Rolling out the red carpet treatment for your guests isn't limited to just a "Red" carpet.  At Yahoo!, where we drank purple cool aid, we naturally rolled out the 400 foot "Purple Carpet" when special clients arrived.   And they loved it, chuckling all the way down the long walkway.

       Photo above from Corporate Events UK Hilton Event.  Gorgeous.You can often rent a carpet from a party decorator for a special event to match your theme colors and give your guests a special welcome.  Because the carpets are not your highend living room carpet, you will find majority of the cost is in shipping and labor.   If you are doing a lot of events at the same venue it probably makes sense to purchase the carpet if you have room for storing the large bundle and a labor resource for installation.  I've seen colored carpet runners for major birthdays, bar mitzvahs and elegant galas.  Your guests will definitely notice this bold addition to the event.