Ideas

Surrounded by camellia trees, the promenade area was redone as a garden space, reminiscent of Jean Cocteau's classic La Belle et la Bête. The room highlighted Chanel's fine jewelry collection alongside flowers that shone with diamonds.

Guests who scored high in skeeball could win prizes from Louis of Boston.

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."

Make-your-own citrus drink bar, by Design Cuisine in Arlington, Virginia

A candy buffet toward the entrance had a mostly blue palette.

Housemade hot pretzel rolls with assorted mustards, heated over river rocks, by A Thyme to Cook (877.849.6386, athymetocook.com) in North Stonington, Connecticut

Alexa Stevenson styled an ambitious table for the New York Design Center titled "Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?" Nine of N.Y.D.C.’s Access to Design designers imagined cheeky place settings for their dream (deceased) dinner party guests, including Coco Chanel, Elizabeth Taylor, and Steve Jobs. Imagined to be set in a glamorous, haunted mansion, the macabre centerpiece included moss, succulents, and a skull inside a glass cloche.

Matthew Parker Events crafted lighting fixtures for a speakeasy-themed wedding using hats from a party supply store, decorative ribbon, corded wire, and filament bulbs.

For a donut-themed bridal shower put together by blogger Elsie Larson, a giant chalkboard filled with descriptive doodles served as the backdrop of the food spread.

While all the rooms were meticulously planned, none was as popular as the space that housed old-school carnival claw games. Rather than plush toys and candy, the machines held small items, like lipsticks and jewelry, in Chanel gift bags.

Real tree branches and miniature faux tree centerpieces were part of the garden motif.

An over-size picnic table continued the warm-weather motif and provided a creative setting for the brand to showcase the brightly colored tableware in the Sandra by Sandra Lee collection.

Make Meaning's new Upper East Side location can host groups for activities like cake decorating and ceramics. The 7,000-square-foot space has five floors including three private-event floors: the loft holds 50 people, the sky box has room for as many as 70, and the second floor has the capacity for 100.