OUR FIRST BALL

Our friends invited us to the IRIS tableau and supper dance. It sounded fun. It sounded fancy. And we had no idea what it was all about. So we asked a lot of questions! Men wear tuxedos (or the military equivalent). Women wear full length gowns. The tableau starts promptly at 7:30pm. Dinner starts at 10pm—and the rest of the night is lots of drinking and dancing.

The tableau is the formal part. This is where last year’s royalty passes the torch to this year’s royalty. All the royalty will ride up front on floats in their parade for Mardi Gras. You get the picture—King, Queen, etc.

Anyway, one friend has a son who is a Page this year. That meant that his mom—and anyone else who was family and female—sat in the front row seats. And actually, the first two rows are for the ladies. If you’re in the front row then you’re supposed to wear white gloves. If you sit in the second row then it’s nice if you wear white gloves, but it’s not required.

Are you wondering where the males sit? Well they sit behind all the ladies. And if there isn’t enough chairs for ladies then it’s customary for the men to give their seat away and stand in back. Chivalry!

So we sat—me, in my white gloves and full-length gown in the second row and John in his military equivalent of a tuxedo sat a row behind. The tableau was about an hour and a half of introductions of the new court. Their were giant head dresses of feathers, long sparkly dresses and suits, and lots of waving.