Social Event Trends 2016: 9 Playful Ideas

Instead of a traditional escort card table, guests snipped off their seating assignments, which dangled from umbrellas, at a wedding designed by Camp Hill, Pennsylvania-based catering and event company the JDK Group.

For an art-theme event, Brooklyn, New York-based floral, decor, and production company Birch Events created the bar’s backdrop out of all-white paintbrushes.

At a graduation party designed by Chicago-based Christina Janda Design & Events, serving spoons with French onion bonbons spelled out “congrats” on a tray and incorporated the guest of honor’s favorite food in a fun, unexpected way.

Escort cards attached to paper cranes were displayed on a large triangular frame at a wedding designed by Janda. “It was a work of art that kept guests talking and talking,” she says.

“This year, our couples are sending guests off with fresh baked mini pizzas in custom boxes, In-N-Out burgers, tacos from a taco truck, and more. Just in case they didn’t get enough to nosh on at the party, this fun trend gives guests one more guilty pleasure for the road,” says Laurie Arons of Laurie Arons Special Events in San Francisco.

For a baseball-theme bar mitzvah at the Nationals Park in Washington, Columbia, Maryland-based Magnolia Bluebird Design & Events designed and built a grand entrance for the party since the real locker room was off-limits at the time. Each locker featured the guest’s name along with a custom jersey and duffel bag.

For the bar mitzvah, kids took batting practice on the field, which featured a classic snow cone station.

At a 40th birthday party, the JDK Group strung doughnuts as decor above the serving table.

Instead of giving away too many party favors, the guests at a preppy party by Magnolia Bluebird picked their favorite charms and adorned leather headbands, key chains, bracelets, rings, or ponytail holders for personalized gifts.