1. Birds and Insects

Birds and Insects have been popular decor items for years, but we are starting to see a surge of vintage bird cages in centerpieces. Everywhere you look, retro owl  and tribal sparrow jewelry and home decor items can be found. Nature elements, particularly anything with wings, seems to be heavily influencing the pop fashion world. I love hiding a tiny bird or bug in my large floral arrangements. It’s fun to watch guests as they discover it!

2. Steampunk Themed Events

“What the heck is Steampunk?” you may ask. It’s described by one Steampunk website as Victorian Futurism. Imagine Jules Verne in a mash up with Mad Max: Beyond the Thunderdome. You’ve seen its influence in so many different places, from home decor and jewelry to movies and T.V. shows. You will have seen it in movies like The Prestige with Hugh Jackman, The Golden Compass with Nicole Kidman, and the anime cartoon Steamboy.

I love this theme because the look is familiar but, the but the the event theme totally unique. Its super gritty, industrial, and imaginative!

3. French Bohemian

French Bohemian is a British fashoin pop culture fad making its way to the states. It’s a little bit of upscale hipster styling in a color palette of soft whites and pastels with pops of salmon and turquoise.

4. Country Chic

It may have started with Swamp People and Honey Boo Boo, but the rise of the Redneck has made its way into the very heart of events. Think upscale Duck Dynasty fete as opposed to Mama June’s backyard wedding.

5. Super Heroes

Every month of 2014 will see the release of a Super Hero or Comic Book movie. Seriously. Nerd culture is bigger than ever and the event world is starting to see its fun, fantastic influence.

6. Zombie Events

 The hit show The Walking Dead has helped popularize this classic horror film staple, making it more accessible to the mainstream. Recently released zombie film Warm Bodies is based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliette and was described by famously harsh critic website RottenTomatoes.com as “Poignant and sweet…anything but brain-dead”. World War Z, a zombie film with a cast lead by serious actors like Brad Pitt and Mirelle Enos is expected to break box office records.

Caught up in the zombie craze, plenty of brides are choosing the tounge-in-cheek “zombie” theme for their weddings. It’s a little gruesome and a lot silly, but a great way to liven up the typical by-the-book ceremony. Also, zombie runs have become a popular fundraising outlet.

1. Family Style

Serving guests Family Style is a great option for family-centric events like wedding receptions. Even the small, communal action of passing large plates down the table can engender a spirit of familial harmony.

2. Small Bites

 This one is making a repeat from last year, and I absolutely love it! Give guests a sampling menu of creatively served one or two bite dishes instead of a heavy meal. It isn’t necessarily cheaper to go with the “small bites” option. You end up serving just as much food, but you get to broaden the variety of dishes that you serve.

 3. Hot Shots

A spin off of the Small Bites trend is the mini food and beverage pairing. Artisan grilled cheese sandwich triangles and shots of warm tomato soup, pretzel-wrapped mini hot dogs with beer shooters and milk shots with small chocolate chip cookies are a few popular options.

4. Savory Sweets

Making sweets savory and savory dishes into dessert is a huge trend in the culinary world right now. Options are only limited by the creativity of your palette. Try bacon ice cream or chocolate duck breast!

5. Amateur Mixology

We all know that guests love an open bar. Save a little dough on bartenders by setting up a self-serve drink station with bottles of chilled vodka or champagne along with mixers like OJ, pomegranate juice, and fruit puree. It’s an elegant, fun way pinch a penny!

6. Late Night Snacking

It has been four hours since you served dinner and your guests have been drinking and dancing the whole time. Event planners, caterers, and brides-in-the-know are starting to serve midnight snacks to their guests. As the party continues on into the night, surprise guests by pushing a hot dog cart next to the dance floor or have wait staff come around with paper cones filled with fries. It will help soak up some of that free booze and give attendees the boost they need to drive home without nodding off.

7. Farm To Table

 Here is food trend that I love…the Farm To Table movement is rolling strong in 2013. Savvy caterers are sourcing as many of their products as possible locally - supporting local businesses and getting the freshest product possible for their clients.

