Diner en Blanc is spectacular in white in Vancouver: photos

by Carolyn Ali on Aug 31, 2012 at 9:13 am
The Olympic cauldron was the backdrop for Vancouver's first Dîner en Blanc.
Carolyn Ali

Vancouver’s first Dîner en Blanc filled Jack Poole Plaza with a sea of white last night (August 30). While the location was kept a secret from the participants until the last minute, 1,200 people converged on the plaza at 7 p.m. for the pop-up picnic, an annual event that originated in France and now takes place in cities around the world.

Participants were required to dress completely in white and bring everything to the site themselves, from their food in non-disposable containers to their own tables, chairs, and linens.

The amount of planning and creativity on display was impressive: people brought elaborate crystal table settings, candles, and linens. At least one person brought his own ice sculpture; another, his white dog (see photos below).

The dress ran from casual beach chic to formal white top hats and elegant dresses, with everything in between, including togas, a nun’s habit, and a few repurposed wedding gowns.

Here’s how the evening unfolded visually.

Below, all photos Carolyn Ali.












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Comments (9) Add New Comment
liquorinpublicplaces
Aug 31, 2012 at 11:33 am
Drinking wine in a public place, that is so cool and civilized.
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Awe
Aug 31, 2012 at 9:36 pm
I wish I could have gone.
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Funny
Sep 5, 2012 at 6:33 pm
funny how the rich can flaunt their wealth and drink in public and even advertise it and working class people get a ticket from the police for drinking their cheap beer in a park after working a shit job for eight hours.
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Anton
Sep 7, 2012 at 10:35 am
Funny: Perhaps read up a bit more on the event, the fact that they're wearing white doesn't mean they're rich. It's essentially a large potluck picnic.
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What?
Sep 14, 2012 at 1:05 pm
The "Funny" person who commented about people attending being rich is completely off base, I attended the event and I'm not one of the 'rich'. Get the facts before you write such ignorant comments.
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Katharine
Sep 14, 2012 at 1:20 pm
@Funny: It's called a special event license with event liquor license. Do your research before uneducated comments.
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Katharine
Sep 14, 2012 at 1:23 pm
Agree with Anton and What. I work 8 hours a day, I'm what Funny calls "working class people". I still get a ticket if I have a beer in public. I am an event planner, and attendees of Diner en Blanc are legally dining with a special event permit and liquor permit inside this rented space from the Vancouver Convention Centre.

To confirm that "working class people" attended this event, I varify that I got dressed in white and went to my meet-up spot for this event after I worked 8 hours.
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Jenny
Sep 14, 2012 at 2:36 pm
some people need to learn the definitioon of WHITE.... a brown basket is not WHITE.so please respect the rules next time.

Also, for your own records, it is supposed to be a nice elegant dinner, so forget about mini skirts next time. Show some class, be sophisticated and elegant. this is what this event is all about.
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Martin Dunphy
Sep 14, 2012 at 4:15 pm
Thank alleged god you guys got in just under the wire before the post-Labour Day ban on white clothing took effect.
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