Home Decorating Ideas for a Gala

Floating Candles

• Candles offer a party hostess a popular method to light a nighttime party. If you are looking for something a little different than a tabletop candle arrangement, think about floating candles. Floating candles come in a variety of colors and styles from floating red roses to butterflies and even fish. Select floating candles that match the theme of your party. Fill your bathtub with water and place some floating candles in it. Add some floating candles along with some fresh blooms from your rose garden to your outdoor pond. Finally, adorn your end tables with floating candles that you immerse in giant brandy snifters or antique crystal bowls.

Theme Centerpieces

• If you’re having a gala to celebrate a colorful holiday like Mardi Gras or Halloween, think of ways to incorporate the party's theme in the centerpieces. While most centerpieces feature fresh flowers, there’s no reason for you to use only flowers. Colorful theatrical masks on sticks, noise makers or long strands of beads are good options. These decorative elements can be added to the centerpiece either by sticking them into the centerpiece with some florists’ sticks or by decorating the table around the centerpiece with these items.

Multicultural Touches

• You can decorate for a gala with an international flair by purchasing small country flags or items of traditional clothing like German lederhosen, Mexican sombreros or Asian fans. You can hang the fans on the walls along with some sconces to create a lighting display. An item like the hat can serve as a centerpiece to which you add flowers or candy from that country. Place costuming items on an old-fashioned dress dummy or frame them in a shadow box.

Bacchus and the Wine Harvest

• Bacchus is the god of wine in Roman mythology, and for a summer wine fest, using his image brings the spirit of the festivities home. A Bacchus fountain—the kind that recycles its own water—surrounded with long-stem wine glasses is a fun option. Between each wine glass, you could place a bottle of fancy wine with the label facing outward. Fill the glasses with sugared grapes and mint leaves and tie red-and-white linen around the bottles.