Destinites know how to dress to impress, there is no doubt about that, and those amazing floral gowns and spiffy tailored suits were on full display at Destin City Lifestyle's second annual Dress To Impress event held October 23rd. This year DCL decided to kick it up a notch, hosting the annual event at the new luxurious Hotel Effie within the Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort. As guests arrived, some by escort from 654LIMO, everyone enjoyed a custom cocktail and had their photos taken by professional photographers stationed throughout the ballroom.
Destin Mayor Bobby Wagner and his fiancée Rebekah Manley emceed the event, welcoming guests to enjoy aerial dancing feats performed by the Luminary Entertainment Company, desserts by La Famiglia and The Macron Chef and of course to take part in the silent auction which benefitted the Ellison McCraney Ingram Foundation.
Each year Destin City Lifestyle pledges to give back to the Destin community. This year the silent auction raised $8,000 which went to the Ellison McCraney Ingram Foundation, a charity that funds scholarships for local students in need who wish to pursue a secondary education.
Everyone had the chance to walk the red carpet down the boulevard of 2024 DCL magazine covers, showcasing influential faces and stories from Destin locals. The theme of the night was floral fashion and our very own floral dress made using real fresh flowers in partnership with Bella Flora 30A sat on the stage in prime display beside the September cover that it had graced.
Angela Rissi, owner of Phoenix Surfaces in Santa Rosa Beach, won Best Dressed for the Dress To Impress Contest although it was a tight race with many guests arriving in custom outfits and accessories.
Other winners of the night included Jessy Barnwel, owner and stylist at Foil + Pin Parlour who will be featured in our May, Women in Business profile, and Robin Landa, Director of Celebration Talent Competition LLC, who will be featured with her fur baby in our upcoming Pet's issue. Congratulations also go to Nadine Parker of EXP Realty, who won our Power Couple feature, look for her article in our upcoming February 2025 edition.
The incredible night ended as some guests stayed afterwards for dinner at Ovide, while others made their way home after a dazzling evening of networking, mingling and celebrating. Before the evening ended, DCL Publisher Carmen Ionascu took the stage to thank everyone.
"We are incredibly blessed to be part of this amazing community in Destin," Carmen said. "The southern hospitality that first welcomed us to the area has now propelled us to build this amazing network of friends that we now call our Destin City Lifestyle family. Thank you for sharing your stories and your talent with us. We can't wait to see what the next year holds."
Destin City Lifestyle would like to thank our sponsors who made this night a reality including; Hotel Effie, Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort Banquet Team, 654LIMO, A World Of Signs, Gateway Payment Technologies, Movement Mortgage, Renovation Flooring, Clark's Barber Lounge, Beachworx, Eagleview Roofing Systems, Savannah Rae Beauty, Pink N Blue Avenue, HOME AT EASE INTERIORS, Bella Flora Weddings & Floral Design, Phoenix Surfaces, The Barrett School, La Famiglia Italian Restaurant, The Maccaron Chef ,Coastal Moke and Elite Cabinet Designs.
Thank you to our photographers who documented this amazing night; Davista Photography, Forever Young Images, Alexander Rea and Emerald Blue Photography.