Doughnuts and bread aren't typically very pricey, but they—along with other everyday food items—can make a big splash when they pop up unexpectedly in event decor. From a cupcake-filled centerpiece to a green apples used as place cards, here are clever ideas for incorporating food into decor.
At the May 29 opening of Hudson Eats at Brookfield Place in New York, Shiraz Events created a step-and-repeat using stacked crates of fresh vegetables.
The Holiday Chic Suite was a lush pop-up space at the 900 Shops on Chicago's Michigan Avenue open this past holiday season. Overseen by Debi Lilly of A Perfect Event, the setup featured place cards tacked onto green apples with bejeweled pins.
More green apples appeared in the decor at the February event in Washington. Planners opted for a design scheme with spring-like green centerpieces from Your Event Solutions that contained actual fruits and veggies. Artichokes popped up on some tables in the dining room, while green apples sat atop illuminated boxes on others.
In 2013, the Chicago museum's gala was held for the first time in its warehouse. In an homage to the venue's bakery past, a Tube Buffet held various breads. Servers in bakers' hats doled out rustic country rye bread, salted pretzels, dark rye rolls, and more in sheets of deli paper.
At the chocolate brand's New York event in September, a custom tasting table from Abel McCallister Designs seated 16 guests. The table, which continued up the wall, featured artfully arranged truffles along with fresh fruit, nuts, and spices, all set in a bed of melted chocolate.
On May 6, Weston Family Foods hosted is annual group meeting at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. Decor included a wagon made out of bread. It took 5th Element Events two days to build the structure, and the process involved shellacking real bread from Weston Foods and hot-gluing pieces to the wagon.
At the February event in Toronto, food-centric sponsor activations included jars filled with pasta and strainers holding fresh veggies.
The fiery orange lights at the Catalina Casino evoked a giant campfire at the 2013 Catalina Island Conservancy Ball in Southern California. The fireside vibe carried through the rest of the evening's decor, which included centerpieces of illuminated apothecary jars filled with the makings of a classic campsite snack: s'mores.
The American Cancer Society's Discovery Ball took place at Chicago's Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel in April. Inspired by an urban street, the decor from HMR designs included a lemonade stand and a flower cart. A pastry shop edifice displayed sweets that guests could actually pluck off the decor and sample during the cocktail reception.
At the 2013 Butterfly Ball in Chicago, the gala had a farm-like atmosphere and Event Creative brought in vegetable-centric decor. Tables were decked with miniature gardens potted with tomatoes, colorful peppers, asparagus, and kale; around the centerpieces, fairy lights in miniature Mason jars added to the elegant yard-party vibe.
In Washington, Evoke has designed doughnut walls for clients. The wall was constructed out of pegboard, with 1,200 wooden golf tees showcasing chocolate-glazed doughnuts (forming a “J” for the guest of honor’s name) as well as cinnamon sugar and powdered white donuts. A server with a step stool can pull doughnuts off the wall for guests.
In December 2013, Chicago's Joffrey Ballet hosted its annual Nutcracker Family Dinner. In lieu of centerpieces, tables were decked with platters of gold-dusted cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery. At the dinner tables, a sign read: "In the Land of Sweets, it is proper etiquette to eat dessert first."
The 2010 benefit in New York was filled with arty, food-centric ideas. One example? Hanging cheese heads melted onto piles of crackers during the cocktail hour.
Though technically drinkable and not edible, Patron's 2011 bash in Orlando had interactive decor that guests could get a taste of. Just inside the front door, staff offered samples of five cocktails made with PatrĂłn XO Cafe. They poured the drinks from fixtures placed on the wall in a gallery-like configuration.
