In Chicago, Blue Plate Catering brings candy apple stations to holiday parties. Treats include apples dipped in caramel and assorted toppings and sliced up into snack-size portions.
In Chicago, catering firm Limelight has an innovative format for serving fruit skewers. The fruits are inserted into a custom wall with thematic wallpaper design (which varies for different events). Guests approach the wall and pull of a skewer and can dip the fruit in sauces that are arrayed on a nearby table.
Instead of serving French fries at a stationary table, Limelight has used a wheelbarrow to deliver Belgian frites at events. The fries are served in cones, and assorted sauces are displayed on the side.
“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.
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.
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.
