How to Nail a Luxury Picnic – Where to Start

Regular picnics have their appeal, with the standard sausage rolls and bread, butter and ham sandwiches and standard set up. However you may want to go for something that’s a little bit nicer. Firstly, as a splurge to get that sense of luxury and most importantly as a treat yourself and/or the family. Hence a luxury picnic is the perfect upgrade.

So, how do you start organising a luxury picnic?

1. The standard crockery, cutlery etc., but better quality
2. Delicious, nicely presented food items
3. Some luxury food items, such as bubbly
4. A nice outdoor location
5. A beautiful setup
6. Great company

Let us dive a little deeper on some tips and what to do.

DIY vs Outsourced Luxury Picnic

Any picnic takes some form of planning, including luxury picnics. However you do have a choice on how much effort you want to put into it.

You can 100% DIY your own luxury picnic. However you can also outsource part, or the whole thing to make things easier on yourself.

DIYing your own luxury picnic will involve hand picking every item and setting everything up. Additionally you could make all the food yourself.

The choice depends on how much time you have on your hands and whether you enjoy preparing for these sorts of events. Additionally the cost is a factor. Outsourcing luxury picnics is an expense. More so if you would like to make a luxury picnic a regular affair.

Whether you decide to DIY or outsource a luxury picnic the fundamentals remain the same. It all boils down to the quality of the items on display. A beautiful setting is also important too, so as to create an all-round exceptional experience. However the quality of the food and the setup in particular is paramount. Everything needs to be couture style for the perfect #chicnic.

DIY – Selecting Items for a Luxury Picnic

Firstly you need to hand pick item and carefully colour coordinate your picnic. You should figure out what colour scheme you are after. Most of the time the best advice is to look for neutral items. However you can also insert a little colour to make the whole thing pop. So let me cover one item at a time.

1. Table

Most of the time luxury picnics have a very low table similar to the one in the image. However this is not always the case. If you do go for a table you have to make sure it is robust and nice looking, and not anything like those plastic foldable tables you can buy from Amazon. Even though we do recommend these table, but definitely not for a luxury affair.

2. Blanket or Rug

Whether you choose to set up a table or not, you need to get a blanket or a rug. This is so you do not sit directly on the ground.

If you are setting up a table, then it is better to place a plain rug underneath. Like for example the flecked rug from Zara in the image is perfect. Alternatively if you are setting up your picnic without a table you can consider using a picnic blanket. Here are some picnic blankets we recommend, but I would not suggest all of them in this case.

For a luxury picnic you want to pick something classy. That means either a neutral coloured tartan from the Tartan Blanket Co., the Large Round Ombre or the blue Herringbone from VonShef.

3. Cushions

Cushions are definitely an essential when it comes to luxury picnics. You will be sitting on the ground after all so a comfy, stylish cushion is perfect for extra comfort.

Of course you should pick cushions that are neutral in colour. Otherwise you can get a mix or neutral coloured and coloured cushions that match the rest of the items. Similarly to the image featured in the table section.

4. Place Mats

Place mats are an optional item. I’m only suggesting them if you can find something that will go well with your ensemble. Alternatively you should consider the next item on the list.

5. Table Runner

Soft furnishings really make the whole set up much nicer. Hence a table runner is definitely in order. This one from Zara is quite nice. However you can also buy a nice fabric, lay it across the table and scrunch it up like in the previous images.

6. Plates

Most of the time white plates like these from Zara are the best option for your luxury affair. White is neutral and can get paired with any other colours as well as provides contrast. You could go for rimmed bone china plates which are classy like in the example above.

Alternatively you can go for coloured plates, like these blue plate. However you have to make sure that you match the plate with everything else that is on the table. In the case of a blue plate using more blue or neutral items. Same for other colours.

7. Cutlery

Get some nice good quality cutlery to pair with your plates. The key thing is that if you make sure that the cutlery is in the same style as your plates. That is to say, if you have modern plates then pick cutlery that is modern. On the other hand if you have more traditional plates then you should pick more traditional looking cutlery.

The images above in the plates section are a good guide on what to go for. However with plain white plates you can go for any cutlery set you like. The nice thing about plain white plates is that they are clinical and lack character. So you can pair them with anything.

8. Glasses

The same rule applies to glasses as cutlery. Modern with modern and traditional with traditional. You can go for a plain, understated glass to allow the other items on the table do the talking. Otherwise you can pick crystal clear glasses with a classy pattern.

However you can also pick coloured glasses to insert some colour and personality. These examples here are fantastic to achieve that chic look for a luxury picnic. Some great examples of glasses to consider are these Zara plain glasses, gold rimmed glass, green glass and glass tumbler.

9. Wine / Champagne Glasses

Plain wine glasses are always the best choice to get that chic look of luxury. Even if you happen to pick coloured tumblers like the green glass above.

You could always pair the aesthetic of your other glasses with your wine glasses of course. So in the case of the green glass above you could use a matching wine glass with exactly the same colour and pattern.

However I would be careful about which wine glasses you pick as you could accidentally create a more casual look. Hence why I suggested going for something plain and classy.

10. Napkins

Here you can go for paper or fabric napkins. Ideally, if you go for fabric napkins, you should pick plain ones in light colours like white or cream. At most ones that have a very slight and discrete pattern along the edge.

You can go for patterned napkin, but you have to be very careful about the ones you pick. Hence if you want to play it safe just go for plain napkins. If you are going for paper napkins, pick rectangular ones like the ones they use at nicer restaurants.

11. Napkin Rings (Optional)

Plain napkin rings are always the best option so you can allow the items on the table to take centre stage. Alternatively if you do not use napkin rings you should neatly fold your napkins and place them by the side of the plates.

12. Other Crockery

You need to have some other items on the table like salt and pepper and service plates. You may even need a 3-tiered cake stand. Make sure whatever you select works with the overall aesthetic of the other items included in your luxury picnic.

13. Flower Arrangement/s

You need something to put the last finishing touches to complete the look. Flower arrangements can make the table look fuller and more beautiful. Just make sure it is not too full and tall. As a result, guests will not have to lean over on one side or another to see past the arrangement to see and talk to one another.

The flowers you pick do not have to be fresh flowers. I particularly like dried flowers over plastic ones. However there are some very nice plastic flowers that look like the real thing.

14. Candles (Optional)

If you want to create a little more atmosphere, especially in the evening, candles are a perfect way to do this. Go for a candle and holder colour that will complement the rest of your items.

DIY – Selecting a Location

To go with the overall look you need a nice backdrop, so somewhere nice to create your special event. Whether that’s a park, somewhere where there is grass or a sandy beach. You can literally go anywhere.

The problem is carrying everything, and most importantly so that everything is in one piece once you get to your destination. Hence why you might want to consider outsourcing part or all of your luxury picnic.

Outsourcing Your Luxury Picnic

Outsourcing part of your luxury picnic is great to take away some of the stress, especially if you are busy. One way of doing this is buying luxury hampers and taking them to your picnic.

If I was living in the UK, a Fortnum and Mason hamper would be one of the most appropriate choices. Hampers like these are what you are after, because they ooze luxury. That is to say not just because of the presentation, the brand name also helps.

If you happen to venture out on a luxury picnic with your immediate family, a Fortnum and Mason picnic basket is fantastic. The presentation is great and all you need to do is figure out the food.

In large countries you may have the option to outsource all of your luxury picnic. For example in the US or UK you can find companies that will take care of everything for you. That includes catering and set up with table, crockery etc. all taken care of. Just Google luxury picnic companies and filter the results to find what you are after.

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