
For an upscale camp-themed affair, try KG Fare Catering & Events' mess-free take on s'mores, displayed on clothespins.
Photo: KG Fare Catering & Events

At the Campfire Ball benefit for Children’s Oncology Services in May at Venue One in Chicago, Cork Catering set up a make-your-own s’mores station.
Photo: Gerber + Scarpelli Photography

For a dandy-themed graduation party in Hollywood, Canvas & Canopy designed a dessert buffet that eschewed the twee look in favor of a sophisticated display of treats on cake stands made from vintage candlesticks and shelves built using industrial pipes.
Photo: Jonathan Moore

Pure Kitchen Catering prepared champagne-cranberry spritzers and rosemary-infused sparkling water. A white tray of cranberries and rosemary spruced up the drink station—and provided a subtle, holiday-friendly fragrance.
Photo: Maypole Studios Photography

At an in-office preview for its clients' wares during the holidays in 2015, Los Angeles-based PR agency BWR offered a metallic dessert bar decorated with the word “Joy” in marquee-style letters.
Photo: Alesandra Dubin/BizBash

The Meridian International Center celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2010 with its annual black-tie Meridian Ball in Washington. There, the dessert table had black-and-white trompe l'oeil look. It included candelabras, arrangements of monochromatic roses, and—of course—copious desserts.
Photo: Tony Brown/Imijination Photography for BizBash
Boston Symphony Orchestra's Opening Night Gala

The Boston Symphony Orchestra held its opening night gala in September, raising $1.5 million. The gala dinner, created by Café ArtScience's Patrick Campbell, was served in four rooms at Symphony Hall, each decorated in different artistic themes (watercolor, charcoal, dance, and architecture) that were inspired by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition," which had been performed by the orchestra prior to the dinner.
Photo: John Gillooly