Unlike caterers who focus on food, luxury picnic companies specialize in what they call tablescapes, or themed table setups. They often team with local food vendors or compile their own small bites. Customers interested in these outdoor outings should be ready to pay for them. Setups and extras can surpass an upscale multicourse restaurant meal. Unpredictable weather events can also lead to last-minute cancellations or changes.
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After launching PIC-NIC in Atlanta last year, founder Samantha Dawkins Orihuela learned to mitigate the downsides of public open-air dining. She advises guests to sit on Bohemian-inspired beach chairs rather than pillows.
“When people walk up, we greet them like they are at a VIP table at a nightclub,” she says. Ms. Dawkins Orihuela offers picnics in seven cities and limits most to what she calls micro-events with a maximum of 25 people. She sources pillows from Morocco and serving trays from France. She uses rugs and pillows in bright pinks and greens to create a color palette that pops on camera. “We made it for Instagram,” she says.
Write to Alina Dizik at alina.dizik@wsj.com