Royal Palm Pointe shimmered in snowy white Saturday night, as close to 200 guests, dressed in white from head to toe, gathered for the inaugural Cinema de la Mer. Inspired by the Parisian Dîner en Blanc parties now popping up around the world, the event was introduced to Vero Beach by the Vero Beach Wine + Film Festival team in partnership with Celebrity Cruises and Frosch (Indian River Travel).
Their picnic baskets in hand, the invited guests, who had only learned 48 hours ahead of time where the event would be held, came to dine al fresco at long tables set with crisp white tablecloths, white chairs and white candles.
The pièce de résistance featured a particularly elaborate champagne dispenser as its “sparkling opening act.” Lithe and impossibly agile, Kristin Arrow from Flying Arrow Productions poured champagne for guests while hanging upside down from a crystal chandelier which sparkled in the setting sun.
Later in the evening, after sipping Veuve Clicquot and supping on their finger food, guests enjoyed assorted cookies courtesy of Patisserie and watched an open-air screening of the movie “The Colossal Failure of the Modern Relationship,” directed by Sergio Navarretta.
“The idea came from Yolanda Sheppard from Celebrity Cruises,” said event organizer Jerusha Stewart. “She wanted to have an incredible, never-before-seen event in Vero to introduce Celebrity Cruises and their partnership with the Vero Beach Wine and Film Festival. This is definitely a celebrity launch for a celebrity town. One of the reasons Celebrity Cruises was so excited about partnering with us is that they are all about creating a modern luxury experience. They just felt that Vero Beach is full of so many modern luxury moments: fine dining, gorgeous beaches. It’s all here.”
“I was struck immediately about the uniqueness of it. It was so different, especially for our community,” said guest Cynthia Callander. “I couldn’t get over the way the champagne was poured; it was too much fun. Heather [Stapleton] and I were talking and we decided she was truly a white bird of paradise. I think people will be talking about it for some time.”
“I thought it was just so cool, the way the people were all wearing white,” agreed Brenda Lloyd. “And of course the aerialist was just amazing. It was such a unique thing; I really did enjoy it.”
Another objective of the event was to raise awareness of Suncoast Mental Health Center, where Stewart is a board member. Suncoast serves the mental health needs of children and families in Indian River, Martin, St. Lucie and Okeechobee counties, providing them with counseling and supportive services.
“I think that it’s been amazing overall; it truly demonstrates the wow factor that Celebrity provides,” said Sheppard, Celebrity’s market sales manager.