Yesterday a friend and I took some time to enjoy a picnic along with Fool’s Paradise Travel at their socially distant garden party. It was a great opportunity to relax and enjoy a nicely set up picnic spread, especially since vacation travel is out of the question for me this summer. Below I’m sharing the details of how I put together this picture perfect picnic spread as well as everything you need for a picture perfect picnic. It’s easy, simple and doesn’t take much time to put together. If you’re looking for something more elaborate, I highly recommend you check out this post from Esther-Lauren, who put together the most beautiful backyard garden party. Now, let’s get into it!
The Basket
What’s a picnic without the classic picnic basket. There are PLENTY out there on the internet. Here’s a link to the one I used. I love it because it comes with a set of plates, cups, cutlery, a wine opener, and a cooler compartment. I purchased the more simple basket used to hold the wine bottles last minute from here.
Trays & Charcuterie Boards
The boards you display your food on give you an opportunity to play around with different height levels and sizes. I have this tray from IKEA, which is also great to use as a breakfast in bed or as a laptop in bed tray table. For a more traditional charcuterie board, there’s this.
The Food
As you can imagine, it really is up to you to decide what you want to eat at your picnic. You can go the full on food route, with sandwiches, salads, soul food, Popeyes chicken sandwiches etc., or you can go the light and picture-esque charcuterie route (or do both). If you decide to do the latter, you can work with a variety of cheeses (brie, gouda, cheddar etc), meats (salami, prosciutto), fruits (grapes, strawberries, and blueberries), nuts, and crackers. The options are endless. If you are in the New York City area and don’t feel too keen on putting all of this together yourself, check out perfect picnic NYC grab and go picnic platter option. Their in person store is also packed with tons of excellent picnic accessories if you’re in need of some at the last minute and live in the NYC area. See this video for a peek at the inside of the store.
The Drinks
First of all, water is a MUST. Rosé is a classic summer “adult beverage”. The McBride sisters are a Black women winemakers who create their own. Lemonade and pink lemonade are other classic summer picnic drinks. You’ll definitely need some ice to keep these beverages cool.
Parasol
Shield yourself from the hot sun and do it in an aesthetically pleasing way. The parasol is a night touch and doubles as an effective way to get shade. Here’s the one I used.
Flowers
They are always a nice touch, but keep in mind you might invite some bugs with your flowers. Chances are since you’ll be having an outdoor picnic, there’s always a risk of that anyways. Roses, daisies, or sunflowers are classic summer flower options for a picnic. We decided to go with white roses and picked them up from a local supermarket.
The Not So Picture Perfect Essentials
Last, but most certainly not least, you’ll need some important items to protect yourself and the space you’ll be having your picnic in. These aren’t required for a picture perfect picnic, but they are definitely necessary. Sunscreen is always a must. Bring a trash bag to make sure you aren’t leaving a mess behind. Bug spray and a citronella candle (do those work?) might be helpful depending on if there are bugs around you. (It doesn’t hurt to bring some if you have some.) Hand sanitizer is necessary, not just for a picnic, but for life in general at this point. Clorox wipes might be helpful to have to do a preliminary wipe down of your trays, plates, cups, and utensils before you wash them later. Bluetooth speakers bring some good vibes. Finally, you’ll likely need some sort of cart or trolly to hold all of these items and bring them into the park. I used this one, but wouldn’t recommend it for long term use. It wouldn’t stand up on its own once items were in it and ultimately it broke after one use.
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” Psalm 23:5
