I first learned about Diner en Blanc while indulging in my Food Network love affair.  I cannot recall the exact show that detailed the whimsical pop up dinner but I was immediately enthralled and vowed to attend one day.

What initially began with one French gentleman in 1988 in Paris among a few friends (they all agreed to wear white so they could find each other in the park) on a June day has since expanded across the globe.  Lucky for me it finally made its way to DC in 2014 (I attempted to get in but was unsuccessful), so this year when the opportunity presented itself I was all set.

 After a brief delay due to Uber shenanigans, we opted for Lyft to take us to our meetup destination.

 We arrived at the meetup spot, secured our wristbands at check-in and waited for the big reveal of where the dinner would take place.

I received a number of compliments that day on my look.  I opted for an elegant but attainable feel.  The star of the show, however, was my headpiece…funny thing is that was literally a last minute addition to the ensemble and I got it from Walmart of all places AND it isn’t even a headpiece!  You have to change your perspective sometimes in order to find hidden gems.

My dress is from Misguided and my flip flops are my trusty Havianas that I have had for 2-3 years now and my mother customized them for me to go with the dress.  People kept asking if I was getting married…um no.

The meetup location was at the National Portrait Gallery steps and there were a number of groups that met there.  I also know some groups met at Gallery Place Chinatown Metro, Eastern Market and the MLK Library.

We passed the time by chatting, snapping pics and going into the gallery every so often to soak up the AC.  I think the anticipation caused people to get sweaty because it actually wasn’t that hot outside.

They had port a potty’s on the grounds of the Carnegie Library (where the event was staged) but right when I was about to go in one a security guard told me my dress was too nice to try and maneuver in a potty.  She then personally escorted me to the library and told me to use the bathroom in there instead.  I was so thankful and appreciative of her for that.  

 We kept the table simple.  It was our first time attending so we didnt want to go overboard plus did not want to carry too much more but I now know what to do next time I attend.

Wearing all white makes you nervous for being too ambitious in your culinary options.  I decided to go with a simple grilled salmon salad with roasted vegetables.

We ordered the flowers and wine from the event site.  You are not supposed to bring outside alcohol.

This was the table of our immediate neighbors and it was so beautiful.  I hope they won for best decorations.

At 8p sparklers were passed around.

And then it was time to party!

Once we made our rounds and enjoyed the photo booths we dropped off our table, chairs, & etc., took a quick breather and then went back for the after party.

The Marriott Marquis is a gorgeous hotel and HUGE inside.  The ballroom where the party was held looked like a convention center and it was just ONE of their rooms.

Dusse was one of the sponsors of the after party.

I cant recall the name of my drink but it was Dusse, some other liqueur and pineapple juice; it reminded me of a rum and pineapple which is why I selected it.

DJ Neekola kept the party going and she really played a little bit of everything!  My legs were on fire the next day from dancing so much.

I really enjoyed myself.  I loved the diversity and friendly nature of everyone that day.  I hope the event retains its exclusivity because that is what adds to the magic of it.  Yes there was quite a bit of work and cost involved but it was so worth it for the memories it provided.