For most event planners and do-it-yourself brides, few things are more important than the colors you choose for your event. The color palette is a planner’s foundation for telling an event’s story. It lends texture, light, and meaning; a vehicle for conveying the overall intention of the event.

We have all been taught about which colors traditionally marry well and which colors traditionally clash, but I say tradition could use a good, hard shake! It’s really all about tone and color families. Yes, blue and purple can coexist in event harmony. All you need is to pair the right purple with the right blue. Red and Orange seem like a hair-raising combo? Who says?

Now, I’m not advocating the willy-nilly color combinations brought to us courtesy of the 1980′s. A pastel paired with a neon will probably always feel like fish hooks through the eyes. (Make it stop!) Still, bold pairings are becoming more and more chic and there are color Sherpas out there to guide you. Here’s a link to a Pinterest page with lots of beautifully wacky palettes.http://pinterest.com/perfectpalette/

Also, check out the Color Scheme Bible by Anna Starmer.

Here are some of the color combos from the perfect palette Pin page:

Coral and Jade, Ketchup and Mustard, Purple and Mauve, Royal and Teal Blue, Sunny Yellow and Antique Gold, Tiffany and Aqua

You don’t have to dig too deep into your pockets to add something wonderful to your event. You just have to have a little imagination and be resourceful. Here are some really amazing event decor pieces I found in the DIY section of Pinterest. I loved the bright neon colors of the slinky chandelier, but I was also impressed with the simple and oddly lovely marshmallow garland.

One of the hottest trends in the event world is 3D Video Mapping.

Video Mapping is a new projection technology used to turn irregularly shaped objects like building exteriors, ceilings, or even trees into a display surface for projection. Using special software, an irregular space is mapped out in a virtual environment. The software can interact with a projector to fit any desired image onto the surface of that object. Projection artists can add extra dimensions, optical illusions, and movement onto the projection surface. The video is usually combined with audio to create an audio-visual narrative. (wiki)

With skepticism growing surrounding even outdoor pyrotechnics, 3D video mapping seems like a great, updated replacement for the traditional post-event fireworks display.

Here’s a link to a video of two buildings being mapped. It’s pretty incredible!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDHfa03XzaM

You may be wondering how what happens on the runways in Paris can possibly effect what your tables wear at your next event, but the Event Design World takes many of its queues from the world of fashion.

Is it any surprise that the textile companies and florists watch runways, too? When you see wedding bouquets wrapped in aluminum sheeting instead ribbon or the clash opposing print linens with similar color palettes, what you are really seeing is undertones of design houses like Dior, Chanel, and Donna Karen.

What’s next for event fashion? Pantone has made its color trends predictions for the spring and has announced that 2013 will be dominated by the color Emerald. I’ve added some design pics using the Pantone palette, which I hope inspires you to be bold with what appears to be a mostly pale palette.

In the end, it’s your own personal color story that matters. In the words of Lauren Hutton, “Fashion is what is offered four times a year by designers. Style is what you choose.”

Thought jewelry was only for ladies? Think again! The newest trend in florals right now is major Bling. Floral designers are incorporating intricate rhinestone brooches, jewel-encrusted ribbons, ornate peacock feathers, and pearl accents. Companies like D.Stevens   are selling crystal picks and shiny ribbon to the top floral designers in the country.

Flat metallic ribbons, metallic neon vases, and wire-weave balls are also trending.

This Diva’s new floral fave has to be the sudden appearance of succulents. They are beautiful, interesting, colorful, and (because they are low-maintenance desert plants) last forever! I’ve added a pic in the slides above of a rose and succulent arrangement with pearls that I saw at a conference last week.

Many aspects of party planning are creative in nature. You get to match colors and linens; plan menus and centerpieces. But planning an event, no matter how beautiful, is largely about the math. Here are a few statistics that help.

67%  Average Invitation Accept Rate   

You should plan to have at least two thirds of of your invitation list show up at your event. Be sure to   plan for food and drink for around 75%, or three quarters of your guest list, just to be on the safe side.

30% RSVP Rate

You took the time to send out invitations and you expect a response…but you may not get one. Less than one third of people RSVP. If you want to finalize your guest list numbers, you might have to pick up the phone the week before your event to ask personally if your invitees are planning to attend.

