By: Josh Maxwell Photos by: Rachel Benavides
As the summer season moves in, getting outdoors and spending time in the sun is a top priority. With businesses slowly getting back to their regularly scheduled programing, summer plans might look a little different this year. That’s where Pretty Picnics comes into the picture. This vibrant and aesthetically pleasing business is dedicated to creating the most elaborate and memorable picnic experience for locals.
While picnics have been considered a summer pastime among outdoor enthusiasts for centuries, Pretty Picnics took a different route. Due to COVID-19 limiting social gatherings and canceling many planned events, founder and creator Miranda Bass came up with her own special idea. She says, “When I first started the planning process, I was like, ‘Can I even do this? Who’s gonna want to go out during a pandemic?’
“I realized that people still wanted to celebrate special moments like birthdays, anniversaries, or proposals, but because of the restrictions, we had to celebrate those moments in a more intimate way,” Bass continued.
It didn’t take long to turn her vision into a reality. With the help of some close friends, Bass was able to bring her the concept of Pretty Picnics to life. “The next day I texted three of my closest friends and told them I wanted to start a public picnic business,” Bass says.
Coming from the event planning industry, Bass is able to pull her knowledge and skills for curating a scene and pour them into the Instagram-worthy setups you’ll find when turning to Pretty Picnics. No detail gets left unattended – from the color scheme of the setup to the florals on the table.
Another great aspect of Pretty Picnics is the opportunity Bass has created to work with other local businesses. Due to the elaborate nature of her work, she finds multiple opportunities to showcase the skillsets of other businesses within her setups.
Often pulling from her event planning experience, Bass’s decorative ideas are intricately planned and coordinated seamlessly. The luxury picnic experience comes in a few different forms: After picking the package type, customers can then pick a theme for the setup, each featuring a different vibe and color palette. Bohemian Babe, Romantic Ivy, and Peachy Keen are just a few of the picture-perfect themes to choose from. “Bohemian Babe is actually one of my favorite themes, because it was one of the original themes,” Bass says.
No matter what picnic she is planning, Bass always tries to leave a lasting impression on her clients. “I want them to experience great customer service. I want them to know we’re here for them and make their picnic dreams come true,” she says.
Helping her clients make memories is one of many reasons Bass enjoys running Pretty Picnics. Whether she is planning a picnic for a graduation or a proposal, the intent is always the same. “It just struck a chord in me,” she says. “I cried; I can’t believe I get to do something I love and be a part of people’s lives.”
