Long, warm nights under the stars and cooling breezes breaking through the heat of the day—it’s no wonder that summer is a popular time of year for hosting special events! This year’s trends are particularly exciting for designers who enjoy using bold colors and bright blooms, and for those who love finding ways to use both outdoor and indoor spaces creatively. These are just a few of the hottest design trends for this year’s summer events.
Sequins and jewel tones are high on the ask list for 2017. Photo: Sara Kelley
Bold colors, textures & patterns
Bold truly is the name of the game when it comes to summer design. Flamboyant floral patterns, metallic, and even sequins have made their way from fashion to décor. Jewel tones like ruby and sapphire are in high demand, as is Greenery, which is also the Pantone Color of the Year. Incorporate these elements in linens, specialty displays, and custom printed products like stationery, invitations, menus, and event programs.
Open spaces
Corporate and personal events alike have moved from traditional hotel ballroom spaces to more unique, open venues like outdoor verandas, green spaces, or “abandoned” factories or galleries. The best summer events take advantage of venues that allow guests to enjoy their choice of spending time in an intimate outdoor steamy evening setting or the cool escape of an inside, temperature-controlled space. You can create movement between the two by scattering interactive chef-manned stations, multiple beverage service areas, and dynamic entertainment that draws guests from one area to another throughout an event.
Back to nature
This is the year of finding your way back to nature. Guests love comfortable outdoor lounges filled with decadent, oversized pillows for seating instead of chairs, sometimes sheltered by eclectic boho-style or “glamping” tents. Guest table centerpieces feature a variety of fresh colors and textures like succulents, raw wood, heaps of mossy greens, and even herbs. Traditional colorful blooms act as the accents for these summer designs, not the focus, turning tradition inside out and honoring a renewed love of all things natural.
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“Giant wreaths made out of hula hoops (yes—hula hoops) covered in ribbon and flowers or greens are among the hottest home design trends of the year and are spilling over into event décor already.”
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Ornate hanging décor can be used outside, but how about inside a tent? Photo: Sara Kelley
Ornate hanging décor installations
Hanging décor continues to be huge this year, and can be adapted to fit many different budgets and themes. Suspend clear holders or mason jars from branches with votives, blossoms (or both) to make a sultry summer gathering spot under a broad tree.
Summer is the perfect season for tents, so take the hanging décor under cover and create a faux ceiling from a mass of flowers with tendrils reaching towards a VIP table, a specialty table like a cake display—any area where you want to draw extra attention. Think outside the box—suspend an old-fashioned swing (subtly stabilized with a support or two) and use it as a serving station, or creatively transform a tire swing into striking directional signage. Giant wreaths made out of hula hoops (yes—hula hoops) covered in ribbon and flowers or greens are among the hottest home design trends of the year and are spilling over into event décor already. Let your imagination go wild and serve up a stunning hanging presentation for your clients.
Summer is the time of year to plan exquisite, dynamic events. Help your clients take advantage of the warm weather, extra hours of sunlight and the opportunity to deliver creative, delectable and summer-worthy designs during this most perfect of party seasons.
Kim Sayatovic is the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Belladeux Event Design, a full service wedding and event design firm based in New Orleans, LA.
