Superhero Tablescapes with NACE!

NACE or The National Association of Catering Executives hosts an amazing Tablescapes event every year and this year, they kindly asked me to be the judge! I loved seeing all of the amazing table settings that their members set to show off their Superhero’s Theme. It was a tough theme to design a beautiful table around but each and every table was out of this world! The event raised funds for HERO’s for Children, an incredible charity that provides assistance for the families of children who are battling cancer. The Superhero theme was absolutely appropriate as the people who dedicate their time to helping these families are right on par with the theme. Here are some of the fun Tablescapes:

Elektra (or Jennifer Garner as she was referred to all evening!) was created by Beth Berk and Marcella Vantarakis of M&M Special Events and The Urban Blossom Flowers. It was sexy and full of drama. I love the red roses raining down above the table and the candle light made a huge impact! The entire table top was covered in red rose petals!

Sleeping Beauty was truly gorgeous. Created by Sarabeth Quattlebaum, Amanda Taylor and Fallon Dages of the AACWP (American Association of Certified Wedding Planners), this table was so romantic. The colors were wonderful and the rich pinks, peaches and golds were glowing underneath the ivy arches.

The Spiderman Table was wonderful because it’s creators from ISES (The International Events Society) thought beyond the tablescape to the people who would be seated around the table enjoying the meal. They had actors sitting around the table pointing at the image of Spiderman who was making his way to the table!

The Incredible Hulk, created by RedSole Events team of Erin Daniels Holme, Heather Ketter, and Kevin Holme, was one of my favorites. It was soooo clever! The iridescent green cloth was glowing and the leaves and green flowers were so beautiful! In contrast, the green hulk hands were breaking out of the table and elements of the table were cracked and broken! The china and glassware was broken and all of the flatware was bent! There was even green juice in the glasses! It was so clever!

The Silver Surfer table was my number one pick! I loved it because it was so stylish and elegant yet did not skip out on the dramatic Superhero department one bit! The huge silver surfer looked like he had arrived and landed in the center of a table set with geodes and rock crystals. Every detail of the table which was stretched in a Vivid Stretch cloth was chic and was something that I would re-create in my own home! It was completely on trend and I loved every bit of it. Kudos to Jennifer Harris and Todd Richter of Wynnwood Culinary Art Expressions and Vivid.

Sonic the Hedgehog by Michele Stoute-Smith, Angie Bricker, Sarah Sawai and Jay Cooper from NACE was really cool! They had an interactive area where people could play the Sonic the Hedgehog game and two tables set up. The tables were set with menu cards shaped like a Ninendo Game Boy!

The Buzz Lightyear table was created by Angela Dupont, Deanie Yuska and Kelly Simants for the Association of Bridal Consultants or ABC. It was precious! They had really cool leather chairs and they also had space age triangle shaped plates. Buzz was the centerpiece and the purple and lime green linens were the perfect complement.

The Superman Table was created by Junior Villanueva, Melanie Lott and Erin Guinan of The Garden Gate and BBJ Linen. It was awesome! The bold superman colors were found in every element of the tablescape from the linens to the flowers. Every detail was carefully included and the story unfolded as you continued to look at the presentation. Clark Kent’s shirts, fresh from the dry cleaners with the name printed inside, were displayed in each corner and the glass chargers had a space age Kryptonite look to them. Junior and his design team even included specimen samples of “Kryptonite” in covered glass jars.

What Superhero event could be complete with out a Captain Underpants table? Stacey Murdoch of The Wildflower did a great job with her tricky theme and her sense of humor abounded. The stack of books as the centerpiece held a balloon wearing underpants and each chair cover had an extra large pair of underpants wrapped around it! Upholstery at it’s finest!

I didn’t know much about Underdog but anyone who knows me know that I love anything DOG! This tablescape was no exception. The amazing place settings were made from all sorts of doggie bowls and utensils and the napkins were wrapped in dog collars. The centerpiece was a telephone booth capped off with a gorgeous arrangement of white flowers. The table was created by Heather Wilmoth of H Weddings.

Batman’s table had an exceptional guest list made up of all of the characters that make up his story. Each character had a customized cupcake representing their personality and costume. They were amazing! The flowers were fantastic and I loved the comic strip signs emerging from the bright flowers. Congratulations to Sarah Pittman, Laura Kelsey and Karen Higginbotham of June Wedding, Inc.

Another one off my favorites, Wonder Woman, was amazing. It was beautiful and feminine yet powerful and stylish. I loved the gold flowers and the use of Wonder Woman’s favorite fabrics through out the tablescape. The “chandelier” made of Wonder Woman images looked so beautiful and gave the table a dramatic effect. It was worth all of the effort that Debby Jewesson and Paige Chenault from Branching Out Floral & Event Design and Paige Chenault Events put into it!

I had a great time judging the event and to me, every table was a winner! I gave each of the groups a copy of my book!