• Home
  • popular
  • Events
  • Submit New Event
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • News
  • Restaurants + Bars
  • City Life
  • Entertainment
  • Travel
  • Real Estate
  • Arts
  • Society
  • Home + Design
  • Fashion + Beauty
  • Innovation
  • Sports
  • Charity Guide
  • children
  • education
  • health
  • veterans
  • SOCIAL SERVICES
  • ARTS + CULTURE
  • animals
  • lgbtq
  • New Charity
  • Series
  • Delivery Limited
  • DTX Giveaway 2012
  • DTX Ski Magic
  • dtx woodford reserve manhattans
  • Your Home in the Sky
  • DTX Best of 2013
  • DTX Trailblazers
  • Tastemakers Dallas 2017
  • Healthy Perspectives
  • Neighborhood Eats 2015
  • The Art of Making Whiskey
  • DTX International Film Festival
  • DTX Tatum Brown
  • Tastemaker Awards 2016 Dallas
  • DTX McCurley 2014
  • DTX Cars in Lifestyle
  • DTX Beyond presents Party Perfect
  • DTX Texas Health Resources
  • DART 2018
  • Alexan Central
  • State Fair 2018
  • Formula 1 Giveaway
  • Zatar
  • CityLine
  • Vision Veritas
  • Okay to Say
  • Hearts on the Trinity
  • DFW Auto Show 2015
  • Northpark 50
  • Anteks Curated
  • Red Bull Cliff Diving
  • Maggie Louise Confections Dallas
  • Gaia
  • Red Bull Global Rally Cross
  • NorthPark Holiday 2015
  • Ethan's View Dallas
  • DTX City Centre 2013
  • Galleria Dallas
  • Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty Luxury Homes in Dallas Texas
  • DTX Island Time
  • Simpson Property Group SkyHouse
  • DIFFA
  • Lotus Shop
  • Holiday Pop Up Shop Dallas
  • Clothes Circuit
  • DTX Tastemakers 2014
  • Elite Dental
  • Elan City Lights
  • Dallas Charity Guide
  • DTX Music Scene 2013
  • One Arts Party at the Plaza
  • J.R. Ewing
  • AMLI Design District Vibrant Living
  • Crest at Oak Park
  • Braun Enterprises Dallas
  • NorthPark
  • Victory Park
  • DTX Common Desk
  • DTX Osborne Advisors
  • DTX Comforts of Home 2012
  • DFW Showcase Tour of Homes
  • DTX Neighborhood Eats
  • DTX Comforts of Home 2013
  • DTX Auto Awards
  • Cottonwood Art Festival 2017
  • Nasher Store
  • Guardian of The Glenlivet
  • Zyn22
  • Dallas Rx
  • Yellow Rose Gala
  • Opendoor
  • DTX Sun and Ski
  • Crow Collection
  • DTX Tastes of the Season
  • Skye of Turtle Creek Dallas
  • Cottonwood Art Festival
  • DTX Charity Challenge
  • DTX Culture Motive
  • DTX Good Eats 2012
  • DTX_15Winks
  • St. Bernard Sports
  • Jose
  • DTX SMU 2014
  • DTX Up to Speed
  • st bernard
  • Ardan West Village
  • DTX New York Fashion Week spring 2016
  • Taste the Difference
  • Parktoberfest 2016
  • Bob's Steak and Chop House
  • DTX Smart Luxury
  • DTX Earth Day
  • DTX_Gaylord_Promoted_Series
  • IIDA Lavish
  • Huffhines Art Trails 2017
  • Red Bull Flying Bach Dallas
  • Y+A Real Estate
  • Beauty Basics
  • DTX Pet of the Week
  • Long Cove
  • Charity Challenge 2014
  • Legacy West
  • Wildflower
  • Stillwater Capital
  • Tulum
  • DTX Texas Traveler
