South Africa Event Planning

Picnics are defined by their outdoor nature, relaxed atmosphere and fun ambience, together with good food and close friends or family. A picnic event is a fabulous option for many occasions, promising the guests a feeling of tranquillity and an opportunity to forget the stresses of everyday life as they enjoy the gorgeous outdoors.

Picnics can be held for a number of different events, including:

• Children’s parties
• Weddings
• Year-end functions
• Farewell, retirement or birthday celebrations
• Baby showers
• Family reunions
• Teambuilding initiatives
• School outings

The key is to keep the mood relaxed, easy-going and fun. It is optimal to have an outdoor venue, as this is the very nature of a picnic. Therefore, your picnic will likely need to be in spring or summer to avoid the risk of rain or inclement conditions. If it is absolutely impossible to have your picnic out of doors, be creative. Find a large indoor venue and use your décor to emulate the natural surrounds outside. Throw rugs on the floor, pack baskets and use plastic crockery and cutlery to set the mood. The ideal venues are fields or meadows, the beachfront or a local park.

For your perfect picnic event, you will need the following:

• Plenty of comfy rugs or mats on which to sit
• Cushions
• Food and beverages
• Picnic baskets
• Music
• Bottle openers
• Rubbish bags for all of the left-overs and waste
• Napkins and wet-wipes
• Sun screen
• Games and toys (a soccer ball is a must)

Because your picnic is likely to take place outdoors, you will need less in the way of formal décor, since the beauty will come from all around you. However, fresh flowers, pretty rugs and baskets, and some added extras; such as colourful helium balloons, lanterns hanging in the trees and pretty paper plates; will definitely give your picnic event the edge.

As part of your organising, arrange to play a few games during the event. This will give young and old something to do and prevent them from becoming bored. If yours is a corporate team, make the games suitable to their ages and profiles. Volleyball, for example, is a great option for younger, fitter people, while funny awards ceremonies or music trivia will suit almost any adult group.

One catering option is to request that your guests bring their own picnic baskets. This is cheaper and easier for you, but makes this less of a treat for them. If you plan to pack baskets for your guests, try to include a variety of tasty treats so that everyone can enjoy its contents. Include items like cold meats, cheeses, savoury biscuits, dried fruit, muffins, preserves, salad rolls, and cupcakes. Your liquid refreshments are just as important. Remember to bring ice and ice buckets for champagne, white wine, beers, juices and sodas. Consider adding special items like fruit smoothies or cocktails to your menu.

There are so many advantages to choosing a picnic as your desired event. These include:

• No dishes to wash!
• They are cheaper than taking everyone out for a meal in a restaurant.
• You get to enjoy the outdoors and the sounds of nature.
• Children are well entertained as they can play freely.
• There is plenty of room available for larger crowds.
• Picnic areas are usually freely available, not requiring reservations.

Photo Credit: Kiwi Collection