COLUMN: Black Tie gears up for year two in Central Florida social scene

I’ll admit: When spring melted into summer, and the Black Tie world went dormant for a couple of months,
I didn’t quite know what to do with my weekends.

I had grown accustomed to taking a couple of weekdays and turning them into my own version of a weekend. I know that come September, Fridays and Saturdays are for rifling through dresses in my closet, charging up my camera and picking a lipstick color — which, of course, is the hardest part.

That said, summer is behind us, and it’s time to dig into your own closets, finalize your social calendar and gear up for a host of fall philanthropies and grand galas.

We launched our Black Tie section one year ago, and it’s been a lot of things — exciting, busy and a bit chaotic — but also quite rewarding. There have been late nights and hectic nights, going to three events in the span of a few hours and promptly editing and uploading photos. We’ve had our share of camera malfunctions, blue-ink pens exploding on our hands, blisters from new, high- heeled sandals — Black Tie reporter Harry Sayer is exempt from that one — getting stuck in traffic jams and even getting event dates mixed up.

With any new territory comes some uncertainty, and this time last year, we were bracing for the unknown. How would our communities react to this type of coverage? How would people in the Central Florida social scene view
us and our efforts to deliver comprehensive, interesting and fun coverage of the events they hold dear to their hearts?

But, to our delight, the social scene has embraced us just as they do the organizations and philanthropies they care so much about. Members of our communities enjoy seeing friends, family and even themselves in the photos we post.

To anyone who recognizes us at events and walks up to say hello and catch up: thank you. To those who put in blood, sweat, tears and countless hours of work to make these galas, balls and other amazing fundraisers a reality: thank you. To those who call or email to invite us to cover an event: thank you. And to anyone who has ever given us some encouraging words, interacted with us on social media, read our stories and clicked through our galleries: thank you. We’re a year in, but we’re just getting started.

Heading into a new season, you can continue to expect seeing some of our current initiatives. Harry will continue his entertaining Harry’s Styles fashion column, and I will keep bringing your monthly Causing An Effect philanthropic spotlight.

You also can expect more profiles on the people behind the scenes of these events, features on organizations making a difference and stories from people whose lives have been changed by one of their missions. Additionally, we’ll keep you updated on upcoming events and offer a glimpse into some of them.

If you don’t follow us on Facebook at “Black Tie - Orange Observer” and on Instagram at “orangeisthenewblacktie” already, be sure to do so. You’ll be the first to see new photos, a weekly event agenda and even video clips from your favorite events.