Take aways

At the luxury wedding summit Engage!13, Gifts for the Good Life used glowing birdcage lanterns as escort cards, which guests pulled from Todd Events' live hydrangea wall at the closing gala.

At the Cooper-Hewitt's National Design Awards in New York in 2011, designer David Stark used colorful rolls of tape supplied by 3M as seating cards. The rolls were stacked on rods atop the tables.

At the BizBash New York IdeaFest in 2012, Zak Events promoted its wares with a wall of potted succulents that doubled as both an attention-getting escort card idea and a takeaway with a solid shelf life.

At The New York Times's table at the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS' Dining by Design benefit in New York in 2004, interior design company Eric Cohler Design made a crossword puzzle using guests' names to serve as seating cards.

For another idea using apples, the National Association for Catering and Events 2012 gala in Washington had a "once upon a time" theme, with details from story books—including calligraphy seating cards that nodded to the poisoned apple in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Lucite chairs, candles, and sleek white linens dressed the 150-foot tables at the Joffrey Ballet gala in Chicago in 2010.

For his September show in New York at Spring Studios entitled “Beauty,” Jason Wu went simple and stark with the all-white venue. Produced by Bureau Betak, the space featured simple white bench seating and a floor-to-ceiling backdrop that mimicked a deconstructed boudoir mirror—with detached molding that created a mirage-like effect.

The 2006 Screen Actors Guild awards gala in Los Angeles had a striking but simple look from event designer Stanlee Gatti, with bunches of upside-down calla lillies hanging overhead. White furnishings were arranged in lounge-like formations.

At this year's Dining by Design, the annual fund-raising event hosted by Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS, Smartwater's space aimed to reflect the brand's natural water purification process, which is mirrored after rain clouds. The fluffy fixtures lit up like a storm above the simple table setting. The event took place at New York's Pier 92 in March.

A joint event between Variety and British Airways in 2013 took place at a Los Angeles mansion, and black-and-white decor took on a residential feel. To celebrate the heritage of British Airways, the Union Jack appeared on black-and-white pillows at a seating group that surrounded a modern fire pit.

At a Saucony-hosted event in Boston in 2011, an art exhibit around the perimeter of the space incorporated the brand's sneakers and minimalist art.

In 2012, Yahoo marked the relaunch of Genome, a brand previously known as Interclick, with a minimalist affair in New York. To create a modern aesthetic inside a SoHo townhouse, the producers employed a mix of clean lines and white furnishings. For entertainment, the organizers brought in synchronized swimmers dressed to look like aliens.

At a 2013 brunch for L'Oréal, designer and producer Joe Moller added subtle branding to the setup on the Viceroy Miami's outdoor terrace, adding L'Oréal lettering to the backs of chairs and using shallow gold vases filled with products as tabletop centerpieces.

The Women's Wear Daily Beauty Summit in 2013 had a sleek, all-white design from Shiraz Events. Guests sat in clear Miro chairs at communal tables topped with white linens and simple birch vases holding cobble moss balls.

To cap off New York Fashion Week in 2010, Calvin Klein hosted a party with seating vignettes of minimalist, low-slung white sofas and ottomans around fireplaces.

To launch its newest A8 model at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2010, Audi created a 45,000-square-foot temporary structure. EventStar worked with Audi, German architecture firm the Design Company, and Miami event management firm Siinc Agency to design the pavilion.

At a dinner to mark new gallery openings at the Art Institute of Chicago in 2011, Heffernan Morgan bathed webbed scrims in golden light to cast spiderweblike patterns throughout the modern dinner space.

At a benefit for New York's High Line in 2011, fresh vegetables provided by Bite were displayed on a simple buffet spread.

At a product launch for watch brand Q&Q in New York, guests were encouraged to take photos against a modern backdrop. Guests who posed for snaps received a coin that would allow them to receive a free watch from a giant gumball machine.

