Thank you!

What an incredible night! After months of hard work and dedication the most magical evening came together and we are so happy to have shared it with you all.  Thank you to our 1400 guests for your enthusiasm, elegance and eager participation that made the evening as exceptional as it was. Not only did our guests look the part, but the spirit of celebration was evident from the moment the first guest walked through the gates of the war memorial.
 

A Diner en Blanc event could not happen without the selfless commitment of our volunteer team. From meetings, a month before the event, to running errand on the day of the event, they were committed and supportive from the first day – talk about blind faith! They volunteered before they had any idea what they were getting themselves into.   Camilla and I were always so taken aback by the kind words of support during the planning process and the congratulatory hugs on the evening, it is just so incredible to be brought together and work so well for a common goal – celebrating life! We honestly could not have done it without you, our new and old friends, so the biggest thank you to:

• Our Group Leaders, Debbie Fletcher, Margaux Henning, Jamie Wilson, Matt Fendick, Nicole Sutton-Pryce and Taryn Schultz.
• Our Bus Leaders, Alison Levesley, Andre Vos, Camille Nell, Dorette Nel, Dorothee Ossude, Hassive Magana Maya, Helen Perfett, Henda Badenhorst, Kelly Fenning , Kerith Hulme, Laura Rice, Lee Weinberg, Melissa de Beer, Melissa Pharo, Olivia Hearle, Olivia Ncube, Rabin Harduth, Sara Hallatt, Shannon Page, Stephanie Eaton and Tamara Lewis
 

So many people contributed to making the evening a success and we would like to thank:

• Annie and Ali from Fyfe PR, who were brought on board late in the planning process but stepped up to the plate in the most spectacular way. Camilla and I loved every minute of working with you, and we cannot wait to start again, you girls are just awesome!
• Lee-Ann from Eyethu events whose calm professionalism is astounding. It is such a pleasure to work with you.
• Our sound and lighting suppliers Surge Sound and The Sound Corporation who worked around a very difficult brief  -a sound system the needed to be aesthetically pleasing without compromising the quality of the sound that did not create too much noise. You guys pulled it off, well done!
• Our caterers Off-The-Cuff catering who worked under the most incredibly difficult circumstances, thank you!
• The Rocketeers, you guys are incredible and we could have listed to you all night! The fact that just a two piece band can create such a warm and intimate atmosphere for a dinner party of 1400 is phenomenal. Thank you.
• The Muses certainly got the party started! Four incredibly beautiful and talented girls the crowd adored you and we still have people asking us who you are and where to find you. I think there were a number of our male guests who very quickly developed an appreciation for string quartets – particularly when they look as good as you did!
• Flash Republic, thank you for the performance. It was wonderful to have such a big name in the SA music scene perform and attend our event. We hope you had as much fun as we had watching you perform.
• DJ Ultra Mel is the best DJ in Johannesburg! There we said it. Mel had 18 to 60 year olds up on their feet, dancing together and having the most wonderful time, not an easy feat. When I forced Mel to turn the music off at midnight, there were a number of very angry guests who wanted to keep partying with you all night. Mel, thank you for helping make the night the success that it was – you are a gem and we knew from the start that we wouldn’t do it without you!
• The Rand Regiment Memorial Trust – thank you for entrusting your beautiful monument to us for the evening. We were so excited to help expose one of Johannesburg’s most beautiful moments to the public as we heard guests comment that they did not even know that it existed! Everyone should come and see this gorgeous landmark!
• Vaughn’s Creations for the beautiful media lounge and supplier of all the tables and chair. Thank you for being as excited as us about the event!
• Wade Howard, Matt Wilkes and Matt Balcomb, thank you for helping us capture the spirit of the event in your pictures and video. They are so beautiful! Matt B, thank you for your willingness to help so late in the game and for sharing our enthusiasm at the event.
• Jenny Crwys-Williams thank you for all the support before during and after the event. We loved working with you and hope that you will join us again this year.
 

To the Diner en Blanc International Team, Jessica, Annie, Sandy and Aymeric, thank you for the support, we could not have pulled this off without each one of you!
 

We can’t wait for 2014 – hope to see you all there.