Diner En Blanc x Rent the Runway

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Dress: ℅ Rent the Runway | Shoes: Steve Madden | Earrings: Kendra Scott ℅ Mosaic District | Bracelets: Kendra Scott ℅ Mosaic District | Lipstick: MAC Cosmetics ‘Ruby Woo’

Alright, y’all. This right here is probably the longer, more image-heavy posts I’ve ever done in my 5 years of blogging, but stick with me guys. I promise it’s good stuff.

If you follow me on Snapchat (username: aliciatenise), you probably saw that I was at an all-white extravaganza over the weekend. What on earth were you doing, you ask? I was at Dîner en Blanc, which is a pop up dinner party that’s celebrated worldwide. The tradition started in Paris, and most major cities across the globe have their own version. Let me fill you in on a few Dîner en Blanc questions I was asked on Snapchat this weekend!

1. What’s the deal with Dîner en Blanc?

   First things first: it’s an invite only event. You can sign up to be on the waitlist to score an invite, or if you know someone who’s a table leader you might be able to wiggle your way in as well.

   It’s an all white affair that’s held once a year, typically in the summer. It’s BYOE — bring your own everything. This is a true pop up dinner. The chairs, the tables, the plates, cups, food: you name it, you tote it along. After dinner is over, a DJ comes along and you dance the rest of the night away.

   Now, you don’t know where on earth the event is being held until the day of. There are a few designated meeting points around town and you walk to the dinner location with your Table Leader. This year it was held at the Lincoln Memorial, which I could not be happier about!

2. How do you plan your own menu and tablescape?

   I went with my friend Julien, who attended DEB last year, and she had an amazing, super easy and cost effective suggestion for a meal. I grabbed a baguette, cheese and fruit, while she made some amazing angel hair pasta. I only spent $20 on food, and it was super easy to tote around!

   You can order prepackaged meals from Diner En Blanc that you can pick up on site if you don’t want to prepare your own meal, but expect to drop between $75-95 for dinner for two. I knew I was not interested in dropping that much dough, so the homemade option worked out better for us!

   As far as the table decor went, since we were carrying everything, we wanted to keep the decor simple. We picked up these stunning roses in a box from The Flower Luxe, and they were not only stunning, but super easy to transport as well! Roses in a box scream Parisian, so they were a perfect fit for our event. I also saw someone drop a glass vase on our way to the site, so flowers in boxes > flowers in glass vases for sure! 

3. What do you wear?

   All white everything. You can get away with neutral shoes and accessories, but don’t try to add a crazy accent color to your ensemble!

   This year, I chose to wear Rent the Runway for this event. I have 2 white dresses in my closet at the moment, and I’ve worn both of them to death this summer. Therefore, I wanted something fresh and glamorous to wear to this classy event!

   I stopped by Rent the Runway’s Georgetown Store and set up an appointment with one of their stylists. When I saw the Nicholas Tiered Lace Dress, I just knew it had to be mine! I tried on a few other pieces, but me and my stylist both agreed that the Nicholas dress was a showstopper. Seriously, I’m kind of depressed I had to send it back!

Anyway, DEB D.C. was a magical night, and I can’t wait until next year to attend another one! Have any of you been to a Diner En Blanc before?

Photos by Julien