Little Eye Grabbing Ideas

A Great Gatsby-themed wedding planned by Swank Productions Inc. featured escort cards arranged inside of a vintage card catalog.

In celebration of the upcoming film, the Plaza recently transformed its champagne bar into a Moët & Chandon pop-up. The space holds an old-fashioned champagne cart, meant to resemble a fixture at one of Gatsby's parties.

Gatsby is so romantic, right?

But look closely at all these outfits. Doesn't all this frippery look really uncomfortable?

OK, well spats look ridiculous on everyone; let's start there. At the Lighthouse Organization's Posh Affair last Thursday, a decorator I really like had on a white and brown pair of Oxfords, and I couldn't stop staring at his feet. And not in a good way.

And the music from the era is great fun—for about 10 minutes. And it's not jazz. Anyone who has sat through the insufferable one-note theater musical The Boyfriend can tell you that all '20s songs sound the same, and the droning on the trombones can be a real headache.

The look is really hard to pull off, especially for women, and a costume party that doesn't make women look and feel good has real starter issues. You have to be bone thin, and willing to wear a ton of makeup that—once the dancing starts—tends to melt. And a giant marabou feather strapped to your head on a beaded choker might look alluring, but have you ever tried one on? It's both uncomfortable and distracting.

I’m not even going to touch the bathtub-full-of-booze concept.

There is a right way to throw a flapper party, and Juicy Couture did it for the first (and what should have been the only) Fashion's Night Out. Juicy hired about 20 actors, who came in full costume. Periodically, they would swarm the dance floor to do the silly period dances, with all the hand swinging and stuff which is great fun to watch, then they went running out onto Fifth Avenue blowing whistles.

Meanwhile, the rest of us got to enjoy the spectacle with the humiliation of participation discarded.

There is one main reason that Nights of the Caribbean parties are doomed to fail: location, location, location. What makes a Jamaican night so fabulous is that you are in Jamaica. The soft fragrant breeze, the lapping of the waves—no amount of pink lighting and umbrella drinks can conjure that.

It is amazing to me that people think of carting sand to a party. It always looks dirty (and never gets fully swept up; venue-owners beware!).

I love steel drums; when we were kids, my parents used to take us to see the Esso Steel Band, who miraculously always seemed to be on the island we were visiting (until I figured out there were a dozen of them). Sadly, when Esso became Exxon, the music died. And now no one can seem to find a real steel-drum band, and piped is simply not the same thing.

All of the sugar in the drinks gives guests a hangover, and the vibrant hues don't look so great on your shirt the next day. And I never really get why anyone thinks it is okay to strap on a grass skirt over regular clothing, do you? The only thing worse is seeing western undies peeking out.

I just groan whenever I arrive at a casino-themed affair. There are so many chores! First, you have to buy some chips after the measly amount they give you gets lost in five minutes. Then, while you fiddle with your paltry pile at the blackjack table, a really pushy couple has already gone and cashed in all their chips and won all the best prizes, leaving you with a choice of colored glass vases or an electronic scale. Casino night rewards selfish behavior, and that is a party don't.

Also, there's all this endless shuffling around, going from station to station, wondering if the next one will be more fun. Turns out losing at the roulette wheel is no more fun than pretending you remember the rules of Texas Hold 'Em.

So then you decide to opt out of the whole gambling thing—but now what do you do?

I always love the story about the sales meeting—I think it was for Teen People—when they hired "bandits" to surprise people on the bus as a way to announce the evening's premise. One lady, convinced by the ruse, swallowed her diamond ring to prevent it from being stolen.

But that’s the problem, isn't it? Isn’t the whole Wild West theme built around the idea of crime and gun violence? And the only interesting outfit choice for women is bar floozy. Nobody wants to dress up as Laura Ingalls. For men, the chaps and holster thing can easily veer into Village People territory—not that there's anything wrong with that. In fact, as I think about it, Wild West is a great theme for a gay sex party.

First of all, the music is great. Second of all, it is so easy. All you need is a DJ and a disco ball. Nobody really remembers what disco fashion was, so just about anything goes, which means no special shopping for guests.

And there is no such thing as disco food, so you're not stuck. Just take it easy on the vinyl record thing (no, it will not be cool to serve appetizers on one).

On August 15, Miami PR pro Nick D'Annunzio of Tara Ink hosted an all-neon birthday bash poolside at Thompson Miami Beach. While many parties happen on a pool deck, D'Annunzio incorporated the pool itself into the bash with neon clothing strung up on a line above and inflatables floating within.

