How We Hung 750 Gold Beach Balls From the Ceiling at Jefferson Street Inn
A behind the scenes look at Aqua Finance’s 2025 New Year’s Eve Gala install
If you walked into the Jefferson Street Inn for Aqua Finance’s 2025 New Year’s Eve Gala and looked up, you probably had a split second of, “Wait… how is this even possible?”
That is my favorite kind of reaction.
Because what guests experienced as a floating, golden, party ready ceiling moment was actually a full week of methodical, hands up, neck sore, scissor lift living, detail obsessed work. The kind of install that looks effortless when it’s finished, and feels like a full body workout while you’re building it.
And yes, we hung 750 gold beach balls from the ceiling.
The vision: sparkle, scale, and a full ceiling moment
New Year’s Eve calls for something bold. Not just pretty. Not just festive. It needed to feel immersive, like you stepped into a celebration the second you entered the room.
The concept was simple on paper: a sea of gold floating overhead, creating movement, shine, and that instant “wow” factor.
Executing it was a whole different story.
The materials: simple tools, serious strategy
People always assume installs like this require complicated hardware or custom engineering. The truth is, it was a very specific mix of everyday materials and a lot of patience.
Here’s what we used to make it happen:
Fishing line for the “invisible” floating effect
Sinkers to keep each beach ball hanging correctly and at the right tension
Pins to secure the lines into the ceiling points
And a whole lot of measuring, spacing, adjusting, and re adjusting
The goal was consistency without looking rigid. Full coverage without feeling heavy. And a ceiling that looked intentionally designed, not randomly filled.
The timeline: 12–15 hour days for a full week
This was not a “day before install” situation.
To hang 750 individual pieces, we were in full production mode for a week straight, working 12 to 15 hours a day. It was the kind of schedule where time stops making sense, you’re surviving on caffeine and playlists, and you keep saying “just one more row” until you realize it’s dark outside again.
There’s a special kind of teamwork that happens during installs like this. You stop talking in full sentences. You develop a rhythm. Someone is measuring, someone is tying, someone is lifting, someone is stepping back and checking spacing. It’s nonstop movement, but it has to stay precise.
The reality: two scissor lifts and a whole lot of up and down
This install required height, speed, and safety, which meant we brought in two scissor lifts to keep things moving.
Scissor lifts are amazing, but they add another layer of logistics: timing, traffic flow, equipment placement, and constant up down coordination. There’s no “set it and forget it.” Every single beach ball had its own line, its own placement, its own adjustment.
Multiply that by 750 and you can imagine why this took a week.
The final twist: we had to take it all down that night
New Year’s Eve events are magical, but they also come with a very specific reality: teardown.
Once the party ended, we weren’t done. We had to remove the entire installation that same night.
Which means after a week of building, we flipped right into breakdown mode, making sure every line, pin, and piece was removed cleanly so the venue could be reset.
If you’ve never done a same night teardown, just know this: it is a different kind of adrenaline. You’re tired, but you’re focused. You’re moving fast, but carefully. And you’re trying to leave the space exactly as you found it, even after transforming it completely.
What this kind of install really takes
Big installs aren’t just about having a creative idea. They’re about planning, engineering, repetition, stamina, and trusting your team.
It takes:
A clear layout and spacing plan
Consistent assembly methods so 750 pieces look cohesive
Equipment coordination and safety awareness
The patience to adjust tiny details over and over
And a team that can hold the vision even when you’re on hour 13 of the day
The part we’ll remember
The best part of installs like this is the moment the room is finished. When you finally step off the lift, look up, and realize it actually worked.
The ceiling was full. The gold caught the light. The room felt like New Year’s Eve before a single guest even walked in.
That’s the magic of event design.
It’s not just decor. It’s atmosphere. It’s a feeling. It’s a memory people carry with them, even if they never know the behind the scenes details.
But now you do.
Want a statement install like this for your event?
If you’re dreaming up a ceiling moment, a large scale hanging install, or an immersive transformation that makes guests stop and stare, we love this kind of work. The wild ideas. The big impact. The “how did they do that?” moments.
And yes, we will absolutely bring the scissor lifts.