Winter

Ronald McDonald House Toronto hosted its annual holiday-time gala at the Carlu in December. McNabb Roick Events reflected the Holiday Chic: Sparkle theme in sequined table linens and the crystal candle holders that served as centerpieces.

For a winter-themed corporate party, design director Andrew Zill of Baltimore-based Feats Inc. created a snowy scene that included a glowing bar anchored by a crystal-flocked tree.

Centerpieces of white carnations designed by Feats Inc. evoked fluffy snowballs.

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.

The Portlandia season 3 premiere party, held at the American Museum of Natural History in New York in December, played off the idea of Portland in winter with quirky displays of everyday objects suspended in ice.

At Diffa's Dining by Design in New York, Ralph Lauren went with a cozy, ski chalet-inspired look. Centerpieces of snowberries and wrought-iron lanterns created a runner down the center of the rustic wood table. Other striking details included a faux fireplace, Pendleton-inspired bench cushions, and an antler chandelier.

The Nature Conservancy of Canada celebrated its 50th anniversary gala in November at the Ritz-Carlton in Toronto, where planners created a wintery forest feel by lining the ballroom with living trees hung with candlelit lanterns.

In New York, the Sanctuary Hotel's Haven Rooftop has been turned into a ski chalet for the winter season. Available for private events, the fully tented, heated space comes complete with new seasonal drinks, such as peppermint hot cocoa spiked with Bailey's, and a menu of hearty, savory dishes. Revelers also have the option to take a "ski shot"—four signature shots to share with friends—off of an actual ski.

For a party Maxim threw to celebrate January cover girl Michelle Branch in 2004, the magazine's in-house design team created a unique invite: Guests received a white branded ski cap; instead of a price, the tag on the hat carried the event info and served as an admission ticket.

Russell Harris Event Group produced a winter wonderland-themed party for Fox in 2010. The designers covered the patio at Los Angeles's Villa Sorriso in blue carpeting and hung LED tubes in the trees, creating an effect that simulated falling snow.

In November at Diffa's annual Dining by Design event at Chicago's Merchandise Mart, the table Hok designed for Halcon had a winter forest feel. Walls were lined with logs, and the chandelier was covered in twigs.

Shiraz Events provided decor for the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center gala in Miami in December. Tabletops were covered in silvery linens, and centerpieces of orchids and silver-coated ivy sat atop glowing white platforms.

The Park Avenue Armory in New York was decorated by David Monn for the 2012 holiday season. Monn used natural materials including birch, magnolia leaves, evergreen branches, and pine cones to adorn the ornate space's interiors.

Kapture Vision produced a holiday bash with a masquerade theme for CyberCoders in December at Newport Beach Dunes Resort in Newport Beach, California. Jay's Catering set up a s'more station where guests could fire-roast their own desserts.

Zak Events wanted to showcase "winter whites" at the 11th annual June Briggs Awards held at the Pierre New York in January. The look included custom-built white leather tufted highboy cocktail tables topped with icy-looking glass vessels filled with candlelight.

Bloor Street Entertains, a fund-raiser for Canfar, took place in several venues on the Toronto street in November and was produced by Spinradius Events. At one stop, guests sat in chairs draped with cozy fur wraps.

The Out NYC's Great Lawn has been turned into a "Winter Wonderland" for the season. The area, which is available for group buyouts, includes an outdoor ice rink, wintery decor, a pine forest, hot tubs, and a menu of Alpine-inspired food and drinks such as chocolate fondue, cheese fondue, hot mulled wine, Mexican hot chocolate, and more.

MillerCoors celebrated the introduction of the Coors Light resealable aluminum pint can in 2010 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa. The hotel's pool area was converted into a winter scene with fake snow, ice sculptures, and illuminated high-tops meant to resemble blocks of ice.

As a way to introduce its new all-wheel-drive models, British carmaker Jaguar built a larger-than-life snow globe in New York in the height of summer. To make the transparent, spherical tent feel like a snow globe, producers tapped Los Angeles-based MagicSnow to bring in a machine that periodically dispersed ice flakes.

