Frequently Asked Questions
Got questions? We’ve got answers! Here’s everything you need to know about shopping with Charm City Balloons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about shopping with Charm City Balloons. Can’t find your answer? Call us at 667.788.8181 or email balloons@charmcityballoons.com
About Charm City Balloons
Our workshop is at 9130 Red Branch Road, Suite E, Columbia, MD 21045, and from October 1 we move a few minutes down the road to 8989 Herrmann Drive, Suite 200, Columbia, MD 21045.
That address is where your order gets built and where pickups happen, by appointment. It is not a store you can walk into and shop. If you have an order that spans the move, we will email you the right address before your date.
No, and this one surprises people, so here it is plainly: we are not open for walk-in browsing. There is no showroom and no counter to shop at. Everything is ordered online, built to order, and then either delivered to your door or held for a pickup window you book at checkout.
It keeps our prices where they are. We are not paying for retail floor space or someone standing behind a register, and that saving goes straight into what you pay for the balloons.
We’re a semi-DIY balloon decor service! You browse our extensive list of pre-designed balloon garlands, bouquets, and arrangements, customize your selection to fit your event, and then book a pickup window or have it delivered to your door. We handle all the inflating and assembling — you just put it where you want it, which takes about a minute. It is the easiest way to get real balloon decor without paying for a full-service decorator.
Same balloons, same team, two halves of the job. Charm City Balloons is the self-install side: we build and inflate your decor and deliver it to your door, and you place it yourself. Our sister company, Partistry Balloons, handles full-service design and installation for corporate events, galas and large venue work, where a crew comes out and builds it on site.
If your event needs people on site, they are who you want. If you want great decor without the install, you are in the right place.
Products & Services
We carry a huge inventory of balloon foils and latex helium balloons. But what really sets us apart is our pre-inflated balloon garlands and bouquets. These are fully assembled, ready-to-display balloon arrangements that you can pick up or have delivered. We also offer seasonal specialty items like our stuffed balloon gifts.
Absolutely! We have an extensive list of pre-designed balloon decor options, and you can customize colors, sizes, and add-ons to match your event theme. Browse our online catalog to see all available options and build your perfect arrangement.
Yes, and it is a big selection: latex in every size, plus hundreds of foil shapes, letters, numbers and licensed characters. Everything is inflated to order with premium helium and treated with Hi-Float, so latex typically floats at least 48 hours and foils hold for five days or more.
Order online and choose delivery or a pickup window. If you want something you cannot find on the site, call 667.788.8181 — we stock a lot that never made it onto the website.
Stuffed balloon gifts are oversized balloons filled with toys, candy, crafts, and other goodies. They’re a showstopper alternative to traditional gift baskets! We offer them for various holidays and occasions. Check our shop page for current seasonal offerings.
Ordering & Delivery
Yes. We deliver across Howard County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County and much of central Maryland, including Columbia, Ellicott City, Catonsville, Elkridge, Clarksville, Fulton and Laurel. Your delivery fee is based on driving time from our Columbia workshop, so you see the real number at checkout before you pay.
Then you choose your window: a four-hour window is included, a two-hour window is $50, and an exact one-hour window is $100. Early morning, evening, Sunday and same-day are all bookable at checkout too.
One thing to be clear about: we deliver to your door, we do not install. Your decor arrives fully inflated and assembled and you place it where you want it. If your event needs a crew on site, our sister company Partistry Balloons does that side of the work. See our balloon delivery page for the full breakdown.
Yes, and it is the cheapest way to get your order. Choose the pickup option at checkout and book a one-hour window. Your order will be built, bagged and waiting when you arrive, so there is no standing around.
Monday to Friday, 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM — free.
Monday to Friday, 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM — $30.
Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM — $50.
Someone is at the shop every weekday between 7:00 and 3:00, so those windows cost nothing. Outside that, we are paying somebody to come in and meet you, which is what the fee covers.
There is one rule worth knowing: order before noon and you can have it the next day. Order after noon and the next available date shifts by one. That is the real amount of time it takes to build and inflate an order properly.
Beyond that: a few days is plenty for bouquets and individual helium balloons. Give us about a week for garlands, arches, columns and anything custom, and two weeks during graduation season and December. Seasonal items like stuffed balloon gifts sell out, so earlier is better.
Up against a deadline? Call 667.788.8181. Same-day is often possible for a rush fee, and we can usually do more than the calendar suggests.
We accept all major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover) through our secure online checkout. Everything is paid online when you order, so there is nothing to settle at pickup.