At the Aladdin-themed fund-raiser, held in Boston in 2010, servers wore fezzes as they passed hors d'oeuvres.
As a nod to the poisoned apple in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, escort cards at the fairy tale-themed gala were calligraphy-printed cards attached to red apples. The event was held in Washington in November.
In 2011, the Paris event included a fashion show with models sporting looks inspired by classic fairy-tale dresses. Flanked by the stage and bar, a 246-foot-long reflective runway ran the entire length of the tent and served as the site for the show.
Projections of moving bubbles lit up the opening-night party for the Broadway production of The Little Mermaid in 2008.
To play up the Cinderella theme at the opera's 2010 gala in Toronto, organizers placed a white carriage outside the entrance to the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.
At the tabletop design competition in Washington in 2010, Gloria Rhodes and Capital Party Rentals took the Princess and the Pea theme literally by placing peas and pea pods on the utensils and the menu.
Rather than decorating the reception with a slew of blink-and-you’ll-miss-’em D.I.Y. details, couples are more interested in decor that makes a statement. “The 2014 bride is ditching contrivances for oversize ‘wow’ factors like custom dance floors, vast patterned wall installations, and Versailles-worthy furnishings and lighting,” says Clark. “Our client is tired of littering seated tables with tchotchkes and is favoring the mantra ‘go big or go home’—in good taste, of course.”
As a result, couples are asking, “What will catch my guests’ attention when they walk in our tent?” Clark says. “Savvy couples realize that very few will remember custom-colored confetti packets at each place setting, but everyone will remember a nighttime ceremony lit only by 500 luminaries.”
Pictured: For recent wedding, Calder Clark designed an installation that served as a focal point: The 3-D wall was inlaid with boxwood topiaries arranged in a geometric pattern.
South by Southwest 2016 took place March 11 to 20 at various locations in Austin, Texas. An extension of SXSWi's food program, FYI network hosted its first culinary activation at the Driskill Hotel from March 12 to 14. Along with a "Quesoff" competition and a station that gave lessons on Instagramming food, the event featured an edible wall installation. Designed by food typographer Danielle Evans, the wall—which spelled out "Feed Your Imagination"—included local eats from Voodoo Doughnut, Sugar Mama's Bakeshop, and Whole Foods.
Sunbrella partnered with Ghislaine Viñas Interior Design to offer a twist on a tropical tablescape by using a monochromatic purple-blue palette with hanging leaf-like fabric cutouts, banana-decorated fixtures, and tassel-adorned chairs.
The Chicago museum celebrated the start of Black History Month with its 33rd annual gala on January 30. The event featured a wall from the Flower Firm, which was decorated with crates holding leaves and miniature garden plots.
Perez Art Museum Miami's gala took place March 4. The event had a concept from Lee Brian Schrager and included interactive artist stations like a floor-to-ceiling coloring book, which invited guests to doodle on the wall.
On April 25, the JW Marriott Marquis Miami played host to the Sylvester Gala, a benefit for the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center’s research programs. The event had a "Brave" theme, and entertainers with Pop Art-inspired body paint had the word written on their chests.
Guests are guaranteed a good time at playful events featuring unexpected elements. For example, for an art-theme event, Brooklyn, New York-based floral, decor, and production company Birch Events created the bar’s backdrop out of all-white paintbrushes.