A DJ spun in front of a dance floor that featured the birthday girl’s personal logo at a sweet sixteen party produced by Magnolia Bluebird Design & Events. Warhol-style graphics, props, custom throw pillows, and comic-art-inspired decor punched up the white lounge furniture at the Musikfest Café at the SteelStacks in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

The teenage guests designed and signed their own spin-art pieces, which were framed to create a personalized custom work of art for the birthday girl at the Pop Art party produced by Magnolia Bluebird.

A hot chocolate to-go wall featuring custom mugs, gourmet marshmallows, and milk chocolate hot cocoa allowed partygoers to leave the sweet sixteen with a sweet treat.

Magnolia Bluebird created walls of cotton candy served on LED glow sticks for the Pop Art-theme sweet sixteen party. “It smelled like a Katy Perry concert when you walked in the door,” says Danielle Couick, principal of the Columbia, Maryland-based event planning company.

For an older crowd, Radio Milano in Houston offers an interactive option for birthday parties—a craft cocktail training class where attendees shake things up using an array of ingredients. During the hour-and-a-half lesson, the bartender demonstrates how to make each cocktail, and partygoers get to taste what they've learned. Pricing starts at $30 per person; food, upgraded liquor, and a reception are available for additional fees.

For an outdoor party, the team at Tastings, a catering company that serves New York, Miami, and Los Angeles, recommends offering lunch in elegant to-go bento boxes. At an event at the Glasshouses in New York in February, guests dined on a classic mesclun salad with button mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and herb vinaigrette; seared arctic char with baby potatoes; and assorted macarons and canele for dessert, all presented in a three-tier translucent container.

Guests chose cards with quirky sayings and filled in the blanks at a party at the Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte, in June 2014, which was produced by TCG Events. Afterwards, the cards and party photos were complied into a memorable coffee table book for the host.

Pancetta-wrapped peaches with a basil pancake were paired with wheat beer in mini mugs at a Tastings-catered event held at a private residence on Staten Island in New York.

Another sweet sixteen was produced by the JDK Group in April 2014. The company's producer and designer David Everett created a flowing champagne fountain displayed in front of a greenery backdrop with a custom monogram for the party’s step-and-repeat.

The sweet sixteen had an array of desserts, including a made-to-order gelato bar. Everett suspended the centerpiece—a five-foot custom-designed cake by the House of Clarendon.

A caricature artist added a traditional element to the punk-meets-Great Gatsby theme of the JDK Group-produced event.

At the sweet sixteen party, guests grabbed pails of fries to dip in toppings, such as sriracha, ketchup, truffle aioli, Meyer lemon horseradish, bacon mayonnaise, and vinegar, which were served in paint cans and spray bottles hanging from chains. An artist created an abstract painting behind the station.

At the same sweet sixteen, a custom-designed raw bar with assorted sushi push pops caught the attention of the younger crowd and provided an innovative twist on the standard hors d’oeuvre.

For a 40th birthday bash in France, the designers of Ladyfingers Letterpress made a one-of-a-kind laser-cut invite that could be assembled into a real paper airplane. The invites also included a map of Paris, complete with markers identifying landmarks, such as Chanel headquarters, the Louvre, and the Eiffel Tower. “Invitations offer a sneak peek of what’s to come,” says Sarah Schwartz, editor in chief of Stationery Trends magazine and editor of the Paper Chronicles, who sees a trend towards more personalization and away from cookie-cutter cards.

Hosts are making wishes with crazy candles like firecrackers, sparklers, and the musical flower buds ($6.95) from U.S. Candle Company. Once the candle is lit, the large center flame lights 14 small candles, which are attached to each petal. The candle then “blooms,” starts to spin, and plays the “Happy Birthday” song.

For a milestone birthday dinner, designer Nichole Michel of New Haven, Connecticut-based Coral Pheasant Stationery created a stationery suite with an architectural typeface that paralleled the strong lines of the arched casemates of the party venue, Fort Adams in Newport, Rhode Island. Fun facts about the year the birthday boy was born were used to create trivia cards and coordinating coasters.