Diner en Blanc 2013: A Night of Surprises

As return guests of Diner en Blanc, we thought we knew what to expect, but the great thing about this event is that its essence is completely based on the element of surprise.  The entire night was filled of unexpected wonders.  First and foremost is the mystery location of the actual event.  A group of people in pristine white outfits gathered at Love Park and City Hall, and they eagerly awaited their 7PM text for the final destination. We stood there naming the endless possibilities of where it could be… and then the text arrived. And we set off down JFK Boulevard and stopped in front of 22nd Street, where the entire road in front of the JFK Bridge was closed and quickly filling up with white picnic tables.

The view was spectacular; in one direction there was the iconic 30th Street train station, and once you turned around you were faced with a great skyline view with the Comcast Center right in the middle. As we walked through the party, we were pleased to see such a vintage feel. There were a lot of ladies in lace, men in suspenders, and plenty of jazz music courtesy of the New York-based band Carte Blanche. To top it off, there was a vintage car and fun photo booth right in the middle of the boulevard!

Once again the table arrangements and picnic baskets did not disappoint. We saw beaded tablecloths, candelabras, beautiful floral arrangements, tons of tasty macarons, and even a whole cake being shared. At 9:15, the party was illuminated with thousands of sparklers. And in that instant, a very special moment happened… a proposal! It was perhaps the biggest surprise of the evening (especially for her). After that, the celebration officially started with the DJ playing a mix of new and classic dance songs. And just when we thought the surprises were over… a congo line started dancing down the middle with live drummers! They kept the party going until the end of the night.

But Diner en Blanc doesn’t really end that easily. Of course there’s an after party! The swanky Hotel Sofitel in Rittenhouse was the official venue once again. We continued our dance party there with great music and cocktails. As one of the best nights of summer finally came towards the end, we couldn’t help but wonder about next year already… What surprises will be in store for us then? We can’t wait to find out!   (To see more pictures visit: https://www.facebook.com/PhillyPRGirl)