Ask your parents what they want and you'll get the same answer every time: nothing, don't spend money on me, we're fine. Ask them what they miss, and the answer is different — everyone together, no rush, nobody looking at the clock.
That's the gift, and it's harder to arrange than a present, which is exactly why it counts. When it's set up in a park in Austin with a table already laid, they get to be guests at their own celebration for once.
If your mother has hosted every family birthday for thirty years, the most meaningful thing you can do is take the hosting away from her for one afternoon. She will protest. She'll also talk about it for months.
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Just the Two of Them
- ✦Golden Hour, $200 — an hour at sunset for two, table, cushions, umbrella, string lights, water and tea. A gentle, unfussy anniversary gift
- ✦Pillow Talk, $500 — two hours, a tent with cushions and flowers, a 15-minute photo session, and a chalkboard sign with both their names. Most parents have no good photos of the two of them since the wedding
- ✦Add a fresh bouquet — 25 roses $180, 50 roses $250, delivered in a vase of water they take home
Planning something like this?
We set up styled picnics all across Austin — built before you arrive, packed away after you leave.
Book Your Picnic✦
The Whole Family
- ✦The Gathering, $380 — five guests included, up to sixteen at $20 each. Two tables, umbrellas, infused water and warm tea, and a 15-minute photo session
- ✦The Canvas, $500 — five guests, with the creative activity included for everyone. Grandparents and grandchildren painting at the same table is, reliably, the photo of the year
- ✦Groups of eleven or more get a second table setup for $50, so nobody balances a plate on their knees
Bring your own food and tell us in advance — we'll lay it out properly on the tables before everyone arrives. If you'd rather not carry boxes, we can add shelves and stands to display what you bring.
There is a limited number of afternoons like this left. That's not a sad thought, it's a scheduling one.
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Practical Things Worth Knowing
- ✦Mornings are the right call from May through September. Austin afternoons in summer are too hot to sit for two hours
- ✦October, November, March and April are the best months, and they book up four or more weeks ahead
- ✦A backyard works if a family member has the space — a travel fee of $1 per mile applies beyond 15 miles from North Austin
- ✦Tell us if anyone has trouble walking, and we'll set up close to the parking. If the spot is a hard carry, there's a $50 deposit toward the access fee and we confirm the rest after seeing the place
- ✦Deposit starts at $100, and booking three or more days ahead avoids the $30 rush fee
They'll say you shouldn't have. They'll also send the photos to everyone they know.