THE MERIDIAN BALL

October 13 · Various Embassies and Meridian House

PHOTOS BY PHOTOS BY KYLE SAMPERTON

THE EVENT: A chilly fall benefi t set records in terms of people attending (over 900) and funds raised for the Meridian International Center (over $500,000). Among the younger faces were Meridian's new president Stuart Holliday and his stunning wife Gwen (in a gorgeous brown silk evening gown).

THE SCENE: Guests slowly made their way to Meridian House for dessert and dancing following dinner at 30 various embassies. Cabinet Secretaries Alphonso Jackson, Carlos Gutierrez, and Michael Chertoff mingled with the guests including ambassadors from the U.K., Saudi Arabia, France, Sweden, Argentina, Chile, Dominican Republic, Malta, Indonesia and Russia. The Linden Circle members (guests under 40) made sure that the party continued until the band played "Last Dance" at 1:30 a.m.

THE GUESTS: Co-chair Lilibet Hagel and Sen. Chuck Hagel, co-chair Debbie Dingell, co-chair Diane Nelson and Exxon Mobil's Dan Nelson, chief of protocol Donald Ensenat, former Meridian president Walter Cutler and wife Didi, Judy and Leland Baldwin Bishop III, and former Wizards player Gheorghe Muresan.

Meryl Chertoff and Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff with Larry Kolp	Heidi and Whitney Debevoise

Kristen Silverberg and Dina Powell	Diane Nelson and Debbie Dingell

Thome Nicocelli, Suzanne Duvall and Marie Royce	Beth and Paul Dougherty

Mexican Amb. Carlos de Icaza and Luisa Icaza	Polish Amb. Janusz Reiter and Hanna Reiter

Swedish Amb. Gunnar Lund, daughter Ingrid Lund, Princess Bernadotte and Ida Pero	Eric Motley and Kezia Justice

Lady Manning, Emily Martin, British Amb. Sir David Manning and Dominic Martin	Samira Azzam with Yemen Amb. Abdulwahab Al-Hajjri

Didi and Walter Cutler and Saudi Amb. Prince Turki Al-Faisal	Sen. Chuck Hagel

Grover and Samantha Norquist	Gwen and Stuart Holliday with Meghan and Hugo Gurdon

Lilibet Hagel, Renee Robinson, Turkish Amb. Nabi and Gulgun Sensoy and Wallace Robinson	Ray and Shaista Mahmoud

Tim McBride, Patricia and Rep. Michael Oxley, Nancy Brinker and Anita McBride	John and Irene Danilovich