The Revel Group in Chicago hosted "Revel Provocateur," a dinner for the area's top event planners, on March 30 at Revel Downtown. Decked in black hues and Gothic-style decor, the event eschewed seating cards and instead printed guests' names on the back of chairs.
The dinner menu, which was prepared by Limelight, appeared in a gobo on the floor of the dinner space. To enhance the evening's intended vibe, fog swirled over the illuminated signage. Items listed included egg yolk and fresh ricotta raviolo, pan-seared loup de mer, and "Salad Under Glass" made with Humboldt Fog goat cheese.
Underscoring the theme of Tassels and Tastemakers, dream catchers hung throughout the space. The ethereal decorations had woven-in hashtags that encouraged guests to post pictures to social media.
After an abundance of rustic-barnyard and vintage, Anthropologie-esque weddings, event planners are anticipating a wedding-style movement in the complete opposite direction. “We’re predicting less D.I.Y. and more clean, modern lines and color palettes,” says Tara Maxey, co-owner of the Los Angeles-based catering company Heirloom LA. “With all the D.I.Y. wedding details out there, expertly styled minimalism feels like the sophisticated alternative.”
Wedding planners Maria Cooke and Kelly Seizert of Ritzy Bee Events in Washington, D.C., agree: “We’re seeing more couples focusing less on dramatic color and more on classic combinations such as black and white, gray and white, and navy and cream.” The modern-minimalist theme will be reflected in the wedding menu, too: Instead of lavish buffet stations or decadent entrées, couples are moving towards healthier choices and smaller portions. Maxey says, “Gluttony has been overdone.”
Pictured, clockwise from left: Ritzy Bee Events created a reception lounge setup with a clean, neutral color palette; a wedding catered by Heirloom LA incorporated crisp, all-white decor; shooters of vegan carrot panna cotta were served during cocktail hour at a wedding catered by Heirloom LA.
The 25th incarnation of I.C.F.F. ran May 18 to 21 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York. A great place for event professionals to get ideas and inspiration, the show displayed items such as Toyko-based Oodesign's tiny floating vases. The vessels hold individual buds and submerge their stems in water.
