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Summer is an ideal time to enjoy the great outdoors, and a classic activity is the picnic. This is an opportunity to appreciate nature, relax with friends and family, and enjoy good food together. Be it posh, natural, or the classic ‘red checkered blanket’ outing, now’s the time to create your very own delightful picnic.
In fact, picnics are enjoying a resurgence and becoming a more popular trend, especially among Generation Z, according to Smithsonian Magazine. This is seen by the emergence of professional picnic companies across the globe. And with social media witnessing a boom in searches for picnic ideas, there are now countless online photos of blankets adorned with candlesticks, fresh bouquets, and flatware. Here are some ideas to help you plan a most memorable picnic.
Go for the pros
If you want to host an unforgettable event for a large crowd of family or friends, call in the pros. Yes, there are picnic experts who will design anything from a mystery picnic to an afternoon of live music along with fabulous food.
Or, go for romance and order the most popular picnic around; a date night picnic! This is such an enjoyable outing, online searches for the term picnic date ideas have seen an increase in 385 percent in the last year! A picnic date is also a fun and casual opportunity to express your personal style.
Choose a theme
Give your moveable feast a theme you love. Make it artsy and Bohemian or have a fancy frock event, suggests the party planning company The Bash.
Another idea is to host an Alice in Wonderland picnic. It could be a Mad Hatter tea party complete with cupcakes and freshly cut flowers. Or, go for the vintage theme with a red-checkered tablecloth, thermos, and classic picnic cooler. Wrap your sandwiches in wax paper just like your grandparents used to!
Al fresco food
Food is center stage at all picnics! To help you plan, there are countless menu and picnic recipe sites like Picnictale. Ensure your delicacies are easy to pack, transport, and serve. To keep your picnic sustainable, bring along biodegradable dishes and cutlery or use regular dishes from home.
One food trend that is easy to prepare, transports well, and pleases all is a charcuterie board. Arrange a selection of cheeses, herbed butters, nuts, and fruit on a wooden platter and serve it with loaves of crusty baguette.
Stage it
Enhance your picnic with a great location. Be it under a large, shady tree, on a sandy beach, or facing a sunset, a scenic setting will enrich your picnic.
Even the time of day will add ambiance and create a sense of wonder. Picnictale suggests making a sunrise picnic, a sunset experience, or a nighttime gathering under a meteor shower.
As for the decor, the blog hello, bombshell! recommends bringing along placemats, a table runner, pillows, and flowers. Placing a centerpiece on your blanket will make your picnic look stunning.
If you are dining al fresco at night, battery operated lanterns and fairy lights draped across tree branches will add natural softness to your outdoor get together.
Make it fun
Remember those childhood days of playing croquet, throwing a frisbee, and jumping around in a potato sack? Revive these fun and simple pleasures at your picnic while stirring up sweet memories from the past.
How about bobbing for apples? Fun for kids and adults alike, The Pioneer Woman suggests incorporating this old-time favorite activity into your picnic fun.
Don’t forget the music! Ask friends to bring along instruments for an impromptu jam. Or, make your own playlist of upbeat songs that your crowd will appreciate.
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