display buffet

For a dandy-themed graduation party in Hollywood, Canvas & Canopy designed a dessert buffet that eschewed the twee look in favor of a sophisticated display of treats on cake stands made from vintage candlesticks and shelves built using industrial pipes.

An illuminated table held jars filled with candy.

Colorful sweets topped a table at the preview night. "The day before and the day of Sneak Preview Night hosts nearly 10,000 media and auto industry executives, so it’s a challenge to set up for one event during another," the auto show's Callari said. "In addition to the limited setup time and juggling of events, the venue itself is vast, with high ceilings and thousands of windows. Making that space feel intimate and festive requires creativity. And we have to be conscious of costs since this is a charity event, but we do not want to lose the world-class look of the L.A. Auto Show."

A baked-goods station had sweet bites, including mini brownie squares, sugary doughnut holes, and bite-size chocolate chip cookies.

Silver Lining In Flight Catering provided an extensive dessert bar at the after-party.

Whimsically presented desserts at the after-party included cupcakes on forks, towers of meringues, and cream puffs in birdcages.

Strawberry milkshakes from Elegant Affairs Off-Premise Catering & Event Design in New York accompany sirloin sliders as a late-night snack for guests—a sophisticated twist on kid-friendly diner fare.

At the Engage! wedding summit held in Colorado in 2014, the event's dessert party offered an easy-to-eat lollipop version of campfire s'mores. (The event's rustic location inspired other various camp-inspired details.)

For its Fall Ball in 2014, the New York-based art nonprofit Creative Time created a sleepover followed by a late-night dance party. For the sleepover portion, a bar served milk and cookies. But instead of milk, the offering was white Russians served in milk bottles.