  • Dallas DART
  • Soldiers' Angels
  • Alexan Riveredge
  • Ebby Halliday Realtors
  • Zephyr Gin
  • Sixty Five Hundred Scene
  • Christy Berry
  • Entertainment Destination
  • Dallas Art Fair 2015
  • St. Bernard Sports Duck Head
  • Jameson DTX
  • Alara Uptown Dallas
  • Cottonwood Art Festival fall 2017
  • DTX Tastemakers 2015
  • Cottonwood Arts Festival
  • The Taylor
  • Decks in the Park
  • Alexan Henderson
  • Gallery at Turtle Creek
  • Omni Hotel DTX
  • Red on the Runway
  • Whole Foods Dallas 2018
  • Artizone Essential Eats
  • Galleria Dallas Runway Revue
  • State Fair 2016 Promoted
  • Trigger's Toys Ultimate Cocktail Experience
  • Dean's Texas Cuisine
  • Real Weddings Dallas
  • Real Housewives of Dallas
  • Jan Barboglio
  • Wildflower Arts and Music Festival
  • Hearts for Hounds
  • Okay to Say Dallas
  • Indochino Dallas
  • Old Forester Dallas
  • Dallas Apartment Locators
  • Dallas Summer Musicals
  • PSW Real Estate Dallas
  • Paintzen
  • DTX Dave Perry-Miller
  • DTX Reliant
  • Get in the Spirit
  • Bachendorf's
  • Holiday Wonder
  • Village on the Parkway
  • City Lifestyle
  • opportunity knox villa-o restaurant
  • Nasher Summer Sale
  • Simpson Property Group
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2017 Dallas
  • Carlisle & Vine
  • DTX New Beginnings
  • Get in the Game
  • Red Bull Air Race
  • Dallas DanceFest
  • 2015 Dallas Stylemaker
  • Youth With Faces
  • Energy Ogre
  • DTX Renewable You
  • Galleria Dallas Decadence
  • Bella MD
  • Tractorbeam
  • Young Texans Against Cancer
  • Fresh Start Dallas
  • Dallas Farmers Market
  • Soldier's Angels Dallas
  • Shipt
  • Elite Dental
  • Texas Restaurant Association 2017
  • State Fair 2017
  • Scottish Rite
  • Brooklyn Brewery
  • DTX_Stylemakers
  • Alexan Crossings
  • Ascent Victory Park
  • Top Texans Under 30 Dallas
  • Discover Downtown Dallas
  • San Luis Resort Dallas
  • Greystar The Collection
  • FIG Finale
  • Greystar M Line Tower
  • Lincoln Motor Company
  • The Shelby
  • Jonathan Goldwater Events
  • Windrose Tower
  • Gift Guide 2016
  • State Fair of Texas 2016
  • Choctaw Dallas
  • TodayTix Dallas promoted
  • Whole Foods
  • Unbranded 2014
  • Frisco Square
  • Unbranded 2016
  • Circuit of the Americas 2018
  • The Katy
  • Snap Kitchen
  • Partners Card
  • Omni Hotels Dallas
  • Landmark on Lovers
  • Harwood Herd
  • Galveston.com Dallas
  • Holiday Happenings Dallas 2018
  • TenantBase
  • Cottonwood Art Festival 2018
  • Hawkins-Welwood Homes
  • The Inner Circle Dallas
  • Eating in Season Dallas
  • ATTPAC Behind the Curtain
  • TodayTix Dallas
  • The Alexan
  • Toyota Music Factory
  • Nosh Box Eatery
  • Wildflower 2018
  • Society Style Dallas 2018
  • Texas Scottish Rite Hospital 2018
  • 5 Mockingbird
  • 4110 Fairmount
  • Visit Taos
  • Allegro Addison
  • Dallas Tastemakers 2018
  • The Village apartments
  • City of Burleson Dallas

