Debuting young women to society might look the same, but it isn’t what it once was.

Young ladies who debut now do it to please their grandmothers’ love of tradition – and to have a fun party.  

Liz Roberts has been photographing the debutantes for many years so their portraits can be used in Columbia newspapers. Roberts, who’s from Birmingham, Alabama, has become accustomed to the tradition. She didn’t debut herself, she enjoys attending the celebrations later with her camera.  

“They’re sweet girls that are doing what their mothers and their grandmothers would like them to do,” Roberts said.

But a couple of decades ago, it wasn’t that way. Eighteen-year-old girls would make their first formal appearance in society during a ball and be presented as eligible for marriage.  

“The Assembly was formed by these women that wanted to present their daughters to society,” said Caroline Matthews, president of Columbia’s Assembly Ball last year. “And that was the sole purpose.” 

Sounds like Pride and Prejudice, doesn’t it, Matthews said. 

Still, Anne Bristow, the president of The Assembly Ball in 2007 and current executive secretary-treasurer said the times certainly have changed.  

“Let’s introduce these girls as valuable members of society that will be contributing to society in business industry professions,” Bristow said.  

Both of her daughters debuted, and she considers it an exciting way to network and connect with people they might not have otherwise met.  

“To me, nowadays, it is not about finding them a husband,” Bristow said. “It is (that) these are the young ladies that are going to be out in the workforce now. You might be introducing them to a potential employer or somebody that they would do business with.”

The balls also create a sense of tight-knit community with long-term Columbia locals. 

“For me The Assembly is family,” Matthews said. “It’s one of two balls in Columbia that are what you would call heritage balls: where you or your family is in it or you marry somebody whose family is in it.”

The other “heritage” ball in Columbia is the Cotillion Ball, which was founded by men. The Cotillion is the men’s ball, which did not originally start out as a debutante ball.  The wives of the men in Columbia decided to form their own ball, The Assembly, the city’s first debutante ball. 

Matthews thinks the tradition of debutante balls has been preserved for so long because it is reminiscent of more refined times. 

“It’s a way of life that we don’t have a lot of anymore,” Matthews said. “It’s white tie and tails. There’re not a lot of white tie and tail events here anymore.” 

Matthews recalls her time as a debutante fondly.  

“Back when I made my debut, what they did was they had parties all summer long,” Matthews said. “It was so much fun, and they assigned you different dates to go to these parties. You would wait by your mailbox, and you would go, ‘Who’s my date going to be this time?’” 

As an executive member of The Assembly, she oversees the rehearsals and helps the debutantes and their escorts learn how to do “the figure,” the first promenade around the room at the ball.  

“What I tell the boys (escorts) is, ‘It’s all about the girls here, and so your job is to make sure that they have fun all night long,’” Matthews said.  

Rebecca Warren, a 2001 debutant, thinks the tradition is still alive because, “It is a wholesome, beautiful gathering of friends and family.”  

“It is a chance to get dressed up and to see the strength of your family’s foundation,” Warren said.   

Warren was 18 when she made her debut.

“Before I actually attended the ball to make my debut, it was more about the dress, date, and debutant parties for me,” Warren said.  

She debuted because her grandmother was an involved member of The Assembly and its president in the 1970s. Warren’s mother, Lucy Hart, said she had nothing to do with it.  

“Her grandmother expected her to debut as much as she expected her to learn how to potty-train or learn how to walk,” Hart said.  

Warren now appreciates the timeless culture of the debutante balls and their resilience through the years.  

“It is also important that during (a) technology-driven time, people still have a chance to learn and practice proper etiquette and social skills,” Warren said. “They have made changes over the years from the type of music, attire, food, and all to keep the younger generations interested without sacrificing the initial intent.”