D'Annunzio (pictured) provided neon paper fans with his likeness to help guests beat the heat at the summer party, which was dubbed the "Neon or Nothing Night Swim."

Baltimore's Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and Fandango Productions, which recently rebranded as Revolution Design and Productions, originally planned to host a client and vendor appreciation event, but instead used the opportunity to announce the new name and headquarters. The August 27 Tattoos and Tassels party was hosted in the company's new 100,000-square-foot office and design center and had 46 theme areas, including the Love Spell Bar showcasing one of its wedding design concepts with white draping, furniture, a gold bar, and gold accents throughout. Bartenders served cocktails, or "Love Spells," in potion-shaped glass bottles.

Revolution's creative director, Katie Kirby, and owner,Erin Cermak, took advantage of the party's warehouse location to showcase all the company's stock and partnerships with local vendors like DC Rental, Party Rental, and Linen Hero. Oversize decor pieces, various styles of bars and rentals, as well as thousands of yards of drape turned the warehouse into the 46 separate event spaces with maps along the way to direct guests to the next thematic area.

The Tattoos and Tassels name came from the creative team's desire to have tattoo artists on site for guests to get inked. The company's tattooed employees inspired Cermak and Kirby to bring the unconventional art form to the event to enhance the messaging of Revolution's creative thought process for its events.

Bella Christie and Lil Z's Sweet Boutique provided a dessert station for the Tattoos and Tassels party, incorporating the pink, black, and silver colors of the event space into sweet treats like cake pops, mini cupcakes, and cookies and milk.

In addition to showcasing decor, the Revolution team set out to create areas for engagement in each of the theme spaces. One of the most popular experiences of the night was the Who's Your Granny? game, inspired by Hollywood Squares with Revolution employees' mothers dressed up as the grannies.

When it came to her own engagement party, Toronto-based floral designer Michelle Tran of With a Flower sought to create a secret garden within a suite at the Ritz-Carlton, Toronto on July 18. Birch trees adorned the corners of the room with roses and gloriosa lilies on tables, suspended from the ceiling, and incorporated into the chandeliers. The installation of the 25,000 gloriosas and 2,000 pink floyd roses took nearly four days.

Tran suspended strings of gloriosa lilies to cover a wall of the suite and create a backdrop for photos.

Los Angeles-based Sterling Engagements hosted its 10th anniversary party on September 12, inviting former, current, and prospective clients to the private residence of client, and Lakers player, Jordan Farmar. "We tried to keep it intimate while still incorporating all those [clients] that were near and dear to us along our journey of the first 10 years," said Alexandra Rembrac, the company's principal and creative director.

Rembac utilized the driveway of the house to set up a step-and-repeat, created with hedges that aligned with the event's garden party atmosphere. Signs hung on the hedges displayed the company logo as well as the event hashtag, #SterlingTurnsTen, which Rembac promoted among invitees prior to the party resulting in 75 posts—a satisfying number for the boutique firm.

Performers from Zen Arts entertained guests from in and around the pool. "We really wanted constant interaction and visual wonder, and the pool was the perfect place to create that," said Rembac.

Developed by Chicago event designer Tom Kehoe, event venue the Geraghty debuted with a splash on August 6, attracting nearly 1,000 local business influencers, socialites, and event industry professionals to a grand opening party. Perhaps the biggest moment of the evening was when four stuntmen and Kehoe himself repelled down from a 22-foot-high skylight.

For the opening of the Geraghty in Chicago, Kehoe Designs' artists painted an outdoor mural along the entryway to the venue. Also outside, BMX bikers and skateboarders performed tricks for the crowd.

In lieu of a traditional step-and-repeat, Kehoe designed a large floral sculpture supported by three wire framing panels; a hand-painted mural served as the backdrop. Elsewhere, Kehoe utilized the models and greeters as an additional branding opportunity with temporary tattoos on their bodies.

Multiple unique lounge groupings offered guests respite from the stage and dance floor. Oversize floral arrangements matching the step-and-repeat installation adorned the vignettes and added to the immersive experience of the event that Kehoe sought to deliver.

Washington-based event designer André Wells planned a baby shower that had an untraditional guest book. Guests could snap Polaroid selfies and leave the images, along with a note, in the book.

One topiary-like arrangement featured gummy bears. Overall there were 16 arrangements made out of candy on the bars and coffee tables.