    Starry night

    Dallas' Crystal Charity Ball 2023 exhibits the art of a masterpiece gala

    Stephanie Allmon Merry
    Dec 12, 2023 | 1:15 pm

    Crystal Charity Ball 2023 brought artistic élan to Dallas' most glamorous gala.

    Ball chair Angie Kadesky crafted the theme “Masterpieces in the Making,” which, she had explained, would be a double entendre: "While classic artistic masterpieces will be the decorative motif at the ball, the real masterpieces in the making are the children we serve."

    Specifically this year, the local charities chosen as Crystal Charity Ball beneficiaries were: After School All Stars, Buckner Children Family Services, Fair Park First, Family Gateway, Metrocare Services, Salvation Army of North Texas, YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas, and The Crystal Charity Ball 70th Anniversary Project: Action Before Crisis. The grand finale of Dallas’ fall fundraising season pledged to raise $6 million in 2023, and has given nearly $200 million to local children’s charities in its 71 years.

    On December 9, the Hilton Anatole Hotel's entryway, foyer, and ballroom were filled with installations and vignettes that paid homage to great art and artists throughout history.

    Upon arrival, more than 1,500 patrons donning dapper tuxedos and gorgeous gowns strolled down a corridor that set the tone for the evening. Artists' names (Klimt, Van Gogh, Picasso, Monet), were projected onto the covered sidewalk leading up to the building. Through the doors, tableaux of visual and performing artists lined either side of the entry - a ballet dancer posed, a harpist played, and actors portrayed a writer, opera singer, fashion designer, and sculptor.

    They all led up to a stunning vignette in which Vincent Van Gogh posed as though he were painting The Starry Night. "Vincent" (whose costume, yes, included an ear bandage) obliged the many, many requests to pose for a selfie in this most Instagrammable of spots.

    The centerpiece of the atrium was a replica Louvre Pyramid, which illuminated in different colors. Guests gathered around it with their glasses of bubbly and hand-shaken martinis, and noshed from a spread of Iberico Ham Toasts, Heirloom Caprese Tomatoes, and the CCB's famous jumbo shrimp.

    Crystal Charity Ball isn't just Dallas' most glittering gala but one of the biggest fashion nights of the year, too. Kadesky looked like she'd stepped out of a painting in her blue-green Patti Flowers ballgown; Mary Martha Pickens donned a Michael Faircloth design in the same shade. Heather Esping, Lisa-Adelle O'Brien, and Lucy Gussoni chose creations by Carolina Herrera. Marena Gault and Emily Ash stunned in Nardos gowns, and Katy Brooks stood out in a colorful design by Ese Azenabor. (Notably, Dallas designers Patti Flowers, Nardos Imam, and Ese Azenabor were all in attendance.)

    After posing for the Fashion Cam presented by NorthPark and having professional portraits made by John French Photography, it was time to win some fun money or spend it for a good cause - or in the case of the big winners at the casino, to do both. Winnings could be redeemed for home decor, children's toys, and gifts in The Gift Gallery.

    Across the room, guests were bidding fast and furiously on their phones in the silent auction. Up for grabs were magnificent trips, fine jewelry and fashions, artwork, dining and sports excursions, and unique experiences (such as the chance to control the color of Bank of America Plaza in downtown Dallas for a night).

    When the Chantilly Ballroom doors opened for dinner, towering, fragrant floral designs by Junior Villanueva of The Garden Gate transported guests to Monet’s Garden at Giverny. An orchestra played on the stage, in front of a long screen that projected masterpiece artworks.

    Patrons dined on a sumptuous French-inspired dinner of Marinated Crab Salad with painted green goddess, violette gelee, and orange creme; Cote de Boeuf with smoked carrot puree, baby root vegetables in a red wine demi; and for dessert, "Piece de la Resistance," a most photogenic flourless chocolate torte decorated with a chocolate-gold paintbrush and Mona Lisa garnish.

