Centerpieces

Showorks creates cheerful centerpieces by filling Mason jars of varying sizes with wildflowers, which are reasonably priced per bunch. Repurposed wine and liquor bottles also work as makeshift vases.

Found objects don’t always have to be from nature. For this year’s AMC upfront after-party, Empire Entertainment used classic ’80s artifacts—floppy disks and cassette tapes—to construct lighted lamps in lieu of high-end floral centerpieces.

Lanterns, whether simple or ornate, offer a theatrical alternative to traditional tabletop decor. Style the lighting items to suit any event theme or atmosphere, such as the Moroccan-inspired ones used by Showorks.

Blueprint Studios lines up basic votive candles in a mirrored box for a dramatic, low-cost solution.

At the Elle Women in Hollywood awards this month at the Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, long-time producer Caravents worked with Elle event director Katie Crown on the overall vision and event design. Blush tones in details from the linens to the roses created a feminime feel along with graphite mirror runners with clear cylinder vases.

Weight Watchers hosted a pop-up dinner party at Carondelet House in Los Angeles earlier this month. With fare focusing on lighter local options, all cooked by Katsuya chef Jennie Trinh, the event included organic fall produce and foliage down the center of the long, rustic table.

Luxury online retailer Mytheresa.com hosted an intimate dinner in Los Angeles in June. With the dramatic Lautner-designed Goldstein residence as the backdrop, guests dined on a meal prepared by Kris Morningstar at a table clothed simply in white and lit by a row of taper candles.

Monochrome marigolds and table numbers in champagne bottles sat atop rustic tables at the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic, designed by BrownHot Events, in Los Angeles earlier this month.

The Hammer Museum in Los Angeles hosts its annual "Gala in the Garden" each year with tightly curated decor. In 2010, the look included tabletops clad in green linen napkins and white pillar candles for an earthy, fuss-free air.

A group of 300 artists and art patrons came to fete the Santa Monica Museum of Art’s 25th anniversary at the museum's second annual Precognito gala dinner in Los Angeles in 2012. There, white paper tablecloths had table numbers painted directly onto them for a streamlined look.

The American Ballet Theatre held its annual gala in Los Angeles at the Jeanne and Anthony Pritzker estate in Beverly Hills. With the home’s architecture and sweeping views as a backdrop, about 250 guests dined at wooden-topped tables with white linens and blue and lavender floral arrangements.

Diffa's Dining by Design event is typically the place to spot abundant, ornate tabletops. At the New York event in 2012, a few more spare looks also made dramatic impacts: Herman Miller's table had a vintage 1950s look, with twine tying place cards to wooden tops.

At Diffa Dining by Design's New York iteration in 2013, Kenneth Cobonpue placed plates and cups in organic shapes on a spare wood table. The minimalist setting allowed eyes to focus on the living centerpiece: a cluster of moss topped with bowls that held live Betta fish.

Sustainable agriculture champion Alice Waters was behind an inauguration celebration in Washington in 2009, where simple copper bowls held tangerines, and fresh bay leaves decked place cards.

The "Imagining the Lowline" fund-raising initiative's co-founders hosted a New York dinner billed as an "anti-gala" in 2012. Van Wyck & Van Wyck used reclaimed wood dining tables decorated with traditional taper candles and organic centerpieces made up of potted mint, lavender, rosemary, geranium leaves, and olive branches.