Picnics offer a delightful opportunity to enjoy quality time with your loved ones, whether basking in the brimming sunlight of your favourite park or local beach. And with summertime fast approaching, finding the right way to propose might be in sight.
Their inherently romantic character makes it no surprise that people have chosen this personal and intimate situation for a proposal. In fact, “#picnicproposal” has 5.2 million views on TikTok and boasts over 13,000 posts on Instagram, inviting viewers to be a part of these inspiring experiences.
Katy Baxter, Corporate Affairs Director at Baxters of Scotland, a luxury hampers brand, said: “Picnics provide a cute and intimate location for you and your loved one to spend time together, away from the worries of the day. If you’re one of the couples planning to ask the big question on this year, but you’re not sure how to do it, this trend might just be the right answer for you.
Whether with a stunning view of your local landscape or in the sun at your local park, picnics are a simple but personal way to enjoy time together. From setting up a surprise picnic for your partner to adding the surprise of an engagement to a pre-planned one, there are plenty of ways to add magic and romance into the moment.”
Create a love narrative
Proposals are like weaving individual stories into the tapestry that encapsulates your love. It should mirror every single shared experience that led to the pinnacle of your love – the proposal itself.
Katy said: “Creating a perfectly sentimental proposal that is imbued with the individual stories of your love until now demonstrates that you are ready to take the next step. Choose items in your picnic related to moments in your relationship, such as the first wine you drank together or cuisine from your first holiday together, to ensure that the moment is completely personalised to their tastes.”
Finding a location that resonates with your personalities and history together really sets the tone for the entire romantic experience. The perfect location for a picnic proposal fuses elements of natural beauty or a carefully arranged indoor setting, privacy, and sentimental significance. Ideally, choose a location that brings you sweet memories of a romantic date, a first kiss, or a heartfelt shared moment. Or perhaps it is a place you’ve dreamt of visiting together, and this picnic proposal will come as a sweet surprise, fulfilling two wishes in one.
Invoke the five senses
Creating a theme for your picnic proposal adds charm and personalisation to the occasion and brings the story to the front. You can create a memorable atmosphere by evoking the five senses and then revisiting this moment through the objects of your affection.
Katy said: “What we see, hear, touch, taste, and smell can leave an imprint on our memory, especially if we associate it with a positive experience. For a proposal, focus on bringing in a blend of tastes and smells related to memories of you and your loved one, as well as romantic aromas and culinary delights that will commemorate this occasion and become future tokens that will unlock this very special moment.”
“The best way to curate the food assemblage is by bringing a hamper box. It not only looks aesthetically pleasing and put together, but it also allows you to be creative with your selection. You can align your luxury hamper with the picnic theme and tie it with your love story.
“Perhaps you met in Scotland or had your first trip together there? Chutney, handmade shortbread, fudge, and Scottish whisky to toast are perfect to celebrate this binding moment.
Aesthetics are also important, and they appeal to our sight. Incorporate your partner’s favourite colours and items and think about how you can make the space cosy with blankets and cushions, fairy lights, and the accompaniment for sentimental music that invites you into a dance of love.
Capturing the moment
If your partner strives for the perfect Instagram picture, capturing the right aesthetics is essential. You’ll want to hard launch your engagement in style, and make sure your partner can save the moment in the right way. This TikTok video by @Picnic Paradise Sai gained 116.4k likes for their heartfelt surprise proposal that included all the charming elements.
You don’t want to be holding your phone as you lead your loved one to the picnic. Not only will you have too much to focus on already, but this might give the surprise away. Instead, you could hire a discreet photographer to capture the moment without giving the surprise away. If you don’t want to hire a professional, some people have opted for a friend or family member to video or photograph the moment.
Not only will your loved ones know how much capturing the right angle mean to you and your partner, but after the initial surprise, they can join in the celebration too.
The big reveal
Setting up such a romantic scene with many elements reminiscent of your shared moments can hint at the proposal. You can either wait for the ‘right moment’ during the picnic or get down on one knee as soon as your partner arrives.
The build up to a marriage proposal can be a big deal for many people and can create a little bit of anxiety, so why not drop some hints before the big event? One sweet trend that you can try is taking photos of your partner with the ring in sight, without them seeing it. This can make the perfect photobook of “almost asked” moments, ready for the big reveal.
And if you cannot wait to pop the question, make sure you have set up ‘Will You Marry Me’ signs, have your favourite song play in the background, and even ask a friend or a passer-by to film this heartfelt moment to revisit it again and again.
Conclusion
Picnic proposals are all about capturing and remembering memories that tell your love story. Through the food sharing, quaint atmosphere, and thoughtfully selected elements that make up the perfect proposal, you can say “I love you” in a truly meaningful and memorable way. And when is better than the day of love?
Sources
https://www.tiktok.com/tag/picnicproposal
https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/picnicproposal/?hl=en
https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/news/how-the-smell-of-food-can-enable-time-travel