After a visit with my parents in Michigan to introduce them to my new boyfriend, my mom sent us off with a road trip picnic as we drove back to Marblehead, MA in my new Chevy Vega. She packed turkey sandwiches cut on the diagonal, alternating white and wheat bread halves, wrapped in wax paper with tidy hospital corners. Grapes were plucked off the vine, zipped into a baggie. Pepperidge Farms cookies were stacked and tucked into the corner of a gift box, wrapped itself in tissue paper and curled ribbon. Pure Emily. Now, 34 years later, I remember that lunch fondly, though now turn to Coast & Mingle for an elevated and memorable picnic. We met the owners at Wiggins Pass for a chat as they set up gorgeous picnics for two special private parties.
NL: Your picnics are picture-perfect. What drives your themes?
C&M: Our picnics are carefully customized for each individual client's experience. We carefully curate themes so that our clients can visualize the colors, textures and overall feel of their picnic. What drives our themes is our passion for bringing this experience to Southwest Florida. We named our themes after places that locals can resonate with. We want our guests to fall in love with what they see. Our picture perfect picnics provide the opportunity to capture a memory that is unforgettable. Our favorite part of this business is the creative aspect. So naturally we can come up with various themes for our picnics pretty frequently. To make it simple we narrowed it down to five main themes: The Coastal Appeal, Boho Beach, Romantic , La Bonita and Antique Me!
NL: What's the process for planning a picnic and how much advance notice do you like?
C&M: We keep our process simple, tailored and connected. When a client wants to book with us, we introduce ourselves so they become familiar with the person who will design their picnic. Our clients book in 3 easy steps- they select the package, the theme and the location. Once we've developed a perfect experience we communicate regularly with our clients so they stay informed with the plans. We ask for 1 week notice so we can plan accordingly.
NL: Tell us about a few unique picnics you've planned.
C&M: This year we've helped clients plan proposals, romantic date nights, graduation celebrations and anniversaries just to name a few. One of our most unique picnic requests was from a thoughtful mother whose daughter's original wedding date had been canceled for reasons out of their control. She didn't want the date to be remembered as a gloomy day, but rather a special day so she planned a picnic with us. We worked with her to determine small details like wedding colors, the bride and groom's favorite drinks, as well as favorite flowers and snacks. This allowed us to make a memorable experience on their original wedding date. It's moments like these that make Coast and Mingle proud to be a part of people's special life events.
NL: You're a family-owned business. Why is Southwest Florida a good place for your home and business?
C&M: Naples naturally has the perfect landscape for our business. There is no place like Naples which makes it easy for our business to call it home.
