Wow! So much to cover in today’s post about Dîner en Blanc Philly 2018. Here we go. I attended my first Dîner en Blanc last Thursday in Philly. Here is a brief recap of everything.
What is Dîner en Blanc?
Dîner en Blanc is a worldwide event, spanning six continents, in which people gather in a public space and set up a temporary, chic dining area. Guests come dressed in white to enjoy quality food and wine. It’s also a secret party. Attendees do not find out the location of the event until the day of through a series of texts.
The annual white affair took place on Thursday August 16th at a secret location. The day of, we received text messages telling us where our meeting/holding area was and then told where the location would be. This year it was held at City Hall in Philly. What a big deal it was! There were a record amount of 5,500 attendees of dîner en blanc. If you have ever been to Philly, our City Hall covers a large square area smack in the center of the city. To have dîner en blanc here blocking off subway stops and the flow of traffic was a huge deal.
This year was my first time attending and what an impact it made on me. First off, I was asked to be one of the fashion judges. This was my second time being a fashion judge at a large Philly event. The event was so large that all of the judges (men’s fashion, ladies fashion, best table) had to be separated into sections. My section was ACROSS THE STREET! Yes, the Philly dîner en blanc was not only at City Hall but the area across the street as well to accommodate the affair.
Since I was media, I had a bit of a different experience at dîner en blanc than most attendees. Here is a sample checklist of things to bring as a guest to dîner en blanc:
- ID – for check-in with table leaders
- Cash/SEPTA key for your return trip home
- Two white chairs
- Table (square, between 28 and 32 inches)
- Wine (up to one bottle per guest( and a corkscrew)
- Dinner for two
- White tablecloth
- Plates/cutlery
- White trash bag
- Water (stay hydrated)
- Any table decorations (must be white)
- Flowers (only thing permitted with a pop of color)
- Electric candles
- Phone/portable charger
- Ticket to the after party (located at the Sofitel)
The one obvious thing for the night: wear white! The dress code should be elegant, but showcasing your style is always welcome. I even saw a girl with wings on…white of course. Here are a few do’s and don’ts if you consider attending dîner en blanc:
- Do wear white (this includes accessories, however, I did see some nude shoes and such)
- Do arrive on time and keep up-to-date with your leader
- Ladies…Do bring/wear flats. My biggest regret of the night lol
- Don’t wear off white, cream, beige
- Don’t bring beer or hard liquor (no sloppy drunks)
If y’all would like more information about attending dîner en blanc in the future please let me know. I can do another blog post explaining the process.
Thanks for reading!
