How does one get invited to formal balls/galas?

I see many posts about people needing outfits for black tie/formal events and I would love to be in a circle of people that regularly attend these types of events!

I like to volunteer and have heard of charity balls, but all the charity events I've seen/gone to are casual.

I know this is not directly related to fashion but would you mind sharing how you happened upon these events? I love getting dressed up and would really enjoy having more formal occasions in my life.

Well, the most recent black tie event I've gone to is my sister's debutante ball. We were debutantes because the ball is basically a fundraiser for the symphony in my hometown, and my mom is a long time board member and volunteer for the charitable organization that supports the symphony.

I've been invited to one recently because a friend of mine is on the board for the organization is holding it.

I have no idea how old you are, but you may not be old enough to have the social stature to either be on boards of organizations or to have friends who are of an age to be on boards.

I would never advocate joining an organization simply because one wants to play dress up at black tie events, but there are charities out there that tend to have formal events and those that don't.

Are you familiar with the Junior League? That would be a great organization to start out with. Those ladies tend to know and be the major players in any given city. Some Junior Leagues require you to be sponsored by a current or sustaining member, but some are more open.

When you join any organization, make sure it is one that you are or can be passionate about, and never say that you are joining so you can get invited to galas/balls. That's tacky and will quickly get you labeled as a social climber.

A reply should be forthcoming. Apparently I used a trigger word....

The best parties I attend are connected with my local university (College of Arts and Letters) and to my memberships at art museums. Both my husband and I share a passion for art. There are membership fees required and many of the gala invitations depend on a certain level of donations but I have met many amazing people, from world renowned collectors and architects to Ambassadors, and that is priceless. This past summer my son stayed with a family in Germany who own an architectural firm. We have also established a relationship with a gallery owner who has arranged for us to meet many of the artists whose works we have purchased. We also belong to two country clubs. One is relaxed and family oriented but one is formal with a strict dress code and dressy events. These are not as enjoyable as the art galas. My best advice is to consider what you are passionate about (ballet, opera, the symphony) and get involved with those groups. Then you not only have the fun of dressing up, you spend the evening with people who share your interests and this leads to friendships that lead to other invitations. My 16 year old attended the Presidential Inauguration and the Ball at the Smithsonian. It does not get more "Black Tie" than that!
I have one other piece of advice. Once you wear a gown you can not wear it again with the same group of people. But you can wear it to another event with a different group. I keep a notebook where I record the event, what I wore in detail, and who else attended. It may sound silly but this has been of great value to me. Unless you are photographed and it is published. Then just give the gown away.
I hope I have provided you with some useful information. Good Luck! Please keep us posted.

I get invitations to galas at our local zoo, science museum, and history center each year. These are all places where we are or have been members, so sometimes they're fundraising balls... though each also has an annual "just for fun" ball as well.

Darn, I got Ivy'd too. Wonder what I said?

Basically, join places with memberships - zoos, history centers, science museums... that kind of thing.

quote:

Originally posted by homeschoolmama22:
Darn, I got Ivy'd too. Wonder what I said?

Basically, join places with memberships - zoos, history centers, science museums... that kind of thing.

The only think I can think of is I probably said "b@lls", as that is the subject of the thread. Context filter-bots, context!

umm, yep I said that!

Honestly, it's often who you know, how much money you have and how generous you are with that money. I went to a fundraising dinner recently (not black tie) where guests were asked to give more than $10,000 (this was the smallest of the requested donations).

The majority of the guests were much, much older than I (and I'm 37).

The events I've attended were functions sponsored by the University, arts federation, fund raisers (big rollers), and holiday events.

In this day of universal casual, it is delicious to really go all out glam!

Most of my black tie events have been associated with either volunteer work at our university or with my current and former jobs.

When I was still in public accounting, I audited a number of hospitals and would usually get invitations to most of their fundraisers.

Thank you everyone for your wonderful responses! It is very helpful just to hear about the different avenues people have for being invited to events. I felt like this might have been a really silly question, but am so happy to see how much info everyone gave!

I'll start off by addressing some of the questions/concerns:

I am 25 and don't really have access to those kinds of friends/family (or funds!) but am hoping to create/cultivate an engaging lifestyle for myself and my husband that would include meeting new people, volunteering, and becoming more involved in our new community.

I am not interested in solely dressing up or social climbing. I have volunteered for years, and having gone to an arts school myself, relish and appreciate the arts in all forms. I am also interested in human rights and environmental issues, so being passionate about charity causes would be quite honest for me. I would also like to make friends with similar people.

ellyabillion - There is a junior league in northern Virginia, I will email and see what their policy is for new members, but from their website it sounds like a great way to get involved in my area, thanks for the tip!

voguette - Your experiences sound so amazing, thanks for sharing! What you have described is what I am hoping to accomplish, meeting people with similar interests which then leads to more enriching experiences.
I will also follow your advice in regards to gowns, I know my grandmother did that with her outfits, her closet was full of notes describing where she was, who else was there, and what she wore.

homeschoolmama22 - I will check out the avenues you mentioned, museums are right up our alley!

leesa17 - I can imagine you would need alot of money to keep that up. In the future hopefully we will be able to contribute like that.

garnetsue - yes the universal casual aesthetic seems to be taking over everything, and I so long to be able to dress glamorously!

kitsmommy - I will keep in mind work related avenues, that's one that hadn't occurred to me yet.

T-kiwi: With your attitude and interests I am sure you will be successful in your quest. People are drawn to sincerity. I wish you the best in your endeavors.

Sorry for not replying sooner, I've had somewhat limited internet access due to travel. You are in a part of the country that is still fairly formal, so there should be events in your area. You have been given great advice so far.

A couple of other thoughts: Check your newspaper or glossy monthly urban magazine - they usually have photos of these events. While you would need to wait another year, you will get an idea about who does what. My professional organization at a national level has black tie events. Finally, if you have any interest in ballroom dance, take some lessons. There are frequent events that are dress up - ballroom dancers like to have black tie events!