As each and every year, the White Dinner is one of the event I am waiting most during summer in Luxembourg. I think it has a special allure and the fact that every person is basically responsible for the success of his/her table makes it for me even more interesting.

In order to get ready for this year edition, we propose an article we published already some year ago – slightly revisited.

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Did you ever heard about the White Dinner?

This is a truly amazing event organized in several European cities during summer (check some pictures of the one in Paris here).

The rules are more or less always the same: the dinner is taking place in a public place that is kept secret till the very last, everybody should be dressed in total white and you must provide for everything for your group (table, chairs, food, etc.).

It is actually less complicated than it looks and having been to six White Dinners in Luxembourg already, I can ensure it is definitely worth the effort – and each and every year you want to improve!

It is just important you try to plan a bit in advance the event and to share the tasks with your group of friends.

Keep the group limited, above all if you are inexperienced. A table of 4 or 6 is easier to manage and you won’t feel overwhelmed.

Previous White Dinners in Luxembourg took place among all at the Roses Garden in front of Arcelor Mittal building, in Rue Philippe II, on the Corniche, at the Lycee des Garcon.

Some suggestions on my side, based on what my personal experience at White Dinners has been:

– Normally you receive indications regarding the “meeting point” on the morning of the event. The “meeting point” is at a walking distance from the place where the White Dinner will be actually taking place. Therefore, start to wonder where the dinner could be and above all try to find the closest parking place/bus stop. You can share the easy things to transport with your friends (have backpacks, boxes and cooler bags ready and filled). Have just one friend with the car that could move heavy stuff and tables when the X location is announced. Use foldable tables and chairs for garden that are lighter and easy to clean.

– If you are afraid of taking china with you, check at shop like Hema or Ava, in Luxembourg city. They have wonderful catering items at small price and some nice decoration solutions. We did not take china with us until the very two last editions and honestly don’t regret it.

– Coordinate the food and the drinks, to avoid ending up with ten red wines bottles and nothing else. Take in consideration that, from the announcement of the “place”, it takes some time to arrange the tables and collect people, so be ready with an icy cold champagne bottle or a nice aperitif for your friends, while you are setting your table. We like to already mix our aperitif in nice plastic bottles at home, filled as well with flowers and fruits.

– Go cold (pasta salad, raw fish, cheese and charcuterie) and simple (what about a bento box for your friends?). If you are afraid is going to be too complicated, you might consider to take something take away (Sushi shop box, for example).

– Don’t forget ashtray if you have smoking friends, big bin bags to clean everything at the end and eventually some rags/cleaning paper as disaster recovery option (open Aperol bottle overturned on the table anyone?)

– If it is your first year, don’t bother too much about the appearance. Try to be clean,  have a nice organized table and above all to enjoy. You might see crazy stuff that night, like people having their own butler carrying them stuff around, but White Dinner is not about the best table. It is about having a different special night, about a secret place, about being thrilled of organizing something with your friends and enjoy this special and lovely moment.

Have fun!

Some pictures of my previous editions are following:

PS As the event is secret we cannot disclose more than what we have already done, but should you be interested, send a private message to Barefoot in Luxembourg on FB and we will try to help you out..