Have you ever scrolled through social media and have seen photos of these beautifully laid out picnics and wondered how to throw one? Picnics are taking over the internet by storm and are becoming the new brunch date. Picnics are a great way to catch up with your friends, save money instead of going out to eat, and are great if you want to show off your newfound recipes.
Where to go?
Finding a perfect spot for your picnic is the first step! You don’t want anywhere that will be crowded with people or somewhere noisy that would ruin the peaceful ambiance.
Parks and beaches are always a good picnic location, if it’s a sunny day somewhere under a shady tree, so you can stay out of the sun as well as keeping the food from melting. If you know of any hidden gems or secret spots around your area then that would be perfect!
Picnic etiquette
It’s always nice to throw a picnic with your friends, but it can also be a hassle to remember everything. A good idea is to ask everyone to chip in and bring something, designate everyone something to bring.
Whether they be on drinks, snacks, blankets/towels, or food. It’s important everyone has a role and makes a contribution, so you don’t wind up having a disastrous picnic with limited food or important items that have been left at home and forgotten.
Top picnic snacks
Some people’s minds go blank when packing food for a picnic… mine once included! Don’t pack foods that are hard to eat or messy. Depending on if you have time or not it’s always fun to bring something you’ve made, a famous cookie recipe, or a salad recipe you’ve been loving recently... Make it ahead of time and bring it along.
Shareable snacks and finger foods are best suited for a day out. Food items such as…
Baked goods
Fruit
Pastries
Salads
Chips and dip
Platters
Sandwiches
Cheese and crackers
Are my top recommendations to bring along to your picnics!
How to make it “aesthetic”
Bring along some pretty blankets or make an Insta-approved grazing platter to layout! Ask your friends to dress up and have your disposable and Polaroid film ready to go. To make it more fun have some wine or champagne glasses with grape juice chilled and ready to pop and pose with. Try to sit near quiet and picture-worthy scenery as it’ll make for some great photos, you can even opt for an evening outing and catch the sunset.
Worthy purchases for a picnic
Don’t spend big on a picnic as it’s easy for things to get messy or broken. Places like Target and Kmart sell cheap great items that are great and worth buying. Picnic baskets are perfect and convenient for fitting in all the snacks and food you’ll be carrying around. The one I purchased came as a set with plastic reusable cutlery and plates (Which is a lifesaver instead of using paper plates!).
A trip is definitely recommended if you and your friends don’t have or can’t find any of the items you’ll need. Instead of bringing your parent's fragile plates and glasses buy plastic or paper ones that are super cheap and won’t break easily.
Hit play
To some friend groups music is equally important as food and I couldn’t agree more! Bring a portable speaker and take turns adding songs to a playlist. Be cautious and mindful if you're in a public shared space with others, remember not to play it too loud.
The best kind of music is music you can all sing along too so try to avoid songs that not everyone will know and stick to easy listening background music for when your focus isn’t on the music and rather on the delicious array of food in front of you.
The official checklist
To help remember what you’ll need to bring on your outing a checklist is required to ensure you don’t have any hiccups (especially if this is your first time adventuring on a picnic).
Food and snacks!
The uttermost important item on this list
Drinks
Keeping hydrated is just as important as nibbling away at the food, bring enough for everybody!
Blankets
Who wants to sit down on hot sand or prickly grass? Have large blankets big enough to fit everybody and all your food on
Plates and Cutlery
You can choose not to be civilized... but plates and cutlery are always a must!
Portable speaker
For all the hottest jams on the playlist
Cameras!
Whether these be disposable or Polaroid or even your phone camera
Picnic inspiration
If you want to throw an aesthetic picnic instead of a regular old outing with your squad it pays to look for some inspiration, scroll through your timeline or social media platforms such as Pinterest for some cute ideas to spice it up. Try getting creative and color coordinate or have a color scheme or theme in mind. Maybe you want to have a specific cuisine, for example, go buy some baguettes and pastries for a French influence or if you're fully committed, make your own!
Picnics are one of the best ways to spend time with your friends and having great food, music, and company is a great way to spend your day and make memories. Whether you're simply enjoying the presence of nature and nibbling away or chattering away and struggling to get a word in, you'll always find that picnics are an absolute go-to activity.
An aesthetic picnic is tons of fun and will make you and your group radiate major main character energy. Grab your friends, food and start packing your basket!
