White Hot Night

LoLita Toney Darion Morton, Lauryn Monger, DeShonna Robinson, Gene Robinson

Charm Smith, Amber Buscher David Andrews and Matt Paco

Dîner en Blanc makes its debut in Nashville

Shrouded in secrecy but one of the most anticipated events of the year, Dîner en Blanc was an effervescent evening of blanc en blanc. The party started as guests arrived at the location that had been kept secret for weeks — Walk of Fame park. Seldom are revelers asked to bring their own party and decor, but that is exactly what Dîner en Blanc is all about. Individuals bring the fun, the food, the decor and even the table.

Dîner en Blanc was born in Paris in 1988 and now hosts events in more than 90 cities around the globe. Nashvillians understood the assignment; try something new, do it in elegant and elevated white attire, deck out your tablescape — all white too — and enjoy a delicious picnic and libations beneath the stars.

As guests arrived, the sunset lit the sky in a wash of beautiful pink and peach hues, reflecting off the glass buildings, Schermerhorn Symphony Center and Country Music Hall of Fame before fading into night. The lights of downtown provided a dazzling backdrop for the upcoming entertainment by DJ Tore and local performer and top The Voice crooner Cody Belew. Both lit up the stage with a sizzling, soulful set that brought the crowd of more than 500 people to their feet.

While Dîner en Blanc’s international mission is about friendship and community, co-hosts Victoria Young and Mike Smith knew that for Nashville, community means giving back. They partnered with Nashville CARES, making a contribution to kick off fundraising efforts for their World AIDS Day breakfast featuring speaker Jeanne White-Ginder, mother of Ryan White, on December 1 .

While our mothers surely taught us that one shouldn’t wear white after Labor Day, one thing is for sure, Dîner en Blanc is not your mother’s event, and we look forward to next year for an excuse to break the rules, for good.

BY NFOCUS STAFF WRITERS PHOTOGRAPHS BY SHOTS X SI