Shelby's Social Diary

Craziest wedding ever: Sweet notions blown away in sexy, zombie bride Fresh Arts romp

With every ounce of wedding protocol shattered to smithereens, the celebration of the blending of Fresh Arts Coalition and Spacetaker, the"Ball N Chain" gala, turned Winter Street Studios into a deliciously wanton playground of walk-down-the-aisle madness.

"From now on I'm going to live in sin," declared Birgitt Van Wijk, wearing a wedding gown purchased for $50 at Goodwill. "I'm exorcising two marriages and the second one ended just yesterday."

Dr. Romy Mitchell admitted to having two weddings under her stylish belt as well and wore the bodice from her second wedding gown atop a sexy lace-tiered skirt. "Maybe the third time will be the charm," she mused.

Some of our favorites were mothers-of-the-bride Paul Brockman and Scott Green, charming in their lace dresses, swiped from the costume closets of Catastrophic Theater, and their serious five o'clock shadows.

There were zombie brides at the Fresh Arts fete, honoree Sixto Wagan in a wedding dress he picked up at Value Valley, and the queen bride of all brides was Fresh Arts founder Marita Fairbanks as a "tabloid bride" in an amazing gown created for her by artist Kasi Kubiak. Images of Kim Kardashian were splashed across the billowing white confection.

Chairs for the zany night that spread throughout the vast warehouse were Eleanor and Dan Gilbane, Jennie and Justin Segal and Mark Sullivan. In the crush, we found the Segals dressed as Bollywood bride and groom and Sullivan with his partner, Jason Reeves, costumed as a four-poster bed, designed by Charles Masterson. Love the handcuffs, boys!

Mixing through the scene that included armadillo races, dance presentations, genitalia coloring (really bad taste), art auction and food buffets were the night's honorees, in addition to Wagan, George Lancaster, Mathew Dirst and Rich Levy, whose studious appearance and Inprint Inc. connections felt somewhat incongruous in this alternate universe.

Some of our favorites were mothers-of-the-bride Paul Brockman and Scott Green, charming in their lace dresses swiped from the costume closets of Catastrophic Theatre and their serious five o'clock shadows; Chelsea Padon wearing her mother's lacey negligee; Rosemarie and Matt Johnson revisiting their New Jersey roots though not quite Snooki and the Situation; and Sofia Adrogué in her battery-lit high heels.

Party animals included Sandy and Jim D'Imperio, Patricia Oliver, Joel Wyatt, Kelli and Eddy Blanton, Jenni Rebecca Stephenson, Wendy and Jeff Hines, Isabel and Danny David, Vivian Wise and Nick Day, Lonnie Schiller, Tod Eason, Kellye Sanford and Fritz Lanham, Sarah and Chris Dunn, Nic Phillips, Rebekah Tee, Michael Leopold and James Sivco.

A four-poster bed? Really?

Fresh Arts Ball n Chain Gala, February 2013, Mark Sullivan, Jason Reeves

Photo by Morris Malakoff

A four-poster bed? Really?

RIP, Wally

Texan Wally Funk, oldest woman to travel into space, dies at 87

Wally Funk aboard Blue Origin New Shepard

Photo courtesy of Blue Origin

The 82-year-old Wally Funk became the oldest person to go to space on July 20, 2021.

GRAPEVINE, Texas (AP) — Wally Funk, an aviation pioneer who was the oldest woman to launch into space, has died. She was 87.

Funk died Wednesday, July 8 at her apartment in an assisted living facility in Grapevine, Grapevine City Councilwoman Duff O'Dell said Thursday. O'Dell, who described herself as Funk's caregiver, said she was by Funk's side. Funk had fallen a couple of times recently and had an infection in her leg.

“It took its toll,” O'Dell said in a phone interview.

Wally Funk became a hometown hero in Grapevine. Facebook/Wally Funk's Space for Race

Funk was one of 13 female pilots who went through the same tests as NASA’s all-male astronaut corps in the early 1960s but never made it into space. In 2021, she got her chance aboard Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket. At the time, the 82-year-old was the oldest person to go into space, though the record was later broken by “Star Trek” actor William Shatner and Ed Dwight, America’s first Black astronaut candidate. They were both 90.

Bezos chose Funk as an “honored guest” to ride alongside him and two others on an up-and-down hop from West Texas aboard his Blue Origin rocket.

In interviews after the 11-minute flight, Funk enthusiastically told reporters, "I loved every minute of it. I just wish it had been longer.”

Wally Funk in her '20s as a flight instructor. Facebook/Wally Funk's Space for Race

She became a hometown hero when she returned home to Dallas-Fort Worth; the city of Grapevine threw a parade for her history-making experience.

“Wally Funk never stopped believing that one day she would reach space. Her passion for flight, perseverance, and love of exploration will continue to inspire generations of Americans. Godspeed, Wally,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman posted Thursday on X.

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This story contains material from CultureMap story archives.

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