Le Dîner en Blanc Returns to Charleston Next Month

August 6, 2018

4:57 PM

Update on 9/22/18:

Due to Tropical Storm Florence, this event has been rescheduled for Thursday, October 18th . Here is some updated info from the event organizers:

REGISTRATION: Registered members are invited to attend the new date, this includes all e-Store items previously purchased. For new members, or those on the waiting list, registration has been re-opened until October 4^th at 11:30 pm.

REFUNDS: For members that are no longer able to attend, refunds will be accepted until September 25th at 11:59 pm EST . To request a refund, email charleston@dinerenblanc.com with your full member name, and transaction ID. Please note, Dîner en Blanc International membership and transactions fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. Members will retain their phase 1 invitation status for 2019.

In addition, the e-Store is live. Catered picnics, rental packages, and a selection of wine curated by Bottles Beverage Superstore are available for purchase.

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For the 3^rd time, the Holy City will host Le Dîner en Blanc. On September 13th, the annual “secret” affair, promises another evening of “elegance, beauty, and magic, as it takes over an undisclosed public space whose location is only revealed minutes prior to the commencement of the event.” Nearly 800 foodies, fashion, and cultural enthusiasts have attended the event in past years and are expected to return.

Registration to participate to this unique event happens in three stages: Phase 1 is for members from the previous year; Phase 2 is for new members who are referred by Phase 1 attendees; Phase 3 is for people who signed up on the waiting list. If you want to be part of this 3^rd edition, sign-up now at charleston.dinerenblanc.com/register.

Bystanders will witness groups of guests all dressed in white gathering at specific rallying points all across the city. Guided by Dîner en Blanc volunteers, these groups will then converge on one of Charleston’s most beautiful setting. Every guest brings their own gourmet feast, table, chairs and table setting. Over the course of the evening, they will eat and celebrate amid music, entertainment and dancing.

The evening is filled with visually breathtaking moments including the waving of a cloth napkin to mark the beginning of the dinner and the lighting of sparklers to let guests know they are now free to mingle and dance. When at the end of the evening the trumpet sounds, guests pack up all of their belongings, pick up all their litter and head back into the night, leaving behind no sign of their elegant revelry.

To maintain the uniqueness of Le Dîner en Blanc as well as staying true to tradition, guests must observe certain requirements and follow a few key rules:

Once confirmed, each guest's participation becomes mandatory, regardless of weather conditions
- This is a rain or shine event.
Dress code: elegant and white only
- Originality is encouraged as long as it is stylish and tasteful
Table setting: all white
Champagne and/or wine
- Beer and hard liquor are prohibited.
- As per the City of Charleston alcohol regulations guests cannot bring their own alcohol
- Guests wishing to enjoy some wine or Champagne, must reserve online through the Dîner en Blanc's e-store. However, guests are welcome to bring their own non-alcoholic beverages.
To ensure that the location secret is kept undisclosed until last minute, guests meet at assigned departure location and are escorted by a Dîner en Blanc represenative
In order to leave the event location as clean as when they arrived, guests are required to leave with all their belongings, leftovers, and litter.
Guests must bring:
- A table, two white chairs, white tablecloth
- A picnic basket comprising fine food and proper stemware and white dinnerware
- A catered picnic basket option, which can be picked up on site, will be available for those who do not wish to pack their own. Guests wishing to do so must reserve online through Dîner en Blanc website during the initial ticket registration.

For full details on the event, please visit charleston.dinerenblanc.com.

About the Hosts of Le Dîner en Blanc – Charleston The Hosting Team of Le Dîner en Blanc – Charleston is composed of Eva Sellers, Blair Barna and Lauren Kesmodel. Owner of Elysia Events, Eva Steller is a local event producer in Charleston. She has worked on an array of community events including, Charleston Comedy Festival, Margarita Festival, and more! Owner and Advertising Director of Charleston City Paper, Blair Barna has been promoting and producing some of Charleston’s biggest events for 20+ years. A wedding industry expert, Lauren Kesmodel has a keen ability to make every event memorable.

About Le Dîner en Blanc On June 3rd, Le Diner en Blanc de Paris marked its 30th anniversary! A record 17,000 guests from Paris and around the world gathered at the Esplanade des Invalides to celebrate this historic moment. Launched in Paris in 1988 by François Pasquier and a handful of friends, Le Dîner en Blanc has become a worldwide epicurean phenomenon. Le Dîner en Blanc – Paris now attracts over 10,000 people each year. What was a “friends and word-of-mouth only” event has grown into an international sensation celebrated on six continents. While the technology behind the event may have changed over the years, the principles fuelling this fantastic event have not: guests continue to gather at a secret location for the sole purpose of sharing a gourmet meal with good friends in one of their city's most beautiful public spaces. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Montreal, Canada, Dîner en Blanc International is responsible for developing this secret posh picnic in 80 cities in 30 countries around the world. Each event is headed by passionate local organizers who fell in love with the concept and wanted to bring it to their city, giving this rendezvous a local flair. For more info, photos and videos of Dîner en Blanc events from around the world, visit dinerenblanc.com.

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Press Release