On the way to the back terrace, each guest was offered The Golden Jubilee, The Ball’s signature cocktail of lavender infused lemonade and vodka. Co-hosts Lin and Bill Andrews, Jean and Denny Bottorff, Annette Eskind, Heloise Kuhn, and Elaine and Bruce Sullivan were waiting outside to greet them. Everyone enjoyed delicious appetizers such as fried oysters, mini BLT’s and smoked salmon while listening to the Craig Duncan Orchestra play hits from the early ’60s.

David Webb brought an extensive collection of jewelry, and women had no problem finding exquisite pieces to compliment their cocktail dresses. But it seemed as if the dresses only served as a backdrop for the magnificent jewels.

When the bell rang announcing dinner, candles lit the path to the elegant white tent. But the rich glow of gold and purple provided enough of a beacon. Lilac dupioni and hyacinth shantung covered the tables and were complimented by gold chivari chairs. Tulip Tree’s Mark O’Bryan created magnificent arrangements of lavender lilac, lavender sweet peas and Blush and Sarah Bernhardt peonies, bringing the garden into the tent.

Kristen Winston Catering created the tantalizing menu. Patrons enjoyed seared beef tenderloin with salad of arugula, capers and parmesan or Chilean sea bass with a succotash of asparagus, field peas and sweet corn. Desserts were lemon pine nut tart and blueberry compote.

The night ended too soon! But it was a long way back from the Ingram’s farm, and it just the beginning of an exciting week of parties leading up to the 50th anniversary of the Swan Ball.