Romantic Anniversary Picnic
by Sirena Van Schaik

If you have ever watched a romantic comedy, or even a romance movie for that matter, you will probably see a scene that involves a picnic of some sort.  It can be a picnic in a park, a nearby forest, on a boat or on the floor of some stylish loft; but it is a picnic for sure with the picnic basket, blanket and tasty food that can be finger fed to your partner.

There is no doubt about it, a picnic has become a staple of romance and this is a perfect theme for any married couple, whether it is for a first, fifth or even twentieth anniversary.  If your anniversary is in fall, spring or summer, don’t hesitate to try a romantic picnic for two on the day you celebrate.  You can even add an element of surprise by having a winter picnic before a nice roaring fire for anniversaries that fall in the winter season.

 

Planning

When it comes to planning the romantic picnic, there really isn’t that much to do.  First, you are really going to want to plan the location and it is important to find a place where both you and your spouse will feel comfortable.

What this means is that you will need to do some leg work before the big day.  If you have decided on a park for the picnic, take a day or two to scout out the perfect location. As nice as a park can be, no two spots are created equally and the last thing you will want to do is relocate because you picked a spot that has a high traffic area since this can ruin the romantic atmosphere that you are trying for.

If you have time, and if the park is close to where you work, eat your lunches at the spot where you want to picnic before you celebrate your anniversary.  This will give you the best reference for location and if you find that you are not happy with the site, you can plan for the move well in advance to the anniversary party for two.

Now that you have your location, it is time to plan for an indoor location just in case the weather doesn’t play fair.  You can choose to do this at home or you can look up a hotel that offers wonderful suites; if it rains on the day, simply whisk your spouse to the new location and have a picnic on the carpet instead of on the grass. If the weather is warm and you just need cover from the rain, you can opt for a gazebo or covered picnic area if you know of one nearby.

After location, you are going to want to choose the food.    Try to choose special favorites that both you and your spouse likes but also make sure that you have some finger foods and a few treats since you are celebrating. If this is an afternoon picnic rather than a full meal, a selection of gourmet cheese (don’t forget the cutting knife), fresh crusty bread from the deli, and fine wine will feel totally luxurious while cuddling on a blanket.

Organic fruit is always a big hit for a picnic but you can also have decadent cakes and chocolate, gourmet nuts, fancy finger sandwiches and even things like Somoza or cold chicken.  One word of advice about food: try not to use a lot of onions or garlic for breath reasons.  If you do, make sure it is something that you will BOTH be eating! :-) And bring a pack of mints, gum, or perhaps lemon-mint tea for after the meal.

Before the day of your romantic picnic, make sure that you have a proper picnic basket (or one of those specially designed hiking picnic basket backpacks) and a romantic picnic blanket.  One thing that can really detract from your effort is using a plastic bag to carry the food and a ratty blanket to lie on.

 

The Anniversary Day

On the day of your anniversary, it will be time to really get ready for your picnic date.  One of the nicest things about a romantic picnic is that it can be squeezed into a fun day.  You may want to spend the day hiking (see our theme Hiking for the Day), or you can combine it with an outdoor movie in the park. You could even bring your laptop, two sets of headphones with a signal splitter device (try googling “double adapter headphone”), and watch a romantic DVD together.  

Another nice thing about the romantic picnic is that you can really have it simply as a small celebration that takes up a lunch hour in a busy work day.  Since anniversaries are not always on the weekend, this can be a perfect choice if you have to work on your anniversary. Simply prepare the food for the lunch hour and plan to meet at a park to celebrate in a thoughtful and romantic manner.

Since you know where you are having your picnic, all you will need to do on the morning of the anniversary is to pack up the picnic basket (or pick it up if you had it catered) and head out for the picnic.

When you are eating your picnic, don’t make the time all about eating.  The actual picnic is simply a setting to spend time with each other, talk about the future, reminisce about the past and whisper, “I love you,” throughout the picnic.  Take time to relax on the blanket in each other’s arms or go for a nice stroll near your blanket.  Remember that this is a time to simply enjoy being in love, and the food is only an added bonus to an already romantic meal.

If you are having the anniversary party indoors, you can do all of the same things but really restrict yourself to the blanket.  Many times it can be easy to become distracted by the housecleaning or the television so remove temptation by having the picnic in a bedroom or away from those distractions.  And turn off the phones, landline and cell/mobile!  Remember that a romantic picnic should resonate with romance so don’t forget to add a few flowers to the atmosphere and really take the time to not only talk but listen as well.

 

Special Considerations

• The mood: Since you are relying on the location and food to set the mood of romance, make sure you choose a location that is away from high traffic areas and playgrounds.  Also make sure that you choose food that won’t be too heavy on the stomach.
• Alcohol:  This is not going to be an issue if you are having the picnic at home, a secluded spot, or in a hotel room, but it is usually frowned upon to have alcohol in public places unless you do so very discreetly and respectfully.  If the setting of your picnic is inappropriate for bringing out the fine champagne or red wine, choose a non-alcoholic beverage for the picnic and have the champagne chilling in the fridge for when you return home. If you have a local forest that you can easily walk to, this may be your best option for including alcohol because then there is no need to drive home afterwards.
• Bug Spray: One thing that can ruin a picnic are the bugs so make sure that you bring enough bug repellent to keep everyone happy and bug free.
• Pack-in-pack-out:  Whatever you bring to your picnic, take it home with you for proper disposal or recycling.  This is particularly important if you are going into a forest or park setting.  Littering is lazy and uncultured.
• Sun protection:  If you will be under direct sunlight in the summer, you may be very glad you remembered hats and sunscreen.
• Technology: This can be so difficult for everyone but turn off your cell phone. Remember, this is a romantic day for just the two of you; if something is urgent, they will leave a message and you can get back to the caller after the picnic is done.
  

If you want a picnic ready-to-go, try this one.