DECORACION

At the opening party for the Felissimo Design House in New York in 2001, guests never had to wait for a waiter to come by with food. They could pick hors d’oeuvres right from the wall of an installation by French artist Dorothee Selz.

Waiters didn’t have to remember what they were serving (and guests didn’t have to ask) when now-defunct Match Catering printed T-shirts with food descriptions for a 2004 BizBash event.

XA, the Experiential Agency, used long grosgrain ribbons to simply and effectively divide a large space at a 2006 Tag Heuer event.

To fete its fall television lineup, Fox invited guests to Book Bindery for its annual casino-style kickoff event in Los Angeles in September. The network's Karin Pofsky worked with YourBash to build out the raw space into an environment with decor and lighting executed in as environmentally friendly a manner as possible. For instance, the food from Alligator Pear was all organically grown, and the production team hung battery-operated lights.

David Stark created an elegant but relatively inexpensive look for the Whitney Museum of American Art's annual gala in December by using hundreds of softly glowing candles.

Suspended mirrors were strategically placed behind the groves of trees at dinner to magnify their presence. Van Wyck brought in redbud and sycamore trees ranging in height, from 12 to 14 feet tall, and an array of rich colors, like burgundy, plum, and blood red.

Hargrove turned the fountain at the National Building Museum into an inverted tiered chandelier. Stands of varying heights hung with handmade crystal strands held tall, narrow vases with floating candles.

Abby Larson, the woman behind cult wedding blog Style Me Pretty, has released her first book, Style Me Pretty Weddings (Clarkson Potter/Publishers, $30), which outlines some of the most popular wedding style trends.

"Sweet, simply styled rustic weddings are in large part what helped put wedding blogs on the map," writes Larson of the popular look, adding that the latest way of approaching the now-iconic style is by juxtaposing homespun elements, such as burlap and farm tables, with opulent details, such as high-end china and gold-rimmed stemware.

"Modern means 'minimal' in my book," writes Larson. "Clean lines, simple color palettes (whether bold or demure), repetition in pattern and style." Often spotted at modern, organically styled weddings, succulents are a wildly popular wedding centerpiece trend. Larson recommends pairing a succulent table runner with white square chargers and simple cutlery for an understated vibe.

"Officially my new favorite breed of wedding is the whimsical wedding," writes Larson. "Whimsy means you can really play with your design and add spunk in the most unexpected places." Case in point: embroidering guests' names onto inexpensive white napkins embellished with colorful pom-poms and grosgrain ribbon.

LoLo Event Design offers hand-painted handkerchiefs that can serve as table numbers at a garden event. Set alongside flowers in a terra cotta pot, tables get a more casual feel than an elaborate formal centerpiece—just right for an alfresco event.

Fox also brought back the illuminated balloons it had last year, using the inflatables printed with the names of shows to guide guests through the dark.

Befitting the Times Square theme, the aisles between dinner tables were designed like New York city streets, with glittery "asphalt" and road markings.