Setting up a heavy party backdrop can be a really grueling process. Especially since it's the kind of task that typically has to happen the day of a party, unless you're lucky enough to have an indoor venue that's vacant and will keep the backdrop safe! This is particularly helpful when working with greenery walls, floral walls, high quality sequined curtains, and other popular heavy party backdrops!
Depending on the type of venue you're working with, you may or may not be able to add holes to the wall. For heavy party backdrops, I definitely do NOT recommend using command hooks. When I first started my balloon business people would tell me they have everything they need... only to find on the day of the install that they had heavy, sequined backdrops with no way to safely hang it so that I could tie in my balloons!
If you can make holes:
If possible, monkey hooks & nails are an excellent option for minimal wall damage with max security. When the backdrop is flush on the wall, it's much less likely that someone will bump into the setup and knock it over. The ultimate, dreaded party fail. I've attached an extremely heavy greenery backdrop to a shiplap venue wall (by inserting the monkey hooks between the shiplap into the drywall- with the venue owner's approval) for the most secure bridal backdrop I've installed to date. I 10/10 recommend this method when possible, it was a dream.
If you need freestanding:
Since most venues don't allow hooks or nails another option is a pipes and drapes setup. You can order one of these online that's relatively sturdy and professional. I prefer this particular setup because there's less adjustment (room for error) with the legs, and lots of weight overall to counter act the weight of a greenery wall or heavier backdrop.
In my balloon business, I had galvanized pipes cut and welded to fit my greenery wall. It was definitely a bit more expensive and significantly heavier than options you'd order online but in my experience it worked best. It had the added benefit of removable legs, so that if I had the opportunity to secure to the wall for additional support, it could be flush on the wall like my picture above.
Either setup (the one I bought off Amazon or the customized galvanized pipe version) is nice if you're wanting to setup in the middle of a room or somewhere without a wall or fixture to secure to.
If you need help setting up a heavy party backdrop as an outdoor setup:
I had the sweetest balloon babes that helped me throughout the years. Our biggest nightmare was often an outdoor setup with no additional support. Unfortunately, you just can't know what the weather is going to do which tends to cause issues all around. One of our worst experiences was when our greenery wall fell due to extremely high winds at a poolside graduation party.
My takeaway and process change from that outdoor experience: if you need an outdoor setup, you must have additional support to tie into. Options on how to handle this: Use clear fishing line to secure the greenery wall to the nearest structural pole, gutter, wall, anywhere you can tie into for extra support. In multiple places and on each corner of the greenery wall.
A tip to make it even better: you'll often find that the sunshine makes a greenery wall or even thick vinyl backdrops seem a bit translucent. Adding a dark tarp to the opposite side of the backdrop will make a world of difference for guests when they're taking pictures.
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