Considering the lined petals of these lady slippers (mixed with ranunculus and roses), Mother Nature has a thing for stripes, too. For extra impact, use an iron to pleat a striped ribbon like this vintage one from Hyman Hendler & Sons.

Anne Barge “Waverly” gown and Tiffany & Co. “Novo” ring.

Most confections show their stripes only after they've been cut. This one from M. Robin Cakes gets the point across sans knife. Wondering where the frosting is hiding? The answer is inside. The outer layers of sponge cake are filled with mousses of different flavors, such as passion fruit and white chocolate. To drive the design home, display your dessert alongside flutes of bubbly, alternating Champagne with rose.

Would you believe us if we told you this vibrant display cost less than $10? Cross our hearts. It's made from unfurled rolls of Paper Mart crepe paper, which is, yes, insanely affordable and light enough to hang from the ceiling with painters' tape. It also comes in 34 hues. Enlist it to create a ceremony marker or dress up a bare wall.

For a new spin on stripes, create 3-D lines instead of flat patterns by securing creased vellum around simple votives with double-sided tape.

For the menus, fold vellum the same way and pop a name card in each one for good measure.

The palette and typography of this suite are reminiscent of the crisp graphics of midcentury design and the color field painting movement of the 1960s -- even the ForYourParty.com "Euro" matchbooks look like they were swiped from Don Draper's desk. To have our design printed, contact Fig. 2 Design Studio.

Judd Waddell's "Chevron" wedding gown (allegriabridal.com) is proof that stripes can be subtle and romantic. Put your bridesmaids or maid of honor in Anne M. Cramer's flattering "Flynn" skirts. Their broad color bands and boxed pleats are counterintuitively slimming. Pair them with a feminine top like Whitney Deal's "Glea" blouse.

For a barely there spin on stripes, put bridesmaids in Hitherto by Bhldn’s “Miraflores” frocks, and give them punchy Rachel Rachel Roy clutches as a token of thanks.

We're the first to admit that these head-turning libations require a bit of effort, but trust us -- they're worth it! The key is the giant ice cube, which is made of alternating layers of fruit nectars and an Italian aperitif. Once the cubes are frozen, drop them into glasses of seltzer and watch as they flavor the fizz.

At cocktail hour, pass bite-size bread stacked with creamy goat cheese and slices of raw Chioggia beets.

For dinner, plate ribbons of Pastificio Pozzo del Re "Lasagna Plaid" pasta, which gets its bright hues from flavor-packed vegetables, not dye (italianharvest.com).

For extra stripe credit, serve an entree of striped lasagna with crunchy matching breadsticks.

Re-create this escort-card display by covering a foam board with lengths of inexpensive acetate ribbon -- attach them with double-sided tape -- then slip in guests' names. 

Dress your groom in a neutral suit, such as J.Crew's "Ludlow" jacket and trousers (mrporter.com). Punctuate it with a striped tie and pocket square like these from Tiecrafters. Alongside Carolina Herrera's delicately textured "Hope" gown and bolero, you'll be quite the dapper couple (212-249-6552).

 Tiffany & Co. "Bezet" ring.

Outfit your flower girl in puckered stripes and hand her a posy of fabric flowers. This "Grandiose" dress by Bonpoint is as cute as they come.

Anne M. Cramer's "Flynn" skirt featuring broad color bands is available in an elegant knee-length version for a spring or summer outdoor affair.

It's easy and economical to embellish your envelopes with a great polka-dot paper. Even if the invitation is classic, the liner can be colorful.

At a reception, bowls with floating candles, peonies, roses, and ranunculus "dot" a boldly striped runner. Neutral linens give the eye a place to rest.

Striped and solid ribbons trim the board where this confection, inspired by a chocolate sampler, sits. The cake itself mimics a pastry box with its bands of tempered white chocolate piped with royal icing.

The fanciful quality of this buffet will instill childlike anticipation in every guest. Treats are playfully displayed on stands and sticks and in cups and bags, as they would be at an old-time carnival. The striped awning, in muted candy colors, echoes the swirled lollipops, rock candy, taffy, and fondant "ribbons" on the cake.

Caramel corn looks sharp in striped paper bags.

The classic ensemble of a striped button-down shirt and French-knot cuff links inspired these favors in summery hues, which we filled with saltwater taffy.

Here, we put the notion of icing on ice, relying instead on unadorned pastel layers for graphic appeal. Coconut pound cake, tinted with gel-paste food coloring, serves as the foundation, while white fondant and passion fruit curd rest on top (the curd is also between each layer). Sorbets in mango, passion fruit, lychee nut, and coconut are paired with strawberry sugar wafers that mimic the look of the cakes.

This colorful cake gets an artistic swirl of stripes.

Make your reception table pop with matching table runners and napkins.

The cocktail hour is a good place to have fun with pattern, even if the wedding is more formal. Have your bartenders wear colorful aprons, or set out stacks of striped cocktail napkins. Tie it all together by matching them to the colors you're using elsewhere.

Ensure a cheerful end to the evening with confections. You can package them in endless ways. Polka dot paper cones keep the candy a surprise.

How do I love thee? Let me count the dots. In this 1950s-style bouquet, chocolate cosmos pop out of a dome of blushing roses framed with polka dots and tied with a lavender ribbon.

This polka-dotted box makes a sweet package for favors.

Your guests will fill the sky on your wedding day with a shower of paper confetti. Playful polka-dot bags will hold confetti until guests are ready to release it. Premade fabric bags are decorated with ink from a circular pad. These make perfectly round impressions. Slip a piece of card stock into the bag to prevent the ink from bleeding through; fabric needs more drying time than paper does.

To ensure that they would have unique keepsake photographs of their guests, one couple set up an outdoor portrait studio made up of lengths of bright floral fabric draped over a clothesline. The photographer chose the background best suited to each subject's outfit, mixing unlike but complementary patterns to create a jubilant, richly textured collection of pictures.

Lines and dots are combined here; the striped place cards are held up by circular bases. The bases' patterns vary, but the colors are the same. This project is easy when you use a pad of patterned paper (commonly sold for scrapbooking) that comes packaged in matching colors; the kind used here came from a pad of 6-inch square paper by Making Memories.

This modern nod to luminarias -- paper bags with votives inside -- updates the look with chic stripes printed onto vellum and wrapped around straight-sided square glass vases.

Who knew cork and ink could be such a pretty pair? Use them to stamp a charming polka-dot pattern onto every last detail of your day, including place cards, drink stirrers, and toys for the children's table.

Circles cut from metallic contact paper add a playful touch to an otherwise empty space. Recruit friends to stick them up before the party starts and peel them away after the night winds down.

Con-Tact Brand "Metal FX" contact paper in copper (amazon.com). Martha Stewart Crafts Simple Circle Cutter (michaels.com for stores).

To take inexpensive boxes from basic to vibrant, wrap pieces of colorful adhesive around each, creating a graphic striped pattern. You can also use the tape to punch up plain pieces of bulk taffy -- or to cover a lackluster label.

Give a childhood treat a grown-up twist by pairing raspberry sorbet with lemon soda, and lemon sorbet with orange soda. Deck out a standard cart for your reception by taping colorful striped paper to the front and adding a fun umbrella.