Fete en Blanc
For the past couple of summers, I have hosted a "Fete en Blanc" for my girlfriends. "Fete en Blanc" is French for "Party in White". It is a celebrated event, worldwide, where guests dress in all-white attire, pack their own picnic, including tableware and decor, and enjoy an outdoor celebration with friends, family and neighbors.
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My version of this gathering is celebrated in my backyard. I decorate my party tent in white and ivory and set the tables with everything needed for an elegant dinner party. Each guest brings a ready-to-serve dish for the buffet table. As my guests arrive, I serve them a "welcome cocktail", (white wine sangria with fresh berries) and we mingle in the backyard until everyone arrives. I set up a photobooth with white themed props so everyone can take candid pictures throughout the evening.
Party Favors: Instead of using wine glasses, I decided to make wine tumblers as party favors for my guests. I decorated the tumblers with funny quotes using my new Cricut machine.
As my guests arrived, I invited them to choose a tumbler and filled them with my welcome cocktail. The lids helped to keep everyone's lovely white outfits free of wine stains...win, win! There was two of each quote. While we mingled, my guests tried to find the person who had their match. That was unplanned, but a lot of fun!
The Guest List:
Over the years, I have been blessed with making wonderful friendships. I have different friend groups from figure skating, junior and senior high school, university, teaching and the gym. I have always thought, that if it was possible to bring all those friends together, we'd have the best party ever! Et voila, my theory totally works!
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The Invitation: Here's where social media is a huge help. I created a private Facebook event page for my event. It's the perfect way to invite your guests, plan your menu and activities. You can share pictures and have discussions. After the party, everyone can upload their pictures to share with the group. You can also send your invite from the event page to guests who may not have Facebook through a link.
You'll never find a date that will work for everyone, but I'd say 26 beautiful ladies on a hot, sunny July evening was perfect!
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The Itinerary: Keep it simple! Start with pre-dinner cocktails and an opportunity to mingle. Add a fun photobooth to capture some memories, a potluck buffet dinner and all the best girlfriends you know!
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What's a party without good food?
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The Menu: As I mentioned, have each guest bring a ready-to-serve dish that can be placed on the buffet table when they arrive. You can pre-plan your menu in your invite or event page, and have guests sign up to bring an appetizer, salad, protein, dessert, etc. You can be specific in naming each dish, or simply specify the category...or just totally wing it! Buffets tend to work out magically!
Store dishes appropriate to the temperature they will be served until it is time to serve; hot foods hot and cold foods cold.
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Have buffet cards prepared ahead of time, if possible, so guests can write the name on their dish on the card for the buffet. Pre-plan for any food allergies on your event page. If there's a dish that contains an allergen, that should be written on the buffet card.
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Set up your buffet table before your guests arrive with things like risers, trivets, serving utensils, wine openers, toothpicks.
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Plan for easy clean up. Have bins/garbage bags for clearing plates, recycling, and waste. Put these in a location that is off to the side and doesn't get in the way of the buffet table flow or the dining table. Guests can store their carry bags in the same location during the party. Have wash cloths, towels, baby wipes (for cleaning hands) or anything you may need in a pinch. Typically, guests will cover and take their owns serving dishes home to clean.
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Nobody wants to miss out on the fun by having to be in the kitchen preparing or washing dishes! This is "Girls Night Out"!
Enjoy your evening out!
All that's left after the planning is done and your guests have arrived, is to enjoy your evening and not stress if everything isn't perfect...because, it is perfect! Turn on some music, mingle, have cocktails, enjoy the food, eat the cake, tell stories, laugh and take lots of pictures! This is what you are going to remember most.
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