MACON — December 15 was a tremendous occasion for Valdosta resident, Mrs. Sandra Griffin Sirmans.
Mrs. Sirmans traveled to Macon, Georgia, to attend the 73rd annual Bons Hommes Yule Ball on behalf of her granddaughter, Miss Ellen Kathryn Adams. Miss Adams made her debut as a 2023 Bons Hommes presentee and was one of 13 young ladies selected to debut in Macon.
Miss Adams attends Georgia Southern University and studies art history as well as studio art. Her interest in art history developed when Mrs. Sirmans sent her to Europe during her junior year of high school at Stratford Academy. Her work is greatly inspired by her travels; this year she won first place in the Betty Foy Sanders Form and Content Juried Undergraduate Exhibition.
For the Yule Ball, Miss Adams had Jesus Piero redesign a custom gown out of Barcelona, Spain. The gown is actually a three-piece set and features a Spanish bolero jacket. The sample was recently worn at the royal wedding of Countess Felicitas von Hartig to Prince Johann-Wenzel of Lichtenstein. Miss Adams kept the original silhouette, but redesigned the skirt and had the ensemble made in a more traditional fabric in order to better suit the occasion.
Her mother, Mrs. Leigh Sirmans Adams, is a Valdosta native. Mrs. Adams wore a delicately layered blush gown that featured a triple overlay bodice, horse-hair hem, and honeycomb detailing. Prior to the ball, Mrs. Adams hosted the guests for cocktails at the Blacksmith Shop, a historic 1890 venue; the guests then proceeded to the Macon City Auditorium.
Mrs. Sirmans, along with Miss Adams’s Valdosta native aunt, Mrs. Jill Sirmans Bateman, accompanied her to the auditorium to have portraits made prior to the presentation.
Miss Adams opened the presentation and was ever so elegant as she made her debut. She was escorted by her father, Mr. Vivian James Adams III, a Macon native. Mr. Adams was recognized with a red sash as a symbol of his status as a Bons Hommes alumnus. His sash went beautifully with Miss Adams’s bouquet of red roses, peonies, and ranunculus.
Her marshals were her grandfather, Mr. Vivian James Adams Jr., and her cousin, Mr. Charles Bader Brooks Jr., both of whom are also Macon natives. Mrs. Sirmans, Miss Adams, and the rest of their family stayed at the historic 1842 Inn. A grand weekend was had by all.