Black Tie & Tales: 2018 Recap

The final rose

Last year, we started our Black Tie & Tales column with an unusual Sarasota celebrity, Daniel Volz. Volz was the star of the show “Der Bachelor,” a spin-off of America’s “The Bachelor.”

Ladies, he is still single. Volz ended the show with Kristina Yantsen when he told her, “I love you,” which has never been said on “Der Bachelor” before. However, the relationship ended in April. 

Keeping up with the invitations

Palm Printing created many of those invitations from the last year that you excitedly put up on your fridge as an event date reminder – or if you’re like me, put in your special invitations folder, which started overflowing in October. The partnership between Renee Phinney and Charles Zweil started last February and has continued to print invitations and programs for the many black tie events.

Rocking the themes

The outfits. We can’t forget all the outfits.

Susan Malloy Jones looked fab in her $48 online shopping treasure at Orchid Ball: Warhol’s Playground on Feb. 10. This year’s theme calls for sunset-inspired gowns, so let the creativity flow!

Fast-forward to fall, and the outfits continued to impress. An Evening in India on Oct. 19 called for a traditional Indian sari, so Regina Wood borrowed one from Share Care Global founder Poonam Maini. That week, about 50 of Elisabeth Water’s closest friends donned identical “Grease”-inspired pink lady jacket to be her biggest fan club at CANDance.

Speaking of CANDance … who remembers when Dan Starostecki was applauded with panties? Too bad his wife, Nicole Starostecki, only found half of them after the show was over.

So cheers to 2018, and welcome 2019! Keep your eyes and ears open. You never know what could ensue on the scene. New outfits? New trends? I’m personally hoping bidding with your foot will become a new thing … thank you, Charlie Ann Syprett!

By the numbers:

Week after week, we celebrated love, birthdays and babies. Here’s our tallies for all the personal news you tried to keep up with in Black Tie & Tales this year.

Babies: 4

Congratulations Dan and Ella Lewis, Doug and Erin Christy, Cody and Candy Moss and Irwin and Montana Taplinger on your new family editions!

Birthdays: 11

Birthdays happen every year, but eleven of you (Graci McGillicuddy, Laura Proctor, Dottie Baer Garner, Tomeika Hunter Koski, Stacy Alexander, Katie Erenati, Alexis Balinski, Ashley Gruters, Tim Seibert, Harry Leopold, Beverly Koski and Diane Roskamp) were caught celebrating in a special way, either at an event or with a big party. Happy birthday to all, we celebrate you each and every year!

Engaged, married and vow renewals: 5

Who doesn’t love love? Wishing Jim Lynch and Katy McBrayer, Will Chase and Anna Hahn, Michael and Terri Klauber, Jeffrey Shapiro and Samantha Teal and Charlie Bailey and Crystal Hansen endless happiness for all the years to come.

Correction: The version of this story printed 12/27 had incorrect information about the Der Bachelor.