Forget the conventional wedding package you deserve something more exciting, so why not really enter the 21st century and get married in a hot air balloon! Currently in the UK it is not yet possible to be legally married during a hot air balloon flight but Balloons over Britain can make your dream come true in Florida.

Combine your wedding with a fantastic honeymoon and your friends will appreciate it too, it’s different isn’t it? Our standard balloon wedding package will consist of transportation from your local hotel to the launch site, notary and wedding ceremony on the ground, followed by a one hour balloon flight in a private balloon for two. You will have champagne for two on landing with a full buffet wedding breakfast and a wedding cake. Naturally we can tailor your particular requirements regarding hotel accommodation, photographs and flowers, just contact us and we will be happy to discuss all aspects with you.

Why not join us and when you and your loved one can float like a leaf in the wind, silently over the countryside, we guarantee that your spirits will lift with it also when you see the golden sun rise over the horizon as you lift up and let the wind take you away.

A hot balloon ride is a memorable occasion; maybe you will see the unforgettable outlines of London or one of the many other cities near to where we fly throughout the UK, all stunning views from the basket of one of our hot air balloons. For that special occasion, give a Gift Certificate, a memorable gift for friends, family and colleagues, booking online is also easy and you can book now with our easy to use online booking system and before you know, you will be up in the air.

Although it only takes around an hour for the actual balloon flight the whole experience is one that should be enjoyed and it certainly should not be rushed. There is the assembly and dismantling of the balloon which is all part of your hot air balloon flight day out.

Because the hot air balloon is entirely dependent on the wind, no two flights are the same and your local hot air balloon operator will choose a point of launch that will ensure that the balloon does not stray into areas of restriction, or that will take it as close as possible to a suitable landing area, they are very experienced and have done it many times before! We cannot guarantee to fly close to your home or village area as the balloon is controlled by the wind and is not steered like an aeroplane. At the end of the flight you will be returned to the original meeting point and we always suggest that you allow around four hours for the whole experience, it is a pleasure that should not be rushed.

Hot air balloon rides in the UK have very few restrictions placed upon them as to who can and cannot fly with the qualified pilot. For example; there is no upper age limit as long as you can stand around for about an hour and are agile enough to climb in and out of the hot air balloon basket. Naturally you should be physically fit to fly and not be suffering from a significant medical condition or be pregnant.

Disabled persons are welcomed provided that they can meet certain criteria as some disabilities may present us with greater difficulties than others. Before booking your hot air balloon ride you should tell us about your disability and we can ensure that this will enable us to respond to our duty of care for all of our passenger’s safety and to meet the participant’s needs wherever possible. However, we must point out that it is not possible for us to fly any person who may be confined to a wheelchair. We look forward to flying with you.

The whole experience of taking a Hot Air Balloon flight with Balloons over Britain could not be easier. You can book through their website, possibly the best way as this will give you all you need to know about hot air ballooning UK wide. You can order your hot air balloon ride vouchers directly through this website, and then contact your local operator to schedule your flight. All member companies are properly certified, top-quality professional hot air balloon operators with years of experience.

Having booked your flight and the convenient launch site, all that remains is for you to take part in the assembly of the hot air balloon, only if you wish, then to enjoy a fantastic experience. What you can see from a balloon is unbelievable and it is an experience that most people repeat, often! The whole process is easy through Balloons over Britain, and they don’t tack on an extra fee when you get vouchers through their site.

Crossing the Atlantic ocean in an aeroplane was considered to be quite an achievement once, but to do it in a hot air balloon can be described as a remarkable feat, especially when this took place as long ago as the 1950’s. Many people dreamed of trying the feat including a gentleman called Thaddeus Lowe before the American Civil War!

However a group of British balloonists, Colin Mudie, his wife Rosemary, Bushy Eiloart and his son Tim, planned to take on the Atlantic crossing, all were experienced sailors which would be put to good use.  Launching from Tenerife flying from east to west they took off on December 12, 1958 and travelled a mighty 1200 nautical miles, breaking all existing balloon duration records. A ferocious storm brought the attempt to a close although, because the basket was in fact a special reinforced polystyrene gondola, they were able to sail this to their destination Barbados.

When you book your hot air balloon ride with an operator close to you, there will be no such worries, just a magic experience which you will want to repeat time and again.

Man has always been fascinated by flight from the first time that early man tied feathers to his arms and jumped from a high point, needless to say without success! The first real success in flight came in 1783 when a gentleman called Pilatre De Rozier launched the first hot air balloon called ‘Aerostat Reveillon’. The passengers for this balloon trip were a sheep, a duck and a rooster and the balloon stayed aloft for around 15 minutes before coming to ground.

Manned hot air ballooning came later in the same year when the Montgolfier brothers launched a hot air balloon from the centre of Paris and kept it aloft for 20 minutes. The era of hot air ballooning had begun. Nowadays the modern hot air balloon is a far cry from these early ones and hundreds of people enjoy hot air balloon rides UK wide through the network of local operators within the compass of Balloons over Britain. To join them on a hot air balloon ride contact them and they will put you in touch with an operator launching from a site near you.

The variety of shapes and sizes of modern hot air balloons is vast and anyone who has been to a hot air balloon festival will testify to this. Generally a hot air balloon can take on just about any shape the only rule is that it should have sufficient hot air in the envelope to allow it to take people in the air safely for a hot air balloon ride.

For the most part the shape of a hot air balloon is an elongated sphere but this is normally very highly coloured and can also carry corporate logos or advertising messages. Increasingly Balloons over Britain’s local operators are taking part in sponsorship and events for local business and in these times when we are all looking to increase, or to maintain sales, hot air ballooning is a positive step forward. If you or your company want further information about this way of promoting your business, contact Balloons over Britain and we will be happy to give you all the information that you require.

With Christmas and the New Year celebrations behind us it is time to look forward to a brand new year, 2009. We none of us know what might be in store for us, but why be despondent, treat your self and your loved one to a special treat, some thing that is amongst the top ten things that most people wish for in their lifetimes, a hot air balloon ride.

Choosing your hot air balloon ride with the top UK operator is simple; with Balloons over Britain you have the choice of where you want to fly, from local launch sites throughout the UK and at a time to suit you. The easiest way is to choose is from a range of gift vouchers that can be seen at the web pages of Balloons over Britain and here you will have a variety of options in both price and style of Hot Air Balloon rides in the UK. Now that is something to really look forward to.