New Year's Dreams

Marco Wang

Months after Benjamin Brollier proposed to Courtney Corinne Wood in the garden of her family’s home, with a cushion-cut diamond ring his mother Louise helped select, his mom passed away. In planning their lavish New Year’s Eve wedding at River Oaks Country Club, C.C. and Benjy kept Louise top of mind and in their hearts, curating thoughtful details like heirloom jewelry and special wedding programs. But the high school sweethearts also wanted to celebrate life and love, and ring in a fresh New Year with 500 loved ones — a vision expertly executed by Keely Thorne planner Jennifer Kaldis, and the floral and decor team at Todd Events. C.C. and Benjy each had 18 attendants standing by their side at the altar, and out on the dance floor, which remained packed even after the stroke of midnight! After fueling up on late-night breakfast tacos, the newlyweds escaped in a convertible Rolls-Royce — with a backdrop of fireworks, of course.


Food

David Ansell, Bennie Flores Ansell, Thuy Tran and James Tiebout

THE ROTHKO CHAPEL held its Inspirit fundraiser — a celebration of the power of art and activism — at the industrial-chic Astorian. The evening featured cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and an onstage conversation with actor Cheech Marin, one of the world’s foremost collectors of Chicano art; 2023 Art League of Houston Texas Artist of the Year Vincent Valdez; and legendary civil rights advocate Dolores Huerta, who co-founded the United Farm Workers of America with César Chávez. (She’s 93, by the way!)

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Cheech Marin reflecting outside of The Cheech (photo by David Fouts)

WHEN YOU TALK to Los Angeles-born actor Cheech Marin, regardless of how serious the subject, you can’t help but smile. His pop-culture presence is infused with an astute awareness of politics and history, and a “can do, make do, find a way to move ahead” spirit he connects to the word “Chicano,” a derogatory term that came to signify resilience, creative thinking, and social consciousness. “My dad, who died at age 93, always described himself as a Chicano, because it described him,” says Marin.

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Art + Entertainment