About the Fête Set Blog
“We’re very fortunate to have Ida Becker come on board as society editor,” says Charleston magazine editor-in-chief Darcy Shankland. “For our Fête Set pages (“good times for good causes”), she brings great experience on both sides of the fundraising scene. And when I saw the wonderful job she did with her Spoleto Scene Blog last May, I knew she could add a fun, interactive, and helpful resource to our website.”
Becker is eager to bring her intimate knowledge of the local charity scene to Charleston magazine. “Grassroots philanthropy is both a tenet of my life and a daily passion,” says Becker. “The opportunity to spearhead enhanced coverage of charitable events is exciting and incredibly rewarding.”
ATTN: LOWCOUNTRY FUNDRAISERS AND NONPROFIT ORGANITATIONS: With the addition of Becker, the policy for Fête Set submissions will change slightly. We are no longer accepting photographs. Organizations will now need to contact Becker three months prior to an event and include two tickets for her to cover the event (these tickets are considered separate from any included in a magazine sponsorship). Inclusion in Fête Set or the blog is not guaranteed. She can be contacted at ida@charlestonmag.com.
Welcome to Charleston magazine’s Fête Set blog!
When editor-in-chief Darcy Shankland and I initially discussed my charge as society editor, it was the apex of summer and the absolute dregs of the social season. Many had fled to cooler climes, and the social scene had all but come to a grinding halt. Weeks later, when we outlined the slate of fantastic fall events I intend to cover, the challenge became evident: how to cover the three events taking place on any given Thursday?
During the peak party season (September – June), the Lowcountry plays host to an endless string of balls, banquets, festivals, and concerts that raise an immeasurable sum to enhance the beauty and quality of life in this community. The verve with which Charleston— a city with a centuries-old legacy of benevolence and generosity— hosts benefits and galas is spectacular.
We no longer see private galas akin to the one hosted in 1851 by beau monde doyenne Mrs. Charles Alston, where “18 dozen plates, 14 dozen knives, 28 dozen spoons, 6 dozen champagne glasses, 4 turkeys, 4 hams, 50 partridges, 12 pheasants, 22 ducks, 10 quarts of oysters, 4 pyramids of crystallized fruit and coconut, and immense quantities of bonbons, cakes, creams, and jellies” were used to entertain 200 guests. The white-glove style of society reporting on tea sandwiches and debutantes is fodder for the yellowed clips of yesteryear. Pyrotechnics have replaced pheasants; dazzling décor in lieu of ducks; custom lighting over crystallized fruit dominates today’s party scene. The only constants, it seems, are champagne, oysters, and philanthropy.
Bookmark this blog and check back often for a full reporting on recent and upcoming charitable events.
Caritas.
Ida
