Bronson van Wyck transformed the Grand Ballroom into a Venetian palace with 100-foot navy tufted curtains, renaissance goddess statues and scarlet rose bouquets throughout. The gala’s 450 guests, which included Nicky Hilton Rothschild, Julia Koch and Tory Burch to name a few, dined on Grilled Filet Mignon, Tarragon and Tomato Risotto and Sautéed Spinach. After a decadent Budapest Milk Chocolate Mousse for dessert (which was accompanied by a shot of Limoncello), the dining room turned into a dance party led by DJ Ruckus—black tie and ball gowns alike rocked it out to celebrate an amazing night.

As I got into my cab after the gala on Friday night, I received a text from my dearest and closest friend of over 30 years, Eugene, who just happened to be in Venice at the time. He wrote, “It is a magical place. No matter how many pictures you have seen they cannot convey the magic of strolling the streets and crossing the little bridges. Everything is beautiful in Venice.”