Black Tie & Tales

+ Summer roundup
And we’re back! Hopefully, everyone had a relaxing summer and enjoyed some fabulous trips to faraway destinations. Black Tie managed to find some downtime and took a one-week stay-cation and spent a second week in California. But BT also caught wind of a few juicy tales from the past few months and because sharing is caring, here they are ...

+ Landers says yes to dress
Sarasota’s own Lindsey Landers, frontwoman of the chart-topping band, Official Hot Mess, starred in the rocker brides episode of TLC’s “Say Yes to the Dress” over the summer.

Along with her sister, Kristy, and their mother, Judy Landers-Niedenfuer, in addition to Official Hot Mess bandmates Adam Evans and Billy Burke, Landers traded her usual leather getup for a princess-style wedding gown.

“Nobody knows this, but underneath the seat that my mom was sitting in, we had snuck in our Pomeranian, Leonardo, in his travel case!” Landers said. “Randy Fenoli was my bridal consultant, and he was the icing on the cake of my ‘Say Yes to the Dress’ experience at Kleinfeld New York. One of the highlights of our day at Kleinfeld was when Adam and Billy tried on tiaras and veils and argued about which one of them was going to be ‘Pippa’ and hold the train of my dress!”

Although the princess gown that Landers chose on the show was incredible, she won’t actually be walking down the aisle in it.

“After leaving Kleinfeld, my heart went back to the very first dress I ever tried on, before we even left for New York City,” Landers said. “So, my wedding dress will still be a surprise!”

+ Close encounters of the surprise kind
Imagine their astonishment when Gil and Elisabeth Waters bumped into Roy and Susan Palmer on a cruise ship. Entirely unbeknownst to each other, both couples had booked a summer voyage around England aboard the Crystal Symphony. They enjoyed an excursion to Stonehenge together. The Waterses spent most of the summer at their apartment in Vienna and had plenty of Sarasota company — Dennis Rees and Felice Schulaner came for a visit, and Even Collingsworth and Joan Wood stopped in from their Danube cruise to the Black Sea. The Waterses were back home as of mid-September.

+ QUADRUPLE the fun
Five of Sarasota’s young socialites — Courtney Adams, 27, Bridget McGrath, 30, Molly Klauber, 27, Natalie Mills, 27, and Mercedes Mann, 32 — celebrated their days of birth with a classy birthday bash Friday, July 20, at Michael’s Wine Cellar.

From customized cakes by Pastries by Design and flowers by the Naked Florist, to personalized table linens, party favors and signature cocktails, the party could not have disappointed had the girls tried.

Klauber celebrated her golden birthday (she turned 27 July 27) with a white chocolate cake with raspberry cream-cheese frosting, a food station featuring to-die-for truffle mac ’n’ cheese and mini-corn dogs and champagne.

Adams chose a bohemian shabby chic theme and decorated her table with platinum damask linens and a lemon poppy seed cake with butter cream frosting. Her party favors were wish bracelets containing an Asian coin on a string.

Mann settled on a theme of white Zen pearls and bubbles. Her table linens were sheer white with embroidered swirls of pearly white ribbons, and her cake was almond with raspberry jam and rose butter cream. As her signature cocktail, she chose her favorite — a benztini (or chocolate martini).

Mills went with a hot pink-and-green red velvet cupcake theme, and McGrath chose Mondrian Hotel modern — black and white with a pop of yellow. Her cake was a black-and-white damask chocolate cake, and a bramble was her cocktail.

BT can’t wait to see what they’ll do next year!

+ Whoa, Sally, that girl!
Perfectly prim and proper Saks Fifth Avenue Sarasota General Manager and Key to the Cure Co-Chairwoman Sally Schule is quick to point out when Black Tie improperly uses the word “pluck” instead of “tweeze” when referring to shaping her eyebrows. So, when KTTC Co-Chairwoman Dr. Allison Silver Schwartz captured a photo of Schule taking a ride — in a dress, no doubt! — on a pink beach cruiser donation from Ryder Bikes, we had to make sure everyone saw it! If you have a fantastic prize to donate to the Key to the Cure Kickoff Party Oct. 18, call 917-1286. Tickets are $65.