We all love a great picnic. They are casual, fun, delicious, and even romantic. However, if you have ever planned one, you know they are a ton of work! The picking and packing of the food, the shlepping of the tables, blankets, and accouterments, and the worst part- cleaning up! Wouldn't it be so nice to enjoy a picnic without any of the hassle? Wouldn't it be fantastic to just show up and have all the work done for you? Well, I have some great news...
Ally Moore, founder of Moore Than a Picnic, recently created this fabulous chic, trendy concept when her job was furloughed due to the Covid pandemic back in March 2020. I had the opportunity to speak to Ally about how she conceived such a fun and creative business.
An event planner for Hyatt Hotels, Ally was using her creativity in her work and loving it. When the pandemic hit and she was furloughed, she went on a trip to San Diego with her husband to get away and to take some time to think about next steps in her life. While in San Diego, she was looking for something to do and saw a company offering custom picnics on the beach. Though she didn't have time to do this, she thought, 'Wow! I can totally do this at home!" She recently had a baby, and she realized that this type of business would allow her the creativity she loves while being able to stay at home with her young son.
Ally came home and worked on this new business endeavor combining her creativity and her passion for event planning. Her goal was to have this business up and running by Feb. 14 in time for Valentine's Day—and to sell out! Her husband was a bit skeptical and thought her goals were set a bit too high. Lo and behold, and on Valentine's Day weekend, she set up a picnic space in Papago Park and created time slots for private picnics. Within the first 3 days, she was completely sold out! Each slot was 2 hours long, and she created 4 slots for each day of the weekend. Of course there was a lot of work involved in cleaning, sanitizing, setting up, and cleaning up in between each of these customized picnics, but it was well worth the effort as her customers raved about their fun experiences!
There are several picnic packages to choose from ranging from $189 for 90 minutes and up $299 for 2 hours, based on the package selected. The Boho-chic picnic setups to choose from are: The Classic, The Glampout, The Dreamy, or any other custom picnic concept of your own. The decor and food varies within each package and they are definitely all Instagram-worthy! Whether it is an engagement, a birthday, a holiday, an anniversary, or a bachelorette party, a picnic created by Ally will be unique and special. Ally chooses fabulous locations and hidden-gem spots that showcase a great sunset, gorgeous palm trees, or a picturesque mountain/water view for the perfect backdrop for your special occasion. Picnics can be intimate, or can be planned for groups (up to 12 at this time). Some of the locations Ally has chosen for picnics are Papago Park (her personal favorite!), McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park, Usery Mountain Regional Park, and she has also plans picnics in her clients' own backyards if they choose to do so.
Moore Than a Picnic truly creates experiences, not just simple picnics. These intimate, luxury experiences are so much more memorable than an expensive dining experience in a restaurant, and are a wonderful option for those not wanting to dine indoors. The beauty of 'just showing up' and having all the hard work done for you is a huge appeal and a large reason why this new business is so successful so soon after its inception. I asked Ally how she felt about her newfound business success and she said:
“I didn’t quite expect it to take off as quickly and successfully as it has taken off. Putting in my creativity into every picnic, my heart and soul, and also working with other local vendors and small business owners and getting to know them as we work together has been so gratifying. The more that I go on, I learn new things.”
I asked Ally what she planned to do in light of the rising temperatures we all know are coming soon across Phoenix/Scottsdale. She said that she is modifying the times of the picnics to take advantage of the cooler temperatures and offering sunrise and sunset picnics. In addition, she can offer picnics indoors when people are not comfortable being outdoors.
Ally can be reached via email or phone. Follow Ally Than a Picnic on Moore's gorgeous Instagram page and see some of the beautiful and special experiences she has created for others to celebrate life and create lifetime memories.
*Ally would also like to thank her talented photographers for their beautiful work capturing her picnics: Brittany Miller Photography and Kailey A Photography.
I would love to know what my readers are the most interested in seeing each week. Please drop me a line telling me what interests you most. Do you have something really interesting you would like me to share? I would love to hear about it!
Email: Susan@stopandbreathe.org, find me on: Instagram, Facebook, or visit my website: StopandBreathe.org