The Washington National Opera Ball took over the ceremonial building at the Embassy of the Russian Federation in 2010. Event producer Sandi Hoffman of Sandi R. Hoffman Special Events transformed the lobby into a winter landscape with plush white carpets and white birch trees lining the hallway.

At the 2010 National Opera Ball, the winter theme continued into the courtyard, which featured fake snow falling from the rooftop and was designed as a tribute to the upcoming 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Entertainers circled the snow-filled courtyard in inflated Zorbs.

For Toronto marketing company Capital C's annual holiday party in 2011, Apex Sound & Light projected 3-D mapped images of falling snow onto the venue's windows. Silver furniture added to the ice theme.

Capital C's creative director of live events, Mary Pallattella, created booths against the wall of the dance floor space for the company's holiday party. A video fireplace centered the booths.

Chicago's Shedd Aquarium held a Russian winter-themed gala in 2010. Heffernan Morgan designer John Hensel incorporated wintry touches into the decor, illuminating the pathway to the cocktail reception with snowflake-shaped gobos.

For a Regent Park School of Music fund-raiser held at the Carlu in Toronto in 2009, the event organizers at McNabb Roick Events draped panels of sheer white fabric and oversize snowflakes, stars, and icicles from the ceiling of the concert hall to give the space a wintry feel.

Held at the Château de Wideville, which sits on the outskirts of Paris, the July 6 event drew some 450 guests and supporters and raised $3.27 million for model Natalia Vodianova's Naked Heart Foundation.

Staffers in white dresses guided guests to the 20,000-square-foot dinner tent, which was set up directly adjacent to the main estate house on a plot of land that wouldn't disturb the existing gardens.

The entire floor of the clear tent was paved with real grass and frosted with faux snow.

Inside the dinner area, Bureau Betak painstakingly created custom decor for each of the 45 tables so that no two were alike.

Charming accents sourced from vintage stores and thrift shops, and frosted with fake snow decorated each of the dinner tables, adding to the wintery design scheme.

Inspiration for the tabletop decor was taken from different classic fairy tales. For instance, one tableau featuring tiers of rosebuds was based on "The Rose-Tree" by Joseph Jacobs.

In keeping with the evening's loose Russian theme, organizers prominently placed bottles of Imperia Vodka, a chief sponsor of the gala, in icy-looking buckets on each table.

Traditional Russian folk scarves draped the backs of each seat, adding not only a decorative element, but also a parting gift for guests.

The creative team interspersed large animal-shaped topiaries frosted with fake snow throughout the dinner tent.

An enormous chunk of ice was carved into a bar with an intricate latticelike design.

As the sun set, candlelight served as the primary light source, illuminating the dinner tables and adding to the cozy feel of the night.

Prior to the fashion show and live performance, guests sat for a catered dinner served by Caviar Kaspia.

Actress Anne Hathaway served as the night's master of ceremonies and, as a nod to co-host Valentino Garavani, wore a vintage dress by the Italian fashion designer.

A performance artist in sand animation, Ukrainian talent Kseniya Simonova entertained guests with live artwork inspired by Natalia Vodianova and her Naked Heart Foundation.

Flanked by the stage and bar, a 246-foot-long reflective runway ran the entire length of the tent and served as the site for the show.

A 45-look fashion show of custom dresses from big-name designers took place right before dessert was served. Eight crystal chandeliers, decorated to look like frozen fixtures and trimmed with vines, hung from the center of the tent directly above the runway.

The dresses in the show were inspired by classic fairy tales.

Naked Heart Foundation founder and model Natalia Vodianova (pictured, center) wore a custom Valentino dress for the show's finale.

After the show, Christie's conducted a live auction from the stage.

The auction lots included artwork, as well as some of the gowns presented in the fashion show.

Bryan Ferry performed for the crowd following the auction. The English musician was reunited onstage with one-time collaborator Johnny Marr from the Smiths.