Creative Idea

At the Daffodil Ball, soup was served from a teapot and topped with an edible pocket watch crust.

For Ruinart Champagne's afternoon tea and auction at the London in Los Angeles in October 2011, event planner Jes Gordon modernized high tea with white linens topped with khaki runners trimmed in bright, neon borders. Ping-pong paddles served as auction paddles.

Guests lined up to get their tea leaf readings at Chicago antiques store Golden Triangle's anniversary party in October 2010.

New York-based JPO Concepts' catering team uses Bigelow Tea's Novus collection to craft creative hors d'oeuvres, including fresh burrata cheese served with mint tea pesto.

Homemade sorbet from JPO Concepts, made with an herbal tea blend featuring hibiscus, rose, apple, and elderberries, offers a refreshing ending to a summertime tea party.

Specialty cocktails were served in William and Ashley teacups and adorned with white rabbit garnishes at the National Ballet of Canada's sixth annual fund-raiser, which was held at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto in June 2011.

A checkerboard table covering and mismatched gold and silver cutlery added to the mad tea party theme at the gala. Guests received mugs and tea strainers as party favors from Canadian tea seller Teaopia, which is now owned by Atlanta-based retailer Teavana.

Tea house Teaism teamed up with Sticky Fingers Bakery chef Doron Petersan to host a five-course vegan meal in April 2013 at its Alexandria, Virginia, location with tea and sake pairings. The menu by Petersan and Teaism executive chef Alison Swope included a matcha, or green tea, cake with cherry port and almond.

Be Inspired PR hosts and produces the Tassels and Tastemakers event twice each year for event and wedding industry professionals, plus media, bloggers, and other influencers. The most recent iteration on March 25 brought a Western theme to Carondelet House in Los Angeles. Beth Helmstetter Events designed the dance floor, where string lights hung above denim sofa seating and rentals from Found Vintage Rentals.

Also at the Tassels and Tastemakers event, place settings on a rustic tabletop included napkin rings made from vintage leather belts atop slices of tree branch. Mindy Weiss designed the table with milk glass from Borrowed Blu.

A swath of ribbon-tied greenery from the Hidden Garden hung over Tassels and Tastemakers' cheeky, flower-accented photo booth backdrop, designed by the Venue Report. Flipbooth provided the photo booth.

Taxidermy and greenery decked a bar designed by Karson Butler, where bartenders wore vintage gear reminiscent of the Old West and served honey whiskey lemonade and sangria from 24 Carrots.

A floral sign on the Tassels and Tastemakers wall, created by Beth Helmstetter, spelled out “Yee Haw” with flowers from Art With Nature.

Weiss designed a luxe teepee setup, which included cushions from Found.

Social media handles and hashtags dotted decor in surprising and whimsical ways, such as the rope sign from Pitbulls and Posies on a dream catcher from Found Vintage Rentals.

In March, Old Navy invited an all-ages crowd to celebrate spring at Fig & Olive in Los Angeles with the brand's style ambassadors Emily Current and Meritt Elliott. The so-called “On the Road” event had an Americana road trip theme with a colorful map motif. Collaged maps comprised a decor wall that also served as a photo backdrop.

Among the kid-friendly activities available at the Old Navy event was a wall-hanging station: Guests chose between framed maps of either Los Angeles, California, or the United States, and then used rubber stamps and markers to customize their artworks.

To help Los Angeles’s Pacific Park expand its retail operations, Timeless Travel Trailers created a pop-up installation by converting a 16-foot trailer into a Route 66-inspired retail space. Inside, Timeless used upcycled gas pump shelving units, suitcase drawers, ceiling lights made from old tail lights, and other details. Outside, the company designed and built all of the fixtures using old car parts: a three-tiered shelf made of hoods, an Airstream-theme cash wrap, and a hanging display using a motorcycle fork.

The St. Patrick's School Dinner and Auction got a "Spirit of America” theme in Washington in March. Oversize patriotic props stood out amid red tabletops at the event, which was designed by Events by Andre Wells.

Also at the St. Patrick's School Dinner and Auction, gold stars hung atop a red gallery wall that was decorated with framed photos of American icons.

Meant to highlight American icons and traditions, the St. Patrick's School Dinner and Auction included cut-outs of historic figures—and an astronaut.

At the Los Angeles premiere for last summer's A Million Ways to Die in the West, projection mapping depicting time-lapse scenes from a desert illuminated the façade of an adjacent building. On the opposing wall was a projection of a moon and night sky.

Held in a transformed parking lot venue, the premiere party's theme evoked a county fair. Props included a 1920s-era stagecoach.

