The Dream Book
Hot Air Balloon Elopement
Balloons fly at dawn because that is when the air is still, which means this day starts at four in the morning and is worth it. You get married in the basket or in the field beside it, depending on the pilot and the wind. There is a moment just after the burner cuts where it is completely silent and you are several hundred feet up. That is the moment.
What it could include
The shape of the day.
- Licensed balloon operator booking and weather-hold coordination
- Pre-dawn timeline, coffee and layers plan
- Ceremony either aloft or at the launch field with officiant
- Chase-crew coordination so photography covers launch, flight and landing
- Champagne landing tradition in the field
- Backup date held for wind
Everything above is a starting point, not a fixed package. Tess plans it and photographs it; you book the vendors she lines up, so you hold every contract.
The practical part
Where, when and roughly what.
- Ideal locationsSnohomish Valley, Woodinville, Central Oregon, Albuquerque in October
- Ideal datesJune through September mornings; October for the Albuquerque fiesta
- Guest countTwo to four, depending on basket weight limits
- Approximate investmentStarting at $5,900
Approximate investment covers planning and photography. Vendors, permits and travel are quoted in writing before anything is signed.
Next step
Tell us this is the one.
The form takes two minutes and arrives with the concept name already attached. You will hear back within two business days with real dates, real numbers and the honest version of what it takes.
Keep reading
More from the Dream Book
Meteor Shower Wedding
Say it under the Perseids, with the sky doing the rest.
Starting at $4,800 Just the two of you, or up to 12 night owls
Eclipse Wedding
Two and a half minutes of totality, and you're married inside it.
Starting at $7,400 Two to 20
Northern Lights Elopement
Aurora season, a cabin with a woodstove, and no timeline to keep.
Starting at $9,200 Two to eight