To the north, the Grand Palais glows in the twilight. To the south, the golden dome of Invalides dominates the sky. To the west, the Eiffel Tower peeks out above the trees. And, in a 360-degree panorama, everywhere there is a sea of white elegance.

$\"Four$

How do you keep a party of 17,000 secret?
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n

Cultural Traditions of D\u00eener en Blanc<\/h2>\n
To the north, the Grand Palais glows in the twilight. To the south, the golden dome of Invalides dominates the sky. To the west, the Eiffel Tower peeks out above the trees. And, in a 360-degree panorama, everywhere there is a sea of white elegance.<\/p>\n
Where are we?<\/p>\n
We’re at the 2018 Paris D\u00eener en Blanc.<\/p>\n
$\"D\u00eener$
Surrounded by Paris history
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n
Shhh. It’s a Secret<\/h4>\n
Just an hour before the dinner began, the secret venue for this annual adventure was revealed. The groups that were waiting in various gathering spots around the city were told where the fashionable event for 17,000 would be held.<\/p>\n
Let the party begin\u2014this year at the Esplanade des Invalides.<\/p>\n
$\"D\u00eener$
A “neighborhood gathering” on the Esplanade des Invalides
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n
The event looks spontaneous, in a gigantic flash mob sort of way. But in fact, the planning is meticulous, and the logistical structure is complex.<\/p>\n
The group leaders and table leaders know exactly who will be present, how they will get to the secret venue (bus, metro, or \u00e0 pied<\/em>), where the tables will be placed, and where each guest will be seated.<\/p>\n
While it may seem chaotic in the 30 or 40 minutes after the secret location is announced, it is organized chaos.<\/p>\n
$\"Two$
The elegance of white (with a touch of red wine)
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n
Longstanding Traditions<\/h4>\n
At the D\u00eener en Blanc, now in its 30^{th\u00a0<\/sup>year, cultural traditions prevail. Table after table of fashionable guests, wearing only white, come together at the secret location to dine with white linens, silver candelabras, white china, elegant wine and champagne glasses, gourmet meals, music, and the hautest of white haute couture\u2014 a perfect blend of fashion, gastronomy, and style.<\/p>\n}
$\"Woman$
Haute couture and silver wine goblets set the stage.
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n
The rules are spelled out clearly and must be followed. Guests must arrive on time and follow the instructions of their group leader and table leader. Presence is mandatory, rain or shine; and everyone must stay until the end of the event and leave at the scheduled time.<\/p>\n
$\"Women$
Handmade Eiffel Tower tiaras may become a fashion trend.
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n
The dress code is strict. Everything must be white, elegant, and tasteful. No ivory, cream, or eggshell (a D\u00eener en Blanc fashion faux pas). White means white, except for a splash of silver or gold for accessories.<\/p>\n
$\"Woman$
A splash of silver and gold for accessories is allowed.
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n
No baseball caps, T-shirts, tank tops, shorts, or tennis shoes. This is by no means an informal event. \u00a0Style matters . . . and creates the feeling of an upscale Gatsby gathering or a royal croquet\/garden party.<\/p>\n
$\"Woman$
Style matters
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n
An International Touch<\/h4>\n
While the cultural traditions of the past are important, each year new traditions are created. This year, for the first time, the much sought after invitations were opened to international guests, as well as to the existing Parisian group.<\/p>\n
$\"Two$
International guests were invited to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the D\u00eener en Blanc.
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n
The change in the invitation process was to celebrate the dinner\u2019s 30^{th\u00a0<\/sup>anniversary . . . and to succeed in having the largest outdoor picnic in the world.<\/p>\n}
The 2018 invitation said: \u201cWe extend this invitation to thousands of people, on all continents, in over 30 countries and in 80 of the worlds\u2019 largest cities, who all wish to share in a celebration of elegance, joy, and friendship. We hope you will join us to share the magic.\u201d<\/p>\n
$\"A$
A touch of New York in Paris
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n
Elegant white-clad diners came from all corners of the world\u2014from North America to Australia. More than one-third of the guests came from outside of France.<\/p>\n
$\"Woman$
Once you’ve been invited, you’re set for the future.
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n
One of the Australian organizers, Bella St Clair, estimated that nearly 200 guests were from Australia, many of them having attended the D\u00eener en Blanc in Sydney.<\/p>\n
The Paris ambiance was similar to that of Sydney, she noted. \u201cAt D\u00eener en Blanc, everyone is friendly and open. They like the surprise and being part of something that\u2019s a little oddball and crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n
$\"Circle$
