Dîner en Blanc returns for 14th edition in Montreal

Le Dîner en Blanc de Montréal came back for its 14th edition on Friday at a venue kept secret until the very last minute.

Elegantly dressed in white, more than 2,500 guests flocked to Place du Canada for a chic picnic. They brought their chairs, picnic baskets – everything they needed – to dine with their friends.

Le Dîner en Blanc started in Paris, France, in 1988 and made its debut in Montreal in 2009. To date, over 120 cities in 40 countries have joined the growing international network.

“I’ve organized and experienced Dîner en Blanc in a multitude of cities around the world, and I have to admit that as a Montrealer, my heart beats faster here at home! This year, we’ve got lots of wonderful surprises in store. We’re inviting everyone to join in and dance with us,” says Sandy Safi, director of the Dîner en Blanc de Montréal and owner of the brand and of Dîner en Blanc International, in a press release.

This year’s theme: Enchanted Forest

The Dîner en Blanc de Montréal has partnered with Lolitta Dandoy, Fashion Expert and Designer of Tout le monde s’habille, to infuse the Enchanted Forest theme with elegance and creativity.

“This event is a unique opportunity to shine with a style that’s chic, bohemian, extravagant, but above all unique and… white, of course! This year, we chose the theme of the Enchanted Forest, to discover a bohemian spirit and hippie soul, with flowing dresses, lace and silver jewellery,” says Dandoy in a press release.

For some guests, the event was an occasion to express themselves and their creativity.

“We wanted to try this sort of the steampunk theme and of course steampunk is not usually in white so that was a bit of a challenge for us and we we thought you know why not let’s try it and so we put a whole bunch of little pieces together and it was lots of fun putting it together,” said a couple visiting the City.

Not your usual picnic

For this 14th edition, le Dîner en Blanc partenered with the chefs Jérôme Ferrer, head chef of the Relais & Châteaux restaurant of the same name in Montreal and Laurent Godbout, renowned for his innovative and creative approach to modern Quebec cuisine.

They offered ideas for dishes that are both easy to transport and exceptional in taste and presentation, transforming the traditional picnic into a high-level gastronomic experience for the world’s largest dinner event.