Editor’s note: 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 the most-read society stories from 2018. Also popular with readers this year? Our stories about fabulous Dallas weddings.
1. Dallas young professionals glam up for favorite autumn charity bash. When shoes are kicked off in the first 20 minutes, it's the sign of a fun night ahead. So the strappy stilettos abandoned at the edge of the dance floor at 9:20 pm perfectly foreshadowed things to come at the 2018 Dallas Autumn Ball. Glamorous young professionals 650 strong dressed to impress — ladies in long, shimmery, cut-to-there gowns and men in black tie — and arrived at Hotel ZaZa on November 9 ready to party.
2. Dallas couple's 8-year courtship leads to lavish wedding fit for royalty. On May 19, 2018, while the world was watching Meghan and Harry say I do, Taylor and Jeff James were preparing to tie the knot in a sparkling Dallas celebration fit for royalty. The Highland Park High School sweethearts married in a joyful service at Park Cities Baptist Church, with a lavish reception following at Dallas Country Club.
3. Dallas partygoers unleash their alter egos at titillating DIFFA gala. Among Dallas charitable galas, there is none quite like House of DIFFA. On paper, it appears to follow the formula — cocktail reception, silent auction, seated dinner, live auction — but there’s nothing formulaic about the fashion-fueled spectacle. And so it went on May 12, when DIFFA Dallas devotees descended on the Omni Dallas Hotel downtown for this year’s affair, themed Alter Ego.
4. Black gowns are white haute on Dallas' best dressed at Crystal Charity Ball 2018. The best-dressed women in Dallas dazzled in their glamorous gowns as they strolled, arm-in-arm, with dapper gentlemen into the Hilton Anatole Hotel for Crystal Charity Ball on December 1. The annual fete is considered not only the grand finale of the social season, raising millions of dollars for local children's charities, but also the biggest fashion moment of the year in Dallas.
5. 8 top spring charitable events every good Dallas socialite must attend. The 2018 spring social season was gearing up to be another one for the record books. And although our list was just scratching the surface of spring's special socials, we knew that these particular events would be the talk of the town long after they come to an end, thanks to the fantastic fashion, enchanting entertainment, and most importantly, the money raised for the beloved beneficiaries.
6. Fun-loving bride and groom celebrate all weekend in Dallas with family and friends. If there’s one thing John and Marlee Angle do well, it’s celebrate. The business school sweethearts met at Southern Methodist University and became close friends while studying abroad in London. On July 21, 2018, they married in a weekend-long wedding celebration designed to give out-of-town family and friends a taste of all that Dallas has to offer.
7. Art Ball 2018: The best-dressed ladies and gents show Dallas how it’s done. Fundraising in Dallas is serious business. So is fashion. And on the social circuit, the two go hand in hand, especially at events like Art Ball. At the Dallas Museum of Art’s signature gala in April, the attire may have been black tie, but it was anything but boring.
8. Dallasites kick it to cancer at rollicking Cattle Baron's Ball 2018. Cattle Baron's Ball got a little bit o' chicken fried for its 45th anniversary, as country superstars Zac Brown Band kept a crowd of thousands rocking at a high-energy concert under the big tent at Gilley's on October 20. But let's back up our boots a step, because the performance by the hottest act in country music was just one highlight from the milestone edition of Dallas' premier society event benefiting the American Cancer Society.
9. Dallas couple hosts 'imperfectly perfect' dream wedding in their own backyard. Ashley and Kiethan Lewis like to joke that they “did things all backwards.” The couple met through a mutual friend more than a decade ago, and though they took their time getting to the altar, they fulfilled many of their dreams on the way there. They married in the backyard of their Dallas County home on October 27, 2018.
10. Colorful saris brighten Dallas nonprofit's Bollywood-themed bash. Resource Center Dallas had a milestone moment on March 3, when it celebrated the 20th year of its Toast to Life event, presented by Purple Foundation. As per usual, the vital nonprofit committed fully to a theme — this year, it was Bollywood — because they understand there is no fundraising without the fun. Undoubtedly this will go down as the most colorful Dallas gala of the year.
Aida Kurtanovic, Nejra Kurtanovic, and Jenna Jenovic at Dallas Autumn Ball.
