Postcard from Diner En Blanc
Diner En Blanc: in the simplest terms, it’s a flash mob dinner party–or at least, that became our easy go-to answer to passerby who asked what exactly was going on when they saw 5,000 people dressed in white and carrying tables, chairs, picnic baskets and fine china.
The pop-up picnic took place on the Hudson River waterfront, with the location kept secret until about 30 minutes before the event opened up. Honestly, it’s not cheap and it takes a lot of pre-planning and it was unbelievably hot outside–but! It ended up being totally worth the hassle: it’s been a while since I’ve had a great night out with a group of girlfriends, and it was so great to just sip drinks and catch up and feel like we were in the middle of this crazy only-in-NYC moment. Fun fact: the yearly tradition dates back to an event 27 years ago in Paris at which organizers invited guests to all wear white so they could be easily spotted in a park!
It was my first time doing Diner En Blanc, but I went with a few girlfriends who had done the event in New York City or elsewhere. I feel like we did a lot of things right (and a few wrong), so my biggest tips would be to pack ziploc bags full of ice, wear comfortable shoes, find a lightweight, pop-up table (like a camping table!) and carry everything in a rolling utility cart–spoken from the girl who carried a 30-pound folding table over her head for many, many blocks.
When it comes to food, no need to overthink it–we picked up a salad from Chopt, a baguette, some cheese, raspberries and apple slices and felt like it was enough to “style” our table but wasn’t so much that we broke the bank or broke our backs carrying. Some people go ALL out: the table next to us had floral arrangements to rival the fanciest wedding and a pineapple top purely for show, and there was another group of people who had their whole table professionally catered.
I also FINALLY joined Snapchat (username: cestchristine) and posted my very first snap at the party–stay tuned for more!
I made a fun little video of the night (so did my friend Kate!), and here are a few of my favorite photos. That golden hour light was just too good! 
Yay! Thanks to Lindley for being an amazingly organized and cool group leader and to Kate for being such a fun date!
