reception

The painting of St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow by Russian artist Simon Kozhin was projected on the walls of the dining space, setting the tone for the evening’s “Holiday Treasures from Russia” theme.

Floral arrangements, fabrics, and light projections all incorporated rich shades of gold and red.

Chandeliers hung over the dining room’s two long tables.

To accommodate all 600 guests, the seating plan incorporated rooms adjacent to the main dining space.

Servers carried trays of martinis with olives and trays of lemon drop martinis.

Restaurant Associates served smoked salmon napoleon as the first course, which was already plated as guests entered the Roof Terrace.

The band 'Round Midnight played Christmas classics, pop hits, and oldies, attracting dancers after the three-course dinner.

In October the Field Museum's annual gala in Chicago had a diamond theme, complete with tiered crystalline centerpieces atop illuminated mirror boxes, surrounded by mini vases of blush cymbidium orchids.

At the American Ballet Theatre's fall gala in New York in October, organizers topped tables with glass bowls lit with single candles and draped with black star calla lilies.

At the Whitney Museum of American Art's fall gala in New York in October, event producer Van Wyck & Van Wyck grouped several small arrangements of pink flowers in clear glass vases instead of topping tables with one large floral centerpiece.

The Alfred Mann Foundation's annual fund-raising dinner in L.A. in October had a Chinese theme. Each table was topped with a centerpiece of white orchids and bamboo stems hung with miniature paper lanterns.

At the Hammer Museum's seventh annual "Gala in the Garden" in L.A. in October, table toppers included low rectangular vessels filled with black sand.

Rows of paper rectangles spelled out "in" words at the Boston Brigham Women's Hospital "In Party" fund-raiser in September. Upon closer inspection, the centerpieces listed facts about the programs the fund-raiser would benefit.

In October, the Harman Center for the Arts' annual gala in Washington had centerpieces made of twigs strewn with crystals, votive candles, and fake butterflies. Some square tables had cut-outs to accommodate towering 15-foot trees.

At the New York Public Library's annual Library Lions benefit in November, lamps, candles, and living plants served as tabletop decorations.

The Cooper-Hewitt National Design Awards in October got a bold look from a custom graphic pattern made of the names of previous award winners. The blue and white print was incorporated in several decor elements, including vases for the floral centerpieces.