Part of the Australian delegation and FOAs (friends of Australians)
\u00a9 Fatima Negaran<\/p><\/div>\n
The D\u00eener en Blanc Origins<\/h4>\n
The original cultural traditions were simple. Bring a meal to share and bring a new friend for the group to meet.<\/p>\n
Although the event was carefully orchestrated, the organizer (founder Fran\u00e7ois Pasquier) remained anonymous. When the police asked each participant who had invited them, the response was \u201cmy neighbor.\u201d The dinner was just a simple \u201cneighborhood\u201d gathering.<\/p>\n
The neighborhood picnic started in the Bois de Boulogne. The group decided to dress in white to make it easier to find one another.<\/p>\n
$\"Horn$
Not only has the crowd size grown, but so has the number of musicians.
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n
It was such a success that it continued each year and grew quickly to more than 1,000 people in the first year it left the Bois de Boulogne and landed on the Pont des Arts.<\/p>\n
$\"2013$
The 2013 D\u00eener en Blanc in the courtyard of the Louvre
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n
Each year now, as the number of guests grows to anywhere between 5,000 and 15,000, the challenge is finding the perfect venue.<\/p>\n
The D\u00eener en Blanc has already converged on the Place Vend\u00f4me, Place de la Concorde, Arc de Triomphe, H\u00f4tel de Ville, Louvre courtyard, Parvis de Notre Dame, Place des Vosges, Trocadero, Versailles, the bridges of Paris, and the Champs de Mars.<\/p>\n
$\"Pont$
The D\u00eener en Blanc white napkin salute in 2014 on the Pont d’Alexandre III
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n
Don\u2019t Ask Permission, Just Ask Forgiveness<\/h4>\n
To succeed with such a spontaneous event, the Diner en Blanc in Paris has a special relationship with the police.<\/p>\n
The organizers believe in the philosophy of interpreting laws as \u201crecommendations.\u201d They have never asked permission to hold the event and have, thankfully, never had a problem. Their track record is impeccable.<\/p>\n
$\"White$
Even the white unicorn follows the rules.
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n
Part of the relationship with the authorities, as well as the success of the event, relies on the rules. The guests are respectful, the event ends at midnight, and the venue is left immaculate, even cleaner than when the event began.<\/p>\n
$\"Woman$
Mobile phones capture every magic moment.
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n
Aymeric Pasquier, son of the founder and now the worldwide organizer, has introduced the D\u00eener en Blanc concept around the world. The core of the tradition remains the same\u2014a dinner among friends. However, the practical details in the 30 countries that are now a part of the tradition are challenging.<\/p>\n
$\"Aymeric$
Aymeric Pasquier, son of D\u00eener en Blanc founder Fran\u00e7ois Pasquier and organizer of the worldwide dinners, rises to the challenge of each country’s regulations.
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n
In all countries except France, official permission must be granted, including getting a permit for a location, hiring security, and obtaining a license to have alcohol.<\/p>\n
While these challenges require an investment of time and a willingness to negotiate with local authorities, the work has paid off, with successful D\u00eener en Blanc events around the world.<\/p>\n
$\"Two$
A toast among friends
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n
Oh I See: The Meaning of Friendship<\/h4>\n
Even though the D\u00eener en Blanc numbers have grown over time, the spirit is still intimate and the cultural traditions have remained true to the original vision.<\/p>\n
An event that started as a gathering of friends is still just that\u2014a gathering of friends. It is built from the heart. Enjoying the best things in life . . . with style.<\/p>\n
$\"A$
The end of a perfect evening
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n
Follow D\u00eener en Blanc on their website<\/a> and Facebook page.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n
Comment<\/a><\/i>\u00a0on this post below, or inspire insight with your own\u00a0OIC Moment\u00a0<\/em>here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":null,"protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":31102,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[99,211],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31078","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-heritage-culture","category-paris-mappoints"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31078","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31078"}],"version-history":[{"count":38,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31078\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31151,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31078\/revisions\/31151"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31102"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31078"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31078"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31078"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

Cultural Traditions of Dîner en Blanc