“Wild, ripped-out-of-the-garden-inspired floral design has been a trend in the wedding industry for many years now,” says Jesse Tombs, managing partner of Alison Events Planning & Design in San Francisco. “We love working with bold color, pattern, and vibrant fresh ideas and are starting to see our corporate clients moving away from the everyday corporate blandness and wanting more editorial, unique designs that speak to their companies’ visions of creativity, success, and individuality.”
Pictured: An arrangement by Ariella Chezar.
“It is all about the experience. Millennials in particular are having fewer wedding guests overall but spending more per guest to ensure they feel cared for and have an incredible time,” says Amber Harrison, wedding expert from Wedding Paper Divas. “For weddings, these experiences include specialty food or beverage items, killer music, unexpected entertainment, and more. This trend is absolutely spilling over to corporate events. Some of our most successful events have included experiential elements to keep attendees excited and engaged. Fun activities included retro spin-art, nail bars, build-your-own succulent terrarium, D.I.Y. stationery bar, and more. For both weddings and corporate events, these kinds of hands-on experiences tend to lead to a significant increase in the social activity surrounding the event.”
Pictured: Los Angeles-based Seed Floral Interactive offers a customizable terrarium bar for events.
“It's an easy theme for guests to prepare for. Everyone has white clothes, they pack easily, and the photos come out great,” said Sarah Glick, proposal and wedding planner for New York-based Brilliant Event Planning.
“I am loving all the fun juxtaposition I am seeing in both weddings and corporate events—soft florals in an industrial space; bright pops of color in a stark, white space; inviting, squashy sofas and arm chairs outdoors on the grass or the sand. Seeing these visuals whets an appetite for the unexpected and adds an element of excitement and adventure,” says Harrison.
Pictured: Miami club and restaurant owner David Grutman and model Isabela Rangel’s star-studded wedding, which was held at Miami's Wynwood Walls on April 24 and produced by Carolina Toledo, featured this trend with glam-meets-nature centerpieces that consisted of white phalaenopsis orchids and driftwood.
Couples are choosing natural elements, such as coconuts and air plants at wedding events held at the National in Miami Beach, to greet and seat their guests.
A photo booth is a staple at any event, but Marcy Blum, president of New York-based event planning firm Marcy Blum Associates, recommends creating a stylized photo studio, such as this lush sofa setup with dramatic floral arrangements for group shots.
“While rare delicacies or mini foods were all the rage for a time, more substantive comfort food using fresh, local ingredients or meaningful family recipes is becoming a more popular choice,” says Harrison. “Not only is it a crowd pleaser, but the origin of the recipe, dish, or ingredients can help tell a story. In addition, using different food stations with a variety of ingredient options allows guests to customize the menu, warmly welcoming anyone with any dietary restrictions or preferences to partake and enjoy.”
Pictured: At Grutman and Rangel’s wedding, Starr Events served up an homage to Rangel’s homeland with Brazilian cachorro quente—Brazilian-style hot dogs with seasoned ground beef, sweet pepper pico de gallo, potato strings, and catupiry cheese.
A club-inspired party tent at Grutman and Rangel’s wedding included oversize silver orbs, which fit into the art vibe of the Wynwood Walls venue, along with lounge seating from AFR Event Furnishings.
In addition to a general party atmosphere, event designer David Stark says that many couples are using their honeymoon destinations as theme inspiration: “Are they traveling to the islands of Greece or the beaches of Hawaii? Even the most chic and refined weddings are hiding a surprise destination theme under wraps to delight late at night, and by doing so, couples are saying, ‘Join us for the next chapter of our celebration.'"
“Gone are the days of basic snacks and water to greet guests,” says Glick. From trendy food options to custom bags to personalized gifts, hosts are now giving away more thoughtful party favors.
“[Flowers are] a great takeaway," Blum says. "People appreciate it so much more than a pen or paperweight.”
The inaugural Bridal Floral Exhibition, which was inspired by the Royal Horticultural Society's Chelsea Flower Show in London, took place within the London West Hollywood at Beverly Hills’ Hampton Court on May 18. Top L.A. florists, including Wisteria Lane Organic Floral Designs, Petals LA, and the Velvet Garden, created lavish wedding-theme floral displays in the outdoor space. Peonies dominated the event decor, with a 16-foot dining table setup by the Velvet Garden decorated in the popular petals.
Instead of a floral wall, Petals LA designed an impressive greenery display for the floral event.
For a couple’s cocktail hour, Boutique Bites incorporated hand-made ramen (pictured, left) served in tiny sake cups with mini chopsticks. The cups were wrapped with decorative washi tape and served on a tray with mini mugs of Sapporo beer. For another couple’s playful reception, the Chicago-based catering company created mini funnel cakes, which were served in clear funnels on top of small glass bottles that were filled with orange and cherry soda; the serving tray was lined with cotton to give the illusion the dessert was sitting in a cloud.
As part of Elit by Stoichnaya's new strategy to monitor social media trends to drive content that resonates with consumers, the vodka brand hosted a series of events and promotions from June 1-19. Three ballerinas representing the brand interacted with people in Grand Central Station and other locations around New York. The dancers handed out coupons for consumers to get an Elit cocktail at local bars, and also distributed invitations to stop by the penthouse at the Marmara Park Avenue for a martini.
To celebrate its 150th birthday, Breyers ice scream staged a larger-than-life carton in New York's Madison Square Park on June 22. Brand ambassadors handed out free ice cream samples, and passersby could take a tour through the carton to learn about the brand's history. The activation was produced by AgencyEA in partnership with Golin Harris.