1 Guest x 1 Drink x #of hours = Alcohol Served

Want to know how much alcohol to serve at your event? Plan for one drink per person, per hour. The average wine bottle holds about four servings.

80% Want Coffee and/or Tea

Good news for your party budget! Eight out of ten guests will drink coffee or tea if it is offered. 

4 Hours

Length of time food can safetly sit above or below temperate. After four hours, bacteria will start to grow on cold food not kept below 40 degrees and hot food not kept above 140 degrees.

Check out this Evite site for a great party budget estimator!

http://www.evite.com/app/party/calculator/calculateestimates.do

Hi Guys!

Classic Events is moving! Our new place was definitely a diamond in the rough, but a little elbow grease and a dash of girl power is really shaping the much larger new property into a real jem!

A change of scenery is always a good catalyst to get those creative juices flowing. There’s something so thrilling about a totally blank space. All those possibilities! We look forward to adding a dash of the Wow Factor to our new space.

1. Retro Technotainment

The old arcade games that we see in hospitality suites everywhere are starting to get new, tech-savvy upgrades like this suped-up version of Pac-man that has room for three players at the same time.  You can also find a large-scale version of Connect Four and a six foot high programmable robot that looks like the love child of Rosie from the Jetson’s and Robot from Lost In Space. He reportedly is a big hit at cocktail parties and can easily mingle with guests. If you are a hard-core arcade buff and enjoy the classics like Centipede and Pinball, retro interactive games a hot way to spice up your event.

2. Video Invitations

We’ve all sent E-Vites. They’re a great, environment friendly way to drum up attendance at an event. But they are easy to mistake for junk mail and, because of the social disconnect involved in sending email invitations, don’t invoke a lot of interest with potential guests. That’s why video invitations have made the “Hot” list for 2012. Sites like www.VideoInvitations.netmake it easy for you to pick a template and insert your own video. Imagine your employees receiving a personal invitation from your CEO to attend your convention or retreat! Check out this really great wedding invitation video…http://vimeo.com/6889553

3. Custom Event Apps

Companies like www.Apps4Events.comare starting to offer custom-built apps compatible for any smart phone that can send guests event reminders, help them find vendors in your trade show, or even register them for your convention remotely! As a frequent trade show attendee, this Diva would love to have a little GPS help navigating the wilds of the trade show floor!

4. Living Event Decor

I know you’ve seen this one on my list before, but I can’t help myself! Whether it’s waiters dressed to fit the event theme,  lovely showgirls at a casino event (www.ClassicEventsInc.com), or aerialists dripping from chandeliers, using people as part of the decor is also a great way to entertain.

5. Recycled Event Decor

Use your client’s product to add decor to their event like these gorgeous chandeliers. They are just paint chips provided by a popular national paint company for their event.   

6. Nuttin But Stringz and Fighting Gravity

You might have seen them on America’s Got Talent,  now you can book them for your event! The brothers Escobar mix hip-hop with Vivaldi in one of the most interesting performances you’ve ever seen. It’s about as unexpected and unique as corporate talent gets, except for maybe another America’s Got Talent alum, Fighting Gravity, seen here…

8. Haute Couture Chairs

Event Furniture Rental Companies like Luxe Event Rentals and Modern Chair Rentals are taking chair design to the extreme! Find retro-modern chair design at it’s finest by searching either of their online catalogs, or check out the inflatable Blofield furniture. It’s elegant, lightweight, sturdy, and easy on the shipping charges!

9.Luna Transformations

Also a new self-illuminated line of furniture is a classy, yet creative way to spice up your lounge-themed bar or event. They come in a variety of retro light-filtering designs and colors.

10. QR Craze

   Most of your event attendees are pretty tech-savvy and expect to have their events integrated. It’s easier than you think! Add a QR code to the printed material. Search for a free QR code generator online and simply copy and paste! Draw attendees to your company website, Twitter page, or have it lead to a video you’ve posted online! If you’ve never used a QR code before, just pull up your bacode scanner (standard on most smart phones) and scan the barcode above to see how it works.