Beautiful Décor Ideas for Your Masquerade Ball: The Ceiling

If you’re planning a masquerade party, one of the main things to remember is that creating ambience is probably the most important thing in ensuring you have a party that flows nicely and that people want to stay at. Décor is what guests become aware of when they first walk into a party, and just like when you meet a person for the first time, you want to make sure you make a good—no, great—first impression.

The mood you create will set the tone for the evening; playful, serious, decadent—the décor you choose will convey a message to your guests: this is the personality of the party, this is how I want you to feel, and act (very important for masquerades) throughout the night.

Creating the right atmosphere is often easier said than done, and when you’re tackling a big, expensive project like a masquerade ball, you’ve got budgets and suppliers to consider, and about fifty different opinions to deal with.  In this series of articles, we’ve put together some easy tips and tricks to transform your masquerade venue into a space fit for kings and queens—and on a budget too!

A masquerade ball usually requires a large, or at least a moderately-sized room. Large spaces can be difficult to fill, and it can be a daunting task. In this installment, we’ll look at inexpensive ways to make a large impact through lighting and ceiling treatments.

Here are three relatively easy, and inexpensive ways to dress your ceiling, while creating ambience and mood lighting.

Round Paper Lanterns

In ivory or black, large numbers of paper lanterns grouped together make a bold statement. If you’re going to do this, you want to think about covering almost the entire ceiling in lanterns, leaving no more than a foot between each lantern.  If they are spread too widely, the effect will be lost and your décor will come off as cheap and childish rather than rich and elegant. We recommend using no more than two colors for this, which you can select based on the theme of your party. 

Fairy Lights

There is something magical about strands of fairy lights strung across trees, walls, and ceilings. They sparkle like stars in the night, and add a soft glow to any room.  Interspersed with lanterns, these create a soft, whimsical effect. Again, the trick is to use large quantities of these. Many stores will sell them in bulk, or you can rent them inexpensively from an events company, who will likely be happy to include installation and dismantle in their price.

Draping

Draping can cover empty spots in a ceiling, as well as soften the glare of harsh ceiling lights that you may not be able to remove. You can purchase rolls of sheer fabric inexpensively, and run them across your ceiling to create a beautiful, soft scalloped effect. Paired with fairy lights, draping creates a light, romantic atmosphere, almost like being in an outdoor tent with the stars twinkling above.