Themed picnics: This new Charlotte company is made for boujee outdoor evenings.
The picnic is getting an upgrade. Forget the image of a soggy sandwich on a barely-big-enough blanket. A new Charlotte business is making picnics cool. Picnic.Party.Repeat offers themed picnics to make date night, girls night, special occasions or even brunch an experience.
Natalie Dove started the company in March. The former sales coordinator, turned on and off bartender during the pandemic, had always wanted to get into event planning. Though she didn’t have any formal training, Dove knew she had a knack for it, and the pandemic gave her a lot of time to think about what she wanted to do.
“Instagram and social media make it a lot easier to do a startup now than it was before,“ Dove said.
Social media has been the game-changer. After only a few posts, the picnics quickly grew in popularity. She’s already hired four people to meet the demand. “I knew I made good designs, and I thought people would like them,” she said. “But I definitely thought that it was going to take like a year before I could quit my job and do it full time.”
Dove has created several themed picnics to choose from, including the popular girls’ night Sex and the City package.
Her favorite is the Bridgerton Affair, named after the binge-worthy Netflix series.
The picnic designs are colorful with mismatched dinnerware, candles, and just the right amount of sparkle.
“I have to take pictures before I sit down,”Miriam Chalita said at a recent Morrocan-themed picnic.
A variety of pillows and rugs tailored to the theme centered the eclectic mix of accessories beyond the table, including screen dividers, chairs and small tables.
Of course, you can’t have a picnic without food.
Dove has partnered with a few South Park favorites, including Bulla Gastrobar for tapas and Brie and Things, which provides charcuterie boards.
For a sweet treat, Dove uses Kert’s CakeBalls. Dove will also set up a bar, but you have to provide the alcohol.
Along with the food, set up for most themes include games like life-size Jenga and Connect Four. A Bluetooth speaker helps set the mood.
For an additional fee, customization is available. For example, Dove has done a birthday party in Charleston and a Garden Birthday picnic with a specially made overhead floral arrangement.
But the true secret sauce to the picnics Dove creates is an opportunity for connection, something we’ve all been craving after months of limited interactions because of the pandemic. Sitting around a beautifully decorated table, sharing good food with friends is soothing to the tired soul.
“My favorite part is actually seeing people sitting down at my picnics with their closest friends and people they love and enjoying the experience,” Dove said.
Dove will set up her picnics on rooftops, in backyards, Charlotte parks or any public location. Packages start at $125. There’s even an option for set up only and you can provide all the food.
Picnic.Party.Repeat joins a few other picnic companies already operating in Charlotte, like Picnic Charlotte, The Gathering Picnic Co., and CLT Luxury Picnics.
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