Dinner is Served

A Behind-the-Scenes Look at a State Dinner

Daniel Shanks sweeping red carpet in a White House doorway. (© Susan Walsh/AP)

White House event usher Daniel Shanks sweeps the red carpet in preparation for President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump to welcome Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela and his wife to the White House June 19, 2017. (© Susan Walsh/AP)

White House event usher Daniel Shanks sweeps the red carpet in preparation for President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump to welcome Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela and his wife to the White House June 19, 2017. (© Susan Walsh/AP)

Chief usher

Gary Walters holding umbrella on a wet day at the White House (White House Photographic Office)

White House chief usher Gary Walters holds an umbrella outside the White House. (White House Photographic Office)

White House chief usher Gary Walters holds an umbrella outside the White House. (White House Photographic Office)

Hospitality pro? The usher decides whether dinner will be in the State Dining Room or on the South Lawn. (If the latter, he or she gets tents set up and hires trolleys to bring guests from the South Portico to the tables.) The usher also checks the presidential china for chips, reviews decorations, collaborates on wine pairings and calligraphy, organizes a coat check area, manages the construction of outdoor ramps, and makes sure all workers at the event, including carpenters, wear formal attire. Afterward, the team works into the morning to return the White House to its normal state. They find items left behind — an earring or scarf — and return them to their owners via the social secretary.

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