee already paid will remain non-refundable.
2.8 Requests for additions made after final payment are subject to product availability, supplier lead times and our capacity. We cannot guarantee that late additions can be accommodated.
3. Cancellations
3.1 All cancellations must be made in writing.
3.2 Booking fees are non-refundable. Where a date transfer has been agreed under clause 2.5, a booking fee may be transferred on one occasion only.
3.3 Because event dates, preparation time, materials and hire items are reserved in advance, cancellations may result in further sums becoming payable. Unless otherwise agreed in writing:
3.3.1 For cancellations with less than six months’ notice but more than three months’ notice, 50% of the total quoted booking value is payable.
3.3.2 For cancellations with less than three months’ notice but more than six weeks’ notice, 75% of the total quoted booking value is payable.
3.3.3 For cancellations with six weeks’ notice or less, 100% of the total quoted booking value is payable.
3.4 Any sum due following cancellation will be confirmed in writing. We reserve the right to reduce an amount due at our discretion where appropriate, without waiving our right to recover sums properly due under these Terms and Conditions.
4. Designs, Images and Intellectual Property
4.1 Our designs, concepts, mock-ups and original styling remain the intellectual property of Once in a Bal-loon. Inspiration images supplied by a Customer are used as a guide; due to the bespoke nature of our work, no design can be guaranteed to be an exact copy of another installation.
4.2 We welcome Customers sharing photographs of our work on social media and appreciate credit using Instagram @once_in_a_bal_loon.
4.3 Photographs and video taken by Once in a Bal-loon of our installations may be used for our portfolio, website, social media and other marketing. If you would prefer us not to share identifiable images from your event, please tell us before installation. Where images include identifiable guests, we will take reasonable care in how they are used.
5. Balloons, Outdoor Installations and Liability
5.1 Once an order or installation has been delivered and handed over, responsibility for its care passes to the Customer. Balloons are delicate products and may pop, deflate or move due to handling, temperature, surfaces, weather or other environmental conditions.
5.2 If a display or hired item is moved, altered or interfered with after installation, we accept no responsibility for resulting damage, movement, loss or injury caused by that movement or alteration.
5.3 Outdoor balloon installations are particularly affected by heat, direct sunlight, wind, rain and changing temperatures. Where adverse or extreme weather is forecast, we may recommend changes to the design, location, installation time or materials. We reserve the right not to install an arrangement outdoors where, in our reasonable judgement, conditions would make the installation unsafe or likely to fail.
5.4 We will not be liable for failure or delay caused by circumstances outside our reasonable control, including severe weather, unsafe road conditions, venue restrictions, illness, bereavement, supplier failure or other unforeseen events. Where this occurs, we will make reasonable efforts to keep the Customer informed and, where possible, offer an appropriate alternative.
5.5 Photographs on our website, social media and marketing materials are illustrative. We can create designs inspired by previous work or Customer-supplied images, but cannot guarantee an exact replica.
5.6 We use professional-quality balloons and materials. Balloon colours can vary between batches, brands, lighting conditions and photographs, and exact colour matching cannot be guaranteed.
5.7 Nothing in these Terms and Conditions excludes or limits liability where doing so would be unlawful, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot legally be excluded.
6. Data Protection
6.1 We take the privacy and security of personal information seriously. Personal information provided to us will be used only where reasonably necessary to respond to enquiries, prepare quotations, administer bookings, provide the agreed services, maintain business records and meet legal or insurance obligations.
6.2 Personal information will not be sold. It may be shared with trusted service providers or professional advisers where reasonably necessary for the operation of the business, such as accounting, payment, website enquiry or other administrative services, and where appropriate they will be expected to handle the information securely.
6.3 We take reasonable steps to keep personal information secure and to limit the information collected to what is necessary for the relevant purpose.
6.4 Further information about how website and enquiry data is handled is set out in our Privacy Policy.
7. Complaints and Refunds
7.1 We are committed to providing a high-quality service. If you have a concern or complaint about any aspect of our products or services, please contact onceinabal-loon@outlook.com as soon as reasonably possible. We will consider the matter promptly and take reasonable steps to resolve it.
7.2 Our balloon arrangements and personalised products are made or prepared specifically for individual Customers. Refunds and remedies will be provided in accordance with applicable statutory rights. Nothing in these Terms and Conditions affects your statutory rights.
8. Third Party Rights and Applicable Law
8.1 Unless expressly stated otherwise, a person who is not a party to the booking has no right to enforce these Terms and Conditions.
8.2 These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of England and Wales.
8.3 The courts of England and Wales will have jurisdiction in relation to disputes arising from the booking, subject to any rights the Customer has under applicable consumer law.