The District’s Inaugural Dîner en Blanc

The Thursday after Labor Day, over a thousand DCers broke a once cardinal fashion rule; clad all in white, clusters of party goers formed all over D.C. (and some in Virginia!) to be led to a secret location.  Carrying tables, chairs and a full picnic spread we boarded the metro, sweating through shirts and struggling  to carry carts up broken escalators.   Onlookers observed the flash mob with confusion, some rolling down their windows to ask, “so, why are you dressed in white?”  The answer, of course: Dîner en Blanc.

The concept is as absurd as it sounds: you pay for the privilege to attend a clandestine picnic where you must provide your own food; you then must spend a great deal of money investing in the numerous provisions required to meet the lengthy list of rules.  (Let’s break it down:  Ticket Price for 2: $70, Wine $20, Portable Table $54, 2 Chairs $30, Tablecloth $10, Flameless Candles $13, Picnic Basket $66, Her Outfit: $130, His Outfit: $125, Food $50 Transportation: $18  Total:$586.  MOST EXPENSIVE PICNIC EVERRR!)  And then you have to lug it all around town, getting your Sunday finest rumpled and sweaty only to arrive at a location that is an easy ten minute walk from your house (on the bright side, Courtney was able to run back for the cheese I forgot!).

But here’s the twist: it was totally worth it!  I’ll admit I did my fair share of complaining in the weeks leading up, particularly that one Sunday we spent hours at the outlet mall trying to find an all white men’s outfit that didn’t make me laugh out loud (that would be rude!).  But as soon as you get your table set up and sit down with a glass of wine, the company of friends and strangers, the band playing and a beautiful view of the sun setting over the Potomac, the stress of all the hustle bustle vanishes.

The tables are decorated as beautifully and diversely as the guests.  It’s the classiest picnic you’ve ever been to.  That is until the sun sets, the sparklers are passed around and Ellie Goulding’s “Let it Burn” begins to blast.  The band is replaced with an extraordinary DJ who teases the crowd with her bass.  Pretty soon shoes are off and an all out dance party has ensued.

We learned many things from the inaugural event: double check your fridge before you leave your house, bring your own wine, cork said wine when it’s on your table, have a bleach tide pen on the ready, don’t wear nice shoes (or by the end of the night, any shoes at all)… but I think it’s safe to say we’re already excited for next year’s event.  It will be a tough task to top this year’s fête, but I can’t wait to see where they do it next time… and next time, we’ll already have all the essentials!

Johanna