Contrary to popular belief (aka public opinion), not every wedding has to be a sit-down dinner with dancing. Many of today’s brides and grooms are choosing a destination wedding abroad followed by a celebratory party upon their return home. But rather than a formal dinner as their wedding reception, we’re seeing more and more couples changes things up with a lounge-style cocktail party format. For instance, for one such couple, we turned the traditional Grand Ballroom at the prestigious Rittenhouse Hotel into a contemporary lounge setting. A lounge that was jammed not with 72″ round tables, but with a cozy mix of high and low cocktail tables and residential-style seating areas.

Taking a cue from the opulent interior decor of the hotel, with its mirrored walls, crystal scones and chandeliers, mahogany furniture, gold silk-upholstered walls and damask-patterned carpeting, it was easy for our event design to follow suit. We designed a modern floor plan for the party using community tables, upholstered banquettes, cocktail tables and floating food stations, all dressed in rich golds, burgundies and browns. Pops of deep red, ivory and chartreuse flowers were interjected in key focal point areas, oversized ivory lampshades were suspended over community tables, and chocolate brown organza drapes added breakups to spaces and backdrops to food displays.  When considering hosting such an event, don’t discount the ballrooms you find at city hotels.  They might seem overly vanilla or too over-the-top, but look again, use your imagination. There’s plenty of fabulous inspiration to be found if you look beyond the expected dinner dance to see the alternative wedding reception waiting beyond.

{Photos: John Armich}