Perfect planning sparks magic, romanceThere\'s something about Swan ...

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Everyone starts the highly anticipated weekend on their bestmanners. As the week continues, they become more comfortable untilthey find themselves dancing with abandon until 2 a.m. on Sundaymorning whilst grasping their strappy heels in their hands. Orscarfing sliders in Botanic Hall as they wait for the valets todeliver their vehicles.


Then, like in the miniseries, everyone packs the fancy clothes andreturns to their Nashville reality of semi-homemade dinners ofrotisserie chicken, Caesar from the bag, a Yukon Gold potato and asplash of Chardonnay if the diet's going OK.


Well, neither Emma Thompson nor Anthony Hopkins and theirimpeccable selves manifested at Swan Ball 2008. But it was lovelyindeed. Swan Ball finale spotlights all the lovely divas
Diana Ross had just begun singing, "I'm Coming Out.'' The mannered crowd had in unorthodox Swan Ball fashion  left their assigned tables andpressed up to the stage. However, petite co-chairman Edie Johnson was a good eight people back in the audience, unable to see abovethe shoulders of many of the guests.
What to do, what to do?
Only at the Swan Ball would men step aside to ensure Edie and someof the other smaller-scaled guests safe passage to the front row.It was nice to have a gentleman or two (namely Eric Darken and David Dingess ) part the Red Sea of a dance floor so that the Front Roweventually included Edie, Amy Joyner, Ann Darken, Joyce Hitt, Elizabeth Dingess and yours truly  you can quickly figure the common denominator. Joyce Hitt even managed to make it all the way onto the stage to shimmy withthe diva in her gold gown. Very brave.
But up close and personal, what a view to be had.
Diana Ross, not looking anywhere near her 64-years, with cherry redlipstick and two dress changes was a vision to behold at closerange.
Yes, there were teleprompters. Yes, there was some lip-synchinggoing on.
But who cared? The diva was enchanting.
Diana, her musicians, her backup singers, her back-up track, werequite an act. They all clearly appeared to be enjoying themselves.She had a lovely economy of moves that comes with being a performerat her age. And a smile that, while broad, seemed very personal almost as if she were a shy person and surprised by all theattention.
On stage, there was not a trace of the diva arrogance that onemight have expected. Of course everyone treated her like a diva,but that was only right and fitting.
Truly, Diana's show and the timeless elegance of the Swan Ball werethe two captivating themes of the ball. Smell the gardenias
"Elegance" sounds generic for a takeaway impression, but considerthat the Swan Ball is the Holy Grail of Nashville's society and itis always somewhat magical  sort of like the secular side ofChristmas when you close your eyes on the eve and anticipate themorning's delights.
More than 750 people appreciated the evening's delights.
It began with guests pulling into the motor court of the countryestate in their finest automobiles. One couldn't help but payhomage to Jack Bovender 's red Ferrarri, which the valets parked across three spaces with atrio of orange cones for further protection. "Niiiiice," or"suuuweeeeeeeetttt," as my 16-year-old son would say.
(And once inside, who couldn't help admire Barbara Bovender in her Oscar de la Renta citron-hued number? Quite the stylishpair, those Bovenders.)
Guests then negotiated a phalanx of media and PR folks beforeentering the rotunda. Kinda cool. Kinda confusing. Which way to go?
Once inside and up the spiral staircase to the ball, guests weretreated to a veritable jewelry box of romantic design envisioned bythe chairman and designed by Renny & Reed of New York. The gueststhemselves were the sparkling jewels.
The first thing to hit you was the smell of gardenias. It came fromthe flowers floating in tall glass cylinders in the front hall aswell as from the lush boxwood-gardenia spiked garland that ran thelength of the stairs.
As the guests moved further inside, they realized the cocktailparty would be held in a boxwood garden, replete with 18-footsquare boxwood bar. Over the bar was an impressive trellis of wildsmilax and clematis vines with myriad votive candles and twinklelights.
A wall of boxwood hedges intentionally blocked the view of the maintent, exposing only the ceiling. That ceiling was a galaxy ofhanging starlights with a 15-foot amber moon as the celestialcenterpiece.
A surprise touch that delighted the co-chairmen was a pair oftopiary swans. Co-chairs turn heads
After cocktails, guests walked into the dinner tent, which was amoonlit "Enchanted Garden." Tables were clothed in pale yellow silkdupioni. Centerpieces were iron branch candelabras with 12-footmagnolia trees that appeared to be growing through the tables.Between the votives on the table and the lights hanging from theceiling, everything twinkled.
Multiple levels of soft, creamy flowers were resplendent throughoutthe tent and tables.
But the best were the individual jewels who lit up the evening.
Let's just start with Edie.
Swan Ball Co-Chairman Edie Johnson could have been carded that night. She was adorable. Put her in aplaid skirt, and she could have passed for her former self, posingfor her Harpeth Hall yearbook picture. Not that she was wearinganything approaching such attire. Edie was radiant in a CD Greeneexclusive turquoise gown with Swarovski band around her waist andplunging neckline.
Twin and co-chairman Kathryn Brown stuck with her winning combination with Muna Couture. Herone-shoulder coral silk taffeta with thin red French lace wasembellished with fire-opal Swarovski crystals.
Both of the chairmen wore the swan broaches created for them by theiconic jeweler of the SB 2008  Verdura.
Kathryn's daughter Carell Brown went with a Muna designed silk chiffon halter gown in ombrecolored with white, blue, yellow and green hues.
Many of these fine dresses were ordered locally, but some ladiestraveled the country to find just the right look for the Swan Ball. What was worn
Barbara Burns bought her Carman Marc Valvo coral strapless with horizontalpleats at Neiman Marcus in South Beach.
Another Valvo devotee, Dana Atkins , found her vintage-look champagne illusion over form-fittingstrapless French lace dress at Neiman Marcus in Washington, D.C.
Laura Niewold went shopping at Ralph Lauren in Dallas for her Lauren Couturestrapless turquoise chiffon goddess gown.
After seeing actress Rachel Weisz wearing this dress on the cover of Town & Country , Joyce Vise had to have one and ordered her Oscar de la Renta straplessturquoise blue fitted gown from Saks Fifth Avenue in Palm Beach.
While at Neiman's in Chicago, Sissy Wilson found just the right dress to match the earrings husband Bill gave her for her birthday. It was a Monique Lhuillier straplesstaupe chiffon with empire waist featuring laser cut rosessurrounding crystal encrusted rosettes.
Betsy Will 's dress was made of Ikat fabric from Uzbekuistan and designed by Dez Zamek, who does Carrie Underwood's clothes.
Others found, ordered or had their dresses made here:
Cathy Shell and Frances Spradley each chose Badgley Mischka. Cathy wore a bronze iridescent silkchiffon draped front bodice while Frances's was black lace over anude silk strapless gown.
Kate Grayken looked lovely in Oscar de la Renta. Her ecru and olive silkorganza and tulle gown had a tank bodice and lilac sash.
Jane Anne Pilkinton wore a two-piece Vera Wang dress with a cr