    It didn't take long for the music to gear up again and for the crowd to fill the dance floor. The party band Simply Irresistible kept the room on its feet long after the last bites of dessert had been eaten.

    Those with tired feet scooped up their 2023 Children's Book (dedicated to the late Norma Hunt) and party favors (a handcrafted Annieglass Handkerchief Votive) and either headed back to the casino, checked on their silent auction bids, or fueled up for the drive home with hot coffee and freshly made doughnuts at the valet stand.

    Per tradition, Tom Addis of Tom Addis Productions, Inc. spearheaded the design of the ball, but hundreds of venders and CCB committee members made the event and its mission a success. They included Heather Esping (silent auction chairman), Jennifer Dix (Children's Book chairman), Mary Martha Pickens (underwriting chairman), Elizabeth Gambrell (foundations chairman), Amy Hegi (special gifts chairman), Patty Leyendecker (fashion show chairman), Ola Fojtasek (charity selection chairman), Patti Flowers, and Marybeth Conlon (contribution ticket co-chairs). Cheryl Joyner is the chairman-elect.

    Crystal Charity Ball 2023
      

    Photo by Ashley Gongora

    Katy Brooks, Madelanie Lam, Ese Azenabor

    Also spotted among the crowd, enjoying the evening were: Ross Cohen, Rebecca Rochelle, Mandy Austin, Molly Taylor, Travis Mathews, Brittney Mathews, Mackenzie Rodgers, Scott Rodgers, Sam Hawkins, Bevin Shaw, Roger Gault, Clorissa Diawara, Abdel Diawara, Rebecca LaRocco, Dee Dee Kiehn, Zan Banks, Thomas Banks, Emily Ellf, Jennifer Lind, Kelly Faulkner, Beth Godsey, Monica Davy, Lumi Gamble, Sean Gamble, Micheal Osburn, Rachel Osburn, Ellie Campion, Rob Campion, Priya Murphy, Bianca Davis, Kerry Peterson, Christine Danuser, Madelanie Lam, Pogir, Richard Gussoni, and many more patrons and supporters.

    charityfundraisersluxurycrystal charity ballgalas
    news/society
    popular

    Celebrity wedding

    Dallas Cowboys cheerleader ties the knot in dreamy wedding in Tuscany

    Stephanie Allmon Merry
    Jun 16, 2025 | 4:24 pm
    Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Marissa Phillips, Braden Leschber wedding, Tuscany
    Photo by Kseniya Palchi via Facebook/Marissa Phillips and People magazine.
    Marissa Phillips and Braden Leschber wed on June 3, 2025 in Italy.

    Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Marissa Phillips married her college sweetheart, Braden Leschber, in a picture-perfect wedding under the Tuscan sun of Italy on June 3, 2025.

    People magazine got the exclusive on all the wedding details and gorgeous photos by Milan-based photographer Kseniya Palchik.

    Phillips just completed her third year with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and reportedly cut the Italian wedding trip short to return to Dallas and "buckle down" for the next season's auditions. She appeared in Season 1 of Netflix's hit series America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. Season 2 begins streaming Wednesday, June 18.

    Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Marissa Phillips, Braden Leschber wedding, Tuscany
      

    Photo by Kseniya Palchi via Facebook/Marissa Phillips and People magazine.

    Marissa Phillips and Braden Leschber wed on June 3, 2025 in Italy.

    Phillips, a Round Rock native, began dating Leschber in 2017 when they were college students: she, at Texas A&M University and he, at Texas Lutheran University in Seguin. They got engaged, fittingly, on the field of AT&T Stadium in Arlington - home of the Cowboys - on August 10, 2023.

    View this post on Instagram
    A post shared by Braden Leschber (@braden_leschber)

    According to People, the couple chose to marry in Italy for two reasons: because of Phillips' proud Italian family heritage and because it was (somehow!) cheaper than a big, traditional Texas wedding. So, they and 75 friends and loved ones jetted off to romantic Tuscany for a destination wedding extravaganza that lasted several days.