At the Ball on the Mall in 2012, the Trust for the National Mall achieved a patriotic look with stars projected onto the tent ceiling. Hanging lanterns and draping rounded out the red, white, and blue look.

In 2013, Target feted its collaboration with charity organization Feed Projects with a rustic Americana-style event at the Brooklyn Bridge in New York. Wheatgrass flats, wheat stocks, and Mason jars topped wooden farm tables

At the Feed for Target launch, a jazz band performed on a custom stage made of raw wood and decked with carnival string lights, which supplied a down-home look and feel.

Eyewear brand Warby Parker hosted a summer pool party in June 2012 at the Standard in downtown Los Angeles. Poolside tables displayed the company's glasses alongside buckets of branded towels.

During Thrillist's “Best Day of Your Life” event in June 2014, Stoli handed out branded sunglasses and sweatbands to attendees.

Stoli also hosted a dance party at Brazen Fox as part of the festivities and handed out the ideal summer swag: branded bottles of sunscreen.

Los Angeles-based Gold Ink Tattoo, whose clients include Jamba Juice, Taco Bell, Nike, Zico, and Bebe, creates custom metallic temporary tattoos in either gold or silver foil. Pricing depends on quantity and color, with a minimum order of 500 sheets.

Gifts for the Good Life designed a set of pouches and accessories attached to a large metal ring for easy transport to the beach. Items included a water bottle, a branded sarong, and an SPF lip balm.

For the third annual Thrillist “Best Day of Your Life” event in June, T.G.I. Friday’s traded sunglasses and beer koozies for guests' tweets via vending machine.

For the Engage14 summit in the Cayman Islands, Gifts for the Good Life put together mini manicure sets with nail polishes in beachy hues for guests. Prices range from $25 to $35 per custom set.

In August 2014, Viacom-owned Centric Network launched its re-branded image with a three-day “Island Takeover” tour on Martha’s Vineyard, produced by Events By Fabulous. A custom-wrapped gifting truck distributed branded tote bags and beach towels.

Guests can keep themselves cool with sandalwood fans from Beau-coup. The natural wood hand fans can be personalized with a custom hang tag and are available in white gift boxes. Prices range from $1.18 to $1.80 each, depending on quantity and gift boxes.

A custom cocktail kit by Gifts for the Good Life, featuring images from photographer Jasmine Star, include all the necessary ingredients to mix up a refreshing summer libation. The kits start at $65 each.

At a media launch for Heinz's new yellow mustard, Peter Callahan Catering's test kitchen was turned into a backyard barbecue. The decor included Weber grills that served as tables.

Guests could dress their burgers at a summer barbecue-style buffet table. Clear trays were placed on faux grass, and hollowed-out condiment bottles held tomatoes and onions.

Guests posed with oversize bottles of ketchup and mustard in front of a wall comprising hundreds of bottles of yellow mustard.

The menu from from Peter Callahan Catering included summertime favorites like sliders, hot dogs, and cheesesteaks, paired with mini bottles of Coca-Cola.

The catering tray for the mustard-topped corn dogs incorporated the label of Heinz's new yellow mustard.

A summer picnic-like vignette surrounded a screen that showed Heinz's new commercials for its yellow mustard. Gift bags with a bottle of Heinz ketchup and two bottles of mustard—one to keep and one to share—stood underneath.

Stacks of teacups and flowers formed clever centerpieces for the Daffodil Ball at the historic Windsor Station in Montreal in April 2012. The Alice in Wonderland-inspired gala featured an upscale version of the popular theme.

Guests dined on classic finger sandwiches with cucumber, salmon, and egg salad at the Ruinart Champagne event.

Shoppers sipped free cups of tea at Visit London's "Only in London" pop-up inside New York City's Time Warner Center in March 2010. Event production company Retail Md designed a food display with traditional teatime treats, along with a lush floral arrangement.

Made for the at-home mixologist, Owl's Brew teas are specially crafted for cocktails and can be mixed with a range of spirits, including vodka, whiskey, and rum, as well as craft beers and wines. Flavors include Coco-Lada, a black tea with coconut; Pink & Black, a Darjeeling with a hint of hibiscus; and the Classic, an English breakfast tea blend. In May, the brand will release White and Vine, a white tea with watermelon, pomegranate, and lemon peel. The teas come in eight-ounce bottles for $9.99 and 32-ounce bottles for $16.99.

Occasions Caterers served hot tea with pink, yellow, green, and blue iced cookies for dessert at the Washingtonian's Alice in Wonderland-theme AT&T Best of Washington Party in July 2014, held at the National Building Museum.