Over thirty years ago, Le Dîner en Blanc was born in Paris. Guests, dressed elegantly in white, arrived at a secret location, and enjoyed a graceful picnic under the stars. It started as an event that was only known by friends and by word-of-mouth. But now, it has grown into an international celebration, with events held across six continents. The 30th anniversary Paris event saw a record 17, 000 guests from Paris and around the world.
This pop-up picnic tradition is not only a sight to behold, with an ocean of white, but a wonderful opportunity to reunite with friends and meet someone new. It’s also a perfect chance to indulge in some of the finest local produce, wine and entertainment. And now, after a three year hiatus, Le Dîner en Blanc is coming back to Melbourne. The date? Saturday February 18. The place? You’ll just have to find out on the day.
Le Dîner en Blanc
The first event in Melbourne took place in South Wharf in 2015, and has since taken over other locations like Docklands, Melbourne Museum and Birrarung Marr. The secret location must be kept undisclosed until the very last minute. To help ensure that everyone gets there in a timely manner, guests meet at assigned departure locations around Melbourne, and are then escorted or transported by coach with the guidance of a Dîner en Blanc table leader.
The rules are simple enough, and help maintain the uniqueness of the picnic. To start with, you must wear white to attend this event. The dress code also calls for elegance, and originality is encouraged as long as it is stylish and tasteful.
As it is a posh picnic, you must bring a picnic basket, filled with fine food and proper stemware, and white dinnerware. If you don’t wish to pack your own picnic, you can pre-order a catered gourmet hamper, and collect it on the day.
At the event, you must drink champagne or wine only. Due to Victoria’s liquor laws, you can’t bring your own alcohol. If you wish to drink some wine or champagne on the night, you can reserve it online. Of course, you’re welcome to bring your own non-alcoholic beverages.
You will also need to bring a table, two white chairs and a white tablecloth. For the first time, table and chair hire is also available for this event. As the event is designed to be sustainable, and as environmentally friendly as possible, you should bring and take home all of your own reusable table and glassware.
“This chic and elegant affair is the perfect opportunity to encourage people to shop local and bring to the event their local flavour,” said Sara Walsh, host of Le Dîner en Blanc in Melbourne. “This year, the number of participants will be limited, so we strongly invite the participants to register early, not to wait until the last minute.”
Wait list registrations are now open. Click here to get started.