Hello!
Happy Monday! You may have seen on stories that my friends and I celebrated our friend Merissa’s birthday this past weekend! We were so excited to be able to put together this picnic party! A few months ago, Merissa started seeing this picnic trend on Tik Tok and Pinterest and knew that’s how she wanted to celebrate her day. This is such an up and coming trend to throw these adorable, trendy parties and we couldn’t have thought of a better way to celebrate Merissa. As I kept saying the whole time, this is so on brand for her.
We were lucky enough to find @noturaveragepicnic on Instagram and knew she was the right fit for us to host with. We absolutely loved the previous picnics she had thrown on her Instagram feed and knew she would do a great job. When you book, you get to completely customize what you want the picnic to look like and can provide colors and mood boards for inspiration.
I’m excited to be able to offer all of you 15% off with @noturaveragepicnic if you book before August 3rd, 2020! Just mention Styled Zebra to get 15% off bookings. In her Instagram bio, click on “Book Now” and in the notes section of your booking type in STYLED ZEBRA. Also note there may be a travel fee for any bookings over 15 miles from Downtown Dallas.
There are so many packages @noturaveragepicnic offers and we decided to opt out of the food & wine preparation and chose to bring our own! I wanted to share all the tips and tricks you can use to throw your own outdoor picnic this Summer!
Pick Your Location
This was the biggest thing we struggled with when trying to plan our picnic. We all live in apartments and with COVID and everything going on in the world, we didn’t know where the best location might happen. We were lucky enough to be able to host at Merissa’s boyfriend’s parents gorgeous house in Dallas.
We did think of a couple of back up options that might be of use to you! We initally thought the top deck of someone’s parking garage at our apartment. It overlooks the city and not many people park up there! Then we also debated on a public park which would have been so perfect! It looks like this is the most commonly picked destination when people host these types of picnics.
Wherever you decide to host, be sure to have about 20 feet on a flat surface!
Bring on the Snacks!
Custom cheese boards can be so expensive if you buy them completely pre-made. Making our own made more sense from a cost perspective and Trader Joes makes it so easy! I like to usually include a Manchageo, Brie, Goat and Havarti. I always try to choose some in different textures (soft vs hard cheese) and shapes to give some variety to the board.
Trader Joes makes it so easy to gather meats for your board. They have variety packs of meat that are easy and a one stop shop to pick up to include!
Some of my favorite Trader Joes crackers that pair perfect on a board are the rosemary chips, cheddar sticks, pita bite size crackers and then I’ll usually grab a pita chip as well!
Nuts and dried fruit are also great toppings. Trader Joes has the best nuts and the Truffle Marcona Almonds are insane. I love dried apricots and always include those!
Last finish with some honey, hummus, or other type of dip and some fresh fruit! My friends and I love a good cheese board and absolutely inhaled this.
For the main meal, we debated on pizza or another type of snack but my friend Erin ended up making a pasta salad and it was perfect. It paired perfectly with the cheese board, was super easy to transport, and was light enough that you weren’t left hungry. This is my tried and true favorite pasta salad. The flavors are amazing and it’s always a fan favorite!
For dessert, we had homemade cookies and cupcakes YUM! Don’t forget the wine! The picnic company we used provided a wine bucket and we all brought a bottle of wine everyone could share.
Plan a Group Activity
Be sure to bring a game or plan a group activity to play during your picnic. You have the table for four hours and you’ll want to be sure to plan something fun to keep everyone involved!
My girlfriends and I LOVE games. Every girls night we are always breaking out a new game or playing an old favorite. My friend Sarah’s dad works for a company that makes games so we are always up to date on the newest and most fun games on the market!
Linking some of our favorites below! Do You Know Me is so fun to play with your best friends!
There you have it! You are on your way to hosting the perfect picnic party! Be sure to check out @noturaveragepicnic on Instagram and bookings and mention Styled Zebra for 15% off through August 3rd, 2020. Thanks to the Bradford family for hosting us in their gorgeous back yard. Special thanks to Merissa De Falcis for being the best birthday girl and the one responsible for all these gorgeous photos!
I am so lucky to be surrounded by so many beautiful, confident women who always encourage me to be my best self! Love you all!
Be sure to save these photos on Pinterest to reference back on for future celebrations!
xoxo,
Zoe