At the end of the day, if I can say I had fun, it was a good day. --Simone Biles
Multi-tasking...I took this lovely pic while in line to get our food and drink.
In our hyper-connected lives, we curate tales focused on the good, and as viewers, we also watch for those good moments that often inspire Fear of Missing Out. FOMO. That's what happened the first time I heard about Diner en Blanc, a pop up party that happens once per year in cities across the world (mainly Europe and North America I think).
There are literally thousands of people who descend on one public area to have dinner together. And there are rules, many rules. You must dress in all white. Your table decoration must be all white. You must bring all of your dinner supplies with you or rent them through the official DEB vendors. In 2015, through Twitter, I saw associates of mine excitedly journeying to a secret location with picnic tables, chairs and decoration in tow, and I wanted to know - how did I miss this?
The payoff for your effort is moments like this. I had dinner and danced on Pennsylvania Ave.
So last year, I vowed to get in on this party. I first tried the proper channels of registering through the website with a chance to buy tickets in the third round of sales. Third Round. The third round rarely works out, and even though I was online at noon right when the few remaining tickets when on sale, I got nothing but the wait list. It was time for a work around.
I just happened know a group leader and felt bold enough to reach out directly. I got in within an hour. That's actually what I recommend for any first-timer. Contact someone you know is going because tickets are often traded on the message boards, and some folks sell the tickets eagerly.
I really enjoyed last year. My meet up spot was Foggy Bottom, so it was a relatively easy stroll to the Henry Bacon Park on the National Mall. And it was all new. I wore a dress I already had, but stressed over shoes and table decoration. It all worked out. You can wear white sneakers!
This year, this vet relaxed. Seriously. I wore jeans and a shirt. Comfortable, but still cute. My group met at Dupont Circle, and we were essentially forewarned that we'd be riding the metro. We checked in and journeyed to Judiciary Square...where the escalators DID NOT WORK. Need I remind you that each group was carrying a table plus chairs and for some people, extra fancy decoration? The work it took for hundreds of us to walk up the stairs was extraordinary. Also, we all just happened to look like the Leftovers' Guilty Remnant (sans the chain-smoking).
My table companion, Candace, guessed that we were headed to the Capitol, and she was right. About 4,500 people converged on Pennsylvania Ave., and we were on the end closest to the Capitol. It was an amazing, coordinated sight. Too bad, dinner set up didn't go as smoothly as last year. We had to move our table no less than four times. The line for food and wine looped around, and I missed the napkin wave while in line. I believe these hiccups came because this event had 1,000 more people than 2015. Better planning on my part and the event planners' part is necessary, but will I be back next year? Probably.
A few tips for a good time:
Most of this decoration came from my bestie - TJ Maxx.
- Relax. If dressing up like a princess or socialite isn't you, don't. The requirement is to wear white. Whatever you do make sure it's you, and you feel good. Also, your shoes can be a neutral color. I even saw some reds this year.
- Shop the clearance section for clothes and decorations. Again, this doesn't have to be a large investment. I got many of the items I used - LED candles, napkins, napkin rings and plates - in clearance at TJ Maxx. Also, it's turning fall, so I got my jeans and blouse from the super-duper sales at Ann Taylor Loft and Banana Republic. Also, if you want to be dressier, Gilt had several white dresses on sale.
- Bring your own food. This is me next year. I don't need a big full meal. I would have enjoyed cheese, fruit, bread, crackers and hummus more than the chicken and fancy vegetables and sauces I had.
- Carry your materials in a grocery cart. Colors don't matter here. Definitely use something that will make going a distance easier.
- Get your wine after you've eaten. The lines died down pretty quickly once everyone started eating. Also, this may ensure you don't get tipsy early on.