Concept Photos

At Barbra Streisand's recent fund-raiser for the Cedars-Sinai Women's Heart Center in Malibu, guests helped themselves to a raw fruit and veggie bar. In place of a tablecloth, organizers used a quilt to match the vintage-inspired aesthetic of the event.

At Stella McCartney's Resort 2013 collection preview, waitstaff passed citrus-infused cocktails in Mason jars.

The V.I.P. area of Toronto's Power Ball was styled with rustic elements for an English-picnic look. Designers used loading palettes as banquet seating and cocktail tables.

At Stella McCartney's Resort 2013 presentation, a large cart overflowing with roses and peonies stood near the entrance to the venue. As guests left, they were given small bouquets or single stems as festive gifts.

For the picnic-inspired Absolut Orient Apple launch party in New York last summer, organizers covered the floor of the indoor venue with sod, and brought in live trees and wooden barrels filled with thousands of apples.

LoLo Event Design also creates message-in-a-bottle place cards for beach-inspired events.

At Sunglass Hut's summer block party in Miami, family-friendly games included corn hole, bocce ball, ping-pong, and hopscotch.

Working under the direction of Sidney Frank Importing Company, which owns the American Harvest vodka brand, Event Creative designer Meredith Treinen brought an elegantly rustic look to the Ivy Room for the spirit's launch party. Decorative elements included fresh wheat in birch containers, blue hydrangeas in wood boxes, and votive-filled Mason jars.

Lighting cast leafy projections on the walls.

Many of the tables this year opted against traditional floral centerpieces. David Stark's whimsical installation for sponsor Benjamin Moore, based on the brand’s new Color Stories paint collection, played off the slogan “A whole new chapter in paint color technology is being written.” The library-inspired setting featured a table made from actual books, with handcrafted pop-up books serving as a centerpiece.

Several tables incorporated patterned fabrics. Marimekko's "Color Therapy" exhibition balanced the company's colorful patterned fabrics with plain white chairs and plates.

Centerpieces designed for a recent wedding

Liven up in-office celebrations with the Tangram Printable Party Décor set from Melangerie Inc. The PDF file, $12, includes instructions for printing, cutting, and assembling signage, place cards, mobiles, table runners, and more.

Custom paper flower displays, like these designed by Ara Farnam of Rock Paper Scissors Events in New York, can replace pricier fresh flower centerpieces.

Ceci New York’s intricate lasercut paper placemats, $25.95 for four, and place cards, $12.95 for eight, are available in a variety of coordinating patterns and shapes.

Alison Events Planning & Design arranged white dahlias in wooden trays as a display for escort cards at a birthday party.

Table 6 Productions avoided the problem of making guests wait for drinks at their table by attaching escort cards to cocktails.

Ritzy Bee Events used craft paper and chalk to label the passed appetizers for a rehearsal dinner at the Decatur House in Washington so guests wouldn’t be left guessing.

At a casual outdoor wedding in California planned by Kate Miller Events, gingham flags displaying table numbers were tucked into vintage soda bottles filled with flowers.