Dallas Couple Recreates a Mythical 1970s Ball for Their Pre-Pandemic Wedding

When planning their big day, Sarah Calodney thought: Why not take some pages from the playbook created at the mythical Surrealist Ball thrown by Marie-Hélène de Rothschild at the Château de Ferrières. That 1972 ball was attended by a costumed who’s who of international society, including Salvador Dalí, the poster child of Surrealism; Audrey Hepburn, wearing a cage filled with birds; and perfumer Hélène Rochas, with a gramophone on her head.

Calodney, an art-world insider, is a director at blue-chip gallery Lehmann Maupin and worked for them in London and New York before opening the Dallas office. Calodney’s love of art landed her in Europe after graduating from Southern Methodist University, where she met her dashing Brit, Oliver Davey (Oli to his friends), a Cambridge graduate with a scholarship in economics, had been at Merrill Lynch as a credit derivatives trader before joining King Street Capital. Their courtship took place in London over fabulous dates courtside at Wimbledon and at Soho House.

Their Dallas wedding, held early last November, began with a night at Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth, where 150 guests from around the globe (passport holders from the UK, Germany, France, UAE, Norway, Brazil, South Africa, and Lebanon, to name a few) got a true Texas dousing of barbecue and mechanical bulls. Saturday night was the Calodney-Davey version of the Surrealist Ball at The Crescent Club in Dallas, which had been transformed into a Parisian salon with stunning tableaux vivants replicating Magritte, Dalí, and de Chirico paintings, with live models costumed as if they had stepped from the frames.

DETAILS
Sarah: Four outfits from the bride’s favorite designers: Alessandra Rich (“She makes me feel sexy”) at Billy Bob’s; Burnett (designer Sterling McDavid is a dear friend) for the wedding gown; Naeem Khan for the Surrealist party dress; and a white Galvan suit for the Sunday brunch.

Groom: Lanvin tux for the wedding ceremony, changing into a diamante studded Balmain tux and shoes for the Ball.

Rehearsal party venue: Billy Bob’s Texas, Fort Worth.

Wedding designer/event planner: Nathan Johnson, GRO Floral & Event Design

Music: DJ Elusive.

Invitations: Swoon.

Something borrowed, blue and new: Calodney’s fairy godmother, Nancy Rogers, loaned her diamond earrings, and a blue handkerchief was tied around her bouquet. New was a diamond bracelet created by Sue Gragg.