    "We wanted to make this celebration as special as it could be and stray away from the typical wedding scene whenever we could," Phillips told the magazine. "We also don’t get a lot of time to slow down and enjoy the company of our friends and family, so we really loved the idea of a destination wedding, where everyone could unplug and spend time together."

    Festivities started Monday, June 2 with a welcome party that included Italy's two most important food groups: pizza and gelato.

    The wedding was held the next day at Borgo Stomennano, a historic estate in the Chianti Classico region, near Florence and Siena. According to the website, the estate's villa and farmhouses are surrounded by woods, vineyards, and olive groves in a tiny village built on ancient Roman and Etruscan ruins that are still visible.

    For the ceremony, People says, the bride wore Katherine Tash's elegant "Luna" wedding dress, featuring a wide-scooped neckline and hand-draped bodice and skirt, from Dallas bridal shop a&bé bridal. To complete her bridal look, she rented diamond stud earrings and a tennis bracelet from Verstolo and wore shoes from Bella Belle Shoes. Her hair and makeup were done by The Styling Stewardess. Bridesmaids wore black dresses from Birdy Grey and Kendra Scott jewelry.

    View this post on Instagram
    A post shared by Marissa Phillips (@marissaphillips__)

    Phillips walked down the aisle to an instrumental version of Lana Del Rey's "Video Games" and Phillips' brother-in-law officiated the Christian ceremony, in which bride and groom exchanged traditional vows.

    "[Marriage] means we are stuck with each other for life, through the good times and the bad, tied together as one under God and what God has joined together, let no man separate," Phillips told the magazine.

    At the reception, guests dined on a three-course plated dinner of Italian favorites, including trofie pasta with arugula and walnut pesto; fagottino (filled pasta) with bufala ricotta and artichokes and pecorino cheese sauce; and pork chops lacquered with honey and chopped pistachios. Dessert was traditional Italian wedding cake, which the couple "made" in front of guests. (A photo shows them sifting powdered sugar on top.)

    Phillips told People that she and Leschber took the food so seriously, they traveled to Italy a year before their wedding for a tasting with their caterer, Il Sorriso Ricevimenti.

    The bride changed into a custom party dress designed by her best friend and bridesmaid, Kathryn Emily of Belvedere Couture, made of fabric, lace and pearls from Phillips' mother's preserved wedding dress. The newlyweds and their guests then danced the night away to the live music of BritPops.

    Marissa Phillips, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders wedding.The bride and fellow Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders performed "Thunderstruck" at the reception.Photo by Kseniya Palchik via People magazine.

    And, in keeping with Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders tradition, members of the squad performed their iconic routine "Thunderstruck."

    Before heading home, the couple and their guests gathered the next day for a "La Dolce Vita"-themed pool party. The new Mr. and Mrs. then slipped away to Lake Como for a quick "mini moon." (They'll take a longer honeymoon at the end of the next Cowboys season, they say.)

    Back home in Dallas, Phillips is not only a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, but also an administrative assistant at an accounting firm and co-owner (with her sister) of the online Joey Lynn Boutique. She's also involved in the Alzheimer's Association in honor of her father, who died of Lewy Body Dementia in 2021.

    She's also a social media influencer. She went viral in December 2024 for gifting each of the 40 Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders members a Dyson Airwrap hairstyling tool, valued at $600 each.

    “Huge thank you to @dysonbeauty and @dysonusa for helping me pull off the biggest surprise to the girls who deserve it most! All the love,” she wrote in the Instagram caption of a video of the women opening the $24,000 Christmas haul.

    celebritiescheerleadercowboysitalianreal-housewivesweddingweddingsmarissa phillipsvacationdallas cowboys cheerleaders
    news/society
    popular
    CULTUREMAP EMAILS ARE AWESOME
    Get Dallas intel delivered daily.
    Loading...