Editor’s note: This year, readers fell hard for our stories about fun and fabulous Dallas weddings, including the nuptials of a 'Real Housewives' star. And if you want to know where Dallas’ busiest social butterflies were this year — and what organizations benefited most from their partying, er, charitable ways — then look no further than these most-read society stories. Also popular with readers? Jerry Jones' spectacularly swanky new yacht.
1. Real Housewives of Dallas star LeeAnne Locken lifts the veil on her $4 million wedding. Take away the TV cameras, the million-dollar tiara, and the People magazine reporter, and LeeAnne Locken and Rich Emberlin were just two people pledging their love in a heartfelt wedding on April 27, 2019. But simple “I do’s” just won’t do when you’re a star of Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Dallas.
2. Dallas bride marries her Prince Charming in glamorous brunch wedding at The Joule. It was all eyes on Gina Ginsburg and Grant Farmer last spring, as the couple said I do under the watchful gaze of The Joule’s iconic 30-foot-tall “Eye” sculpture. The newlyweds met in 2015 through a mutual friend and wed on April 20, 2019, in an event that was nothing less than a modern Dallas fairy tale.
3. Dallas' best dressed sparkle in mosaic of magnificent gowns at Crystal Charity Ball 2019. The best-dressed women in Dallas stunned in their sumptuous gowns as they sashayed into the Hilton Anatole Hotel for Crystal Charity Ball on December 7. The annual fête is considered not only the grand finale of Dallas' fall social season — raising millions of dollars for local children's charities — but also the biggest fashion moment of the year.
4. Preschool sweethearts crowd-surf and shoot tequila at fanciest frat-party wedding in Dallas. If frat parties had professional event planners, they might look something like Josh and Courtney Katz's wedding. For their big day on November 17, 2018, the bride and groom envisioned throwing “the fanciest frat party of all time.” Event planner Jeffrey Kollinger delivered with countless details reflecting the couple's playful personalities.
5. Dallas' favorite fall party packs in pretty young professionals with charitable prowess. If you're a young professional in Dallas and had to choose only one party to attend this year — this was it. Dallas Autumn Ball, held November 8 at Hotel ZaZa, is known for its lively crowd, packed dance floor, and for being a crazy good time.
6. Keith Urban electrifies crowd at Cattle Baron's Ball 2019 in Dallas. One of the biggest country music stars on the planet, Keith Urban, kicked Cattle Baron's Ball 2019 into high gear when he took the stage under the big tent at Gilley's on October 19. But even before the Entertainer of the Year jammed for the crowd of thousands, the 46th edition of the big American Cancer Society fundraiser proved once again why it's the premier Dallas mega-party of fall.
7. Jerry Jones buys $250 million superyacht that’s as long as a football field. Jerry Jones, the high-flying billionaire owner of the Dallas Cowboys, lassoed one heck of a Christmas gift last year: a $250 million, helipad-equipped superyacht bearing the name of his wife. Websites that cover the yachting industry report that Jones took delivery of a nearly 360-foot, Dutch-built yacht on December 20, 2018 somewhere in Scandinavia.
8. Meet 6 wealthy Texans who, like Jerry Jones, set sail in swanky yachts. Dallas billionaire Jerry Jones isn’t the only wealthy Texan who belongs to the yacht club. Other millionaires and billionaires from the Lone Star State are in the same luxury boat.
9. Actress Laura Linney captivates crowd at trailblazing Dallas charity's fall luncheon. More than 800 guests filled the Omni Dallas Hotel ballroom on October 4 for The Family Place's 23rd Annual Texas Trailblazer Awards Luncheon. And while the cuisine and table conversation were lovely, the room was positively abuzz with anticipation for the keynote speaker, actress Laura Linney.
10. College sweethearts set the bar high on fun at their downtown Dallas wedding. Sara Lavi and Brock Webberman set a high standard when they began planning their wedding on May 26, 2019. Their goal: Host the most fun wedding anyone in attendance had ever been to. And their guests were not disappointed.
LeeAnne Locken and Rich Emberlin were married April 27, 2019.
Fly By Midnight.Photo by John Strange, Selig Polyscope Company
Carter Brown.Photo by Bryan Chatlien, Chatlien Photo
Landon Richie.Photo by Bryan Chatlien, Chatlien Photo
Liliana Villarreal, Kelley Robinson, Brandon Wolf, Dustin Vyers.Photo by Bryan Chatlien, Chatlien Photo
Cynt MarshallPhoto by John Strange, Selig Polyscope Company
Jason Lamoreaux and Black Tie Dinner beneficiaries.Photo by John Strange, Selig Polyscope Company