A Winter Picnic at Home in Austin: Warm Tea, Blankets and Nowhere to Drive

Winter in Austin has its own kind of evening. In December the sun is gone by around half past five, a cold front rolls through, and hunting for parking downtown loses its charm fast. That doesn't mean the date has to be another movie on the couch.

A picnic doesn't need a park. We bring the whole thing to your backyard or right into your living room — cushions, candles, string lights, warm tea and, outside, cozy blankets for as much coziness as a winter afternoon can hold. It's ready before your start time, and when you're done, we pack it away.

In Your Backyard

Your own lawn or patio — private, no crowds, no parking to hunt for. We set up the low table, cushions, candles, string lights and music on your grass. On a cool afternoon, two things make the difference: the warm tea that comes with every package, and a blanket around each pair of shoulders.

In Your Living Room

When it's properly cold or gray outside, we turn your living room into the picnic — cushions on the floor, candlelight, string lights and warm tea. Nobody has to drive home afterward, and if there's a little one asleep in the next room, you're never more than a few steps away. Use the Special Requests box in the booking form to tell us which room, and anything we should know about the space.

• ✦Golden Hour — $200. One hour for two: a low table with cushions, a decorative umbrella, candles and string lights, a Bluetooth speaker and warm tea. A photo session can be added for $125 per 15 minutes
• ✦Pillow Talk — $500. Two hours, and the coziest of the three: a tent with pillows, silk ribbons and flowers, texture painting or a vision board for two, a chalkboard sign with your names and a 15-minute photo session — we shoot it ourselves, do a light edit, and every good frame is with you within 10 days
• ✦Daydream — $950. Everything in Pillow Talk, plus a little film of the moment, a bouquet of 50 fresh roses in the color you choose and two bags of fresh rose petals. Orders over $800 add a $100 helper fee
• ✦For family or friends — The Gathering is $380 for five people, then $20 for each extra guest, up to 16. The Canvas is $500 for five, with texture painting for everyone

The Little Things That Make It Winter

• ✦Cozy blankets — $40 each, only from November through February. Take one per person, and you'll stay out until the last of the light
• ✦Booking during December? The form also offers glowing "Merry" letters for $15 for a date night or an anniversary. Book in January or February and you'll find Valentine phrases instead, like "Be My Valentine" for $30
• ✦Bring your own wine or champagne and we'll set out the glasses for free — just tick them in the form. Or name any non-alcoholic drink and we'll bring it for $10 a bottle
• ✦The food stays yours: we don't cook, so bring what you love and we'll lay it all out
• ✦Celebrating a birthday? A bakery cake can come along — $75 for 2–6 people, writing on top included. We don't bake; we pick it up for you, so choose it at least three days ahead

Short days are the one catch. Every time the booking form offers ends by sunset — at home too. Here's the latest start through the winter:

• ✦December — sunset around 5:30–5:41 PM. Golden Hour starts by 4:30, a two-hour picnic for two by 3:00, a group (or three or more guests) by 2:30
• ✦January — sunset 5:42–6:07 PM. Golden Hour by 4:30–5:00, a two-hour picnic for two by 3:00–3:30, a group (or three or more guests) by 2:30–3:00
• ✦February — sunset 6:08–6:29 PM. Golden Hour by 5:00, a two-hour picnic for two by 3:30, a group (or three or more guests) by 3:00

Extra time ($25 for 15 minutes, $45 for 30, $80 for an hour) moves the latest start earlier. And at home there's one option the form doesn't show: a picnic that runs into the dark, with the candles and string lights doing all the work. It's possible by arrangement and costs more than the same picnic in daylight — we bring extra light and a second pair of hands. Message us with the evening you have in mind, and we'll tell you the exact amount before you book anything.

On the day of every picnic we check the forecast, and if there's any rain in it, you choose: the same day at your home, another date free within three months, or keeping your date at your own risk. A picnic at home is exactly that first choice — so if you've booked your living room from the start, the forecast is just the view from your window. Booked the backyard? On a rainy day, the same picnic can come inside. A little wind or a light shower doesn't cancel anything; we simply adapt the setup.

• ✦The way in: the form asks how we get to your spot, because we carry everything by hand. A flat, easy walk costs nothing extra. Stairs, a long carry or a walk-up apartment means a second pair of hands: we add $50 to hold it, and once we've seen the place we tell you the final amount, from $50 to $400 — never more without telling you first
• ✦Kids: a baby on your lap is free. Older kids count as guests — $15 each in the picnics for two, up to six people in all
• ✦Book two to four weeks ahead. Inside three days there's a $30 rush fee, plus another $30 if the order has fresh flowers or food
• ✦The deposit starts at $100, and the rest is due at least a day before

Winter in Austin is short. Its cold evenings are worth making a fuss over — and you don't even have to leave the house.