It’s sunset in Bridgeland and a neatly-dressed couple celebrating their wedding anniversary take turns feeding each other grapes. They’re perched on pillows and eat cheese cubes from porcelain plates. Their tiny table is brimming with fresh flowers and a bottle of wine. Nearby, a dainty teepee beckons the couple to either take Instagram selfies or crawl inside for a catnap.
Forget the picnic basket and checkered blanket. This modern picnic spread is all about the luxury experience.
“It’s pretty much about creating memories and experiences they won’t forget,” says Brenda Vilchis, owner of Fancy Picnics, the boutique company behind this romantic picnic spread. Brenda designs, delivers and hauls away each themed picnic experience for clients all over Cypress and Houston.
There’s a nostalgic simplicity to luxury picnics. The picnics allow people to enjoy conversation, a view and snacks free from modern distractions.
“It’s all about reconnecting,” she says. “(It’s) doing something that has been going on a long time but people don’t do it because of technology.”
Brenda, a hospitality management and marketing student at the University of Houston, pays attention to every picnic detail. She carefully scouts out locations with the best view, sets a table and decorates the space with matching rugs, pillows and tableware. She rounds out the experience with catered snacks like cheese platters or specialty cookies decorated to fit the occasion.
Brenda offers setups for date nights, engagement parties, bridal showers - even surprise proposals. Most of her picnics are in public parks, but she also offers private backyard or indoor setups. Prices start at $149 for a date night. She even offers to-go picnic baskets stocked with plates, snacks, fresh flowers and wine glasses for those who wish to DIY their experience.
