We’re going to the New York City Dîner en Blanc! Here’s what to bring.

Yesterday I received the email that confirmed my seats at the first New York City Dîner en Blanc. Even though I’ve been to the Paris Dîner en Blanc a few times and it’s much more mysterious how to get a seat there since it’s all through connections. I was really excited to get this confirmation. There’s something about New York–buzz can be created about anything, from as small as a cupcake to a 1000 person pop-up dinner.

For those still waiting for your registration e-mail, don’t freak out. The first round is for friends of the organization, the next round of registration is for those that signed up on the waiting list at newyork.dinerenblanc.info. You’ll need to be quick though, since each registrant gets two seats, it doesn’t leave much room.

How does one prepare for the Dîner en Blanc? Here’s what we packed for two to this year’s dinner in Paris:

For NYC, we’ll be bringing white chairs instead

Drinks:
– 1 bottle champagne
– 1 bottle of red wine
(convivial imbibing and sharing is encouraged)

Table setup:
– 1 picnic bag
– 2 wine glasses
– 1 enormous white umbrella (there was a chance of rain)
– 1 card table
– 2 wooden chairs
-1 white tablecloth
– Real plates and silverware
– Candles
– 2 garbage bags for cleanup

Food:
– Charcuterie
– Duck Riette
– 2 baguettes
– Tuna tartare
– Salad with tomatoes and French-style balsamic, olive oil dressing with a hint of mustard
– Strawberries for dessert
– 1 Nikon SLR camera

Attire:
– This year in Paris I wore a long custom silk dress in the grecian style with leather J.Crew capri sandals. I asked the tailor to make the dress length as if it was made to only be worn indoors. I sort of paid for that by carrying the end of my dress everywhere…but I loved it! Last year I went a bit more elegant casual, which is generally the way to go in Paris. In New York, I will wear a a MiuMiu dress. My favorite fashion styles I’ve seen at the dinner were women in pantsuits or shorts and this year a model at our table wore an oversized (but extremely short) flared men’s style shirt with high, high heels.

One of the fun parts is seeing all the clever ways people transport everything. One guy had the card table strapped to his back. Others managed to arrive by Vespa with all of their gear. Some get everything onto a wheeled cart, others pack their food in suitcases.

The flow of thousands of people into the space each year is pretty incredible and in Paris, the sparklers are always lit at 11 pm. Two years ago, a dance party broke out in the Tuileries Gardens and I can only hope for so much at the first New York City  Dîner en Blanc. See you there and as always, Untapped will be reporting on the evening with photographs.  We have some guesses as to where the dinner will be in New York City, but as it’s a notoriously well-kept secret, you’ll just have to stay tuned to find out!

Here are the rules for the NYC  Dîner en Blanc!

See photographs from the Paris  2011  and  2010  dinners, and a  look back to the fabulous locations  the dinner has been in Paris.

Get in touch with the author @untappedmich.