Thrillist's fourth annual Best Day of Your Life party took place June 18 at various bars in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The event featured a wall of printers from Luster, an Instagram-powered printing company, which automatically printed out custom photos of guests if they used the event's hashtag in an Instagram post.
The Apollo Theater's Spring Gala, designed and produced by Van Wyck & Van Wyck, was held June 13 in New York. The after-party took place in a tent behind the theater and featured a 6-foot LED video sphere with images of Prince, who was inducted into the walk of fame at the gala. Designed by KM Productions, the sphere's storyboard displayed images that were a mix of scenes from Purple Rain and gala invite stills by artist Donald Robertson.
For a space-theme gala idea, creative studio Matter used NASA space blankets to design a gilded meteor shower ceiling installation for Blaffer Art Museum's annual gala in Houston on April 1. The idea was inspired by the event's space theme, as well as the metallic trends seen on recent fashion runways. The creative team also created custom floral centerpieces, using the blankets and dianthus plants, that floated above circular mirrors for an anti-gravity effect.
The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington's 34th annual Rammys award show took place June 12 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. OM Media provided an oversize TV frame as the staging for its photo booth at the Heineken activation. Guests could then post the photos directly to social media or email the pictures to themselves.
The 18th annual Power Ball took place June 2 at the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery in Toronto. One of the evening's most notable spaces was an illuminated bubble tent in the outdoor area. Created by technical sponsor Westbury National, the area projected guests' lips and changed colors throughout the evening.
To promote the implosion of the historic Riviera Hotel & Casino on June 14, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority invited fans and visitors to share their confessions—a nod to Las Vegas' slogan "What Happens Here, Stays Here"—which were then permanently concealed in the #WHHSH Vault for the detonation ceremony.
The latest edition of the Electronic Entertainment Expo took place June 14-16 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Underground bunkers were a popular theme: The movie 10 Cloverfield Lane set up an exhibit meant to look like the inside of a dated bunker, complete with board games, a TV, patterned sofas, and kitchen cupboard items.
True-crime network Investigation Discovery hosted its first IDCon on June 11 at the Altman Building in New York. The upcoming series The Coroner: I Speak for the Dead was the inspiration for an interactive display designed as a forensic lab. Users were given clues to try to determine the cause of death of a fictional former hospital patient.
If One Direction played instruments, they might look a little something like these guys. The all-male quartet Well-Strung features classical musicians who put their own spin on Mozart, Beethoven, Lorde, Madonna, Gotye, U2, and more. The group, which is composed of first violinist Edmund Bagnell, second violinist Christopher Marchant, cellist Daniel Shevlin, and violist Trevor Wadleigh, has gained national and international attention for its unique blend of string-quartet-meets-boy-band. The foursome has played venues around the world, including the Leicester Square Theatre in London, the House of Blues in New Orleans, and Feinstein's in San Francisco. Available globally for corporate events, the group's fee starts at $7,500.
Lavender Steel from New York-based entertainment company On the Move performs '90s hits as well as original tunes. The band's sing-along show includes two 40-minute sets, plus over-the-top '80s- and '90s-inpsired costumes, choreographed dancers, a Hula-Hoop act, and two stilt walkers who interact with the audience during the performance. The group performs domestically and internationally; pricing is available upon request.
New York Virtuosi's electric string quartet covers pop tunes, such as "Wrecking Ball" by Miley Cyrus and "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey. The ensemble recently performed at a Ted Baker launch event for the designer's spring/summer collection. New York Virtuosi is available globally, with fees starting at $2,000.
In September, New Yorkers for Children hosted its annual fall gala, which celebrated its 20th anniversary benefiting youth in foster care in New York City. The event, which took place at Cipriani 42nd Street, included an evening of dinner and dancing, with a standout decor element in an oversize number “20” decorated with a collage of children who have benefited from the organization. David Stark Design and Production designed the event.
As part of Today's second annual #ShareKindness campaign—which commits to the goal of inspiring one million acts of kindness across America—the Born This Way Foundation's #ShareKindness Experience was open for visitors of 30 Rockefeller Center in December. The event featured curated activities including decorating lunch bags for children in need. Guests could then pin the bags on a decorative wall.
The event also included a faux food truck that served poke bowls and shrimp chips. AJ Strasser from Sculptural Solutions provided the New York-theme decor.
As guests checked in at the dinner event, they were asked to answer a simple question about their childhood, such as what they were most scared of or what they wanted to be when they grew up. They then placed their rolled-up answers in the wall, replacing a piece of paper that gave the same answer of a child in another country. The backdrop idea symbolized the 16,000 children who die every day of preventable causes. The event took place at the Castle at Park Plaza in Boston in June.
In April, the Friends of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute hosted its annual gala at the recently-renovated Hotel Commonwealth and the Hawthorne lounge in Boston. Tyger Productions created an Italian countryside theme with rustic salvaged wood farm tables, rosemary plants, begonias, and towers of fresh lemons. Succulents served as party favors for guests.
The Museum of Modern Art’s annual benefit was held earlier this month at the New York institution and featured colorful floral projections by Bentley Meeker Lighting throughout the dining space.
Marcey Brownstein Catering & Events
Leslie Tseng, who joined New York-based Marcey Brownstein Catering 11 years ago, continues to shape the company’s cuisine alongside executive chef Will Burgess, taking inspiration from gongbi—the meticulous technique of traditional Chinese painting—which results in dishes that are highly detailed.
Mini garden boards with herb butter, pumpernickel “dirt,” and mini veggies
"We wanted to come up with a beautiful way to highlight an early summer bounty of mini vegetables in a fun and innovative way. We wanted it to be whimsical, playful, and conversation-starting, but not too goofy or weird. In addition, these were on the dining tables and acted as a decor element since floral was minimal."
