How to Throw an Easy Backyard Bash
We have you covered from decor and drinks to crowd-pleasing recipes and covetable grilling gear.
Photography by Angel Tucker.
Picnic Party
Planning a perfect picnic can be as easy as hiring a mother-and-daughter duo to do it for you.
By Jamie Coelho
Life’s a picnic, but sometimes you don’t want to do all the work that goes into planning one. Premier Picnics is made up of a mother-and-daughter duo, Elizabeth and Alexandra Salisbury, who can plot a perfect date, birthday meetup or an intimate gathering for two to four people and up to ten guests in an outdoor Rhode Island location of your choice.
They supply a picnic table and seating, plates, utensils and food, plus themed picnic decor. “If guests want to choose a state park or beach, or they want to have it in their backyard, they can let us know or ask us to curate the location for their picnic,” says Premier Picnics co-owner Alexandra Salisbury.
For food, guests can choose a simple spread of fruit and charcuterie, or the mother and daughter can arrange takeout pickup from a local restaurant and handle the transportation and plating of the meal. “We can put together a menu based on what restaurants are local to the location they have chosen,” Alexandra says. “Most of the time, these picnics are planned as surprises for people, for birthdays or special occasions.”
Or the Salisburys can simply set up the decor and you can do the cooking yourself for a dinner party or barbecue. “We provide customized quotes based on what guests want,” says Alexandra, who notes that she and her mom went into business during the pandemic to help people safely social-distance outdoors with friends and family in luxurious local locations.
She’s thrilled to continue running Premier Picnics with her mom this summer and fall. Her mother is a school nurse and has always been a party planner, and Alexandra is a photographer who teaches photography at a local high school and loves setting up photo vignettes with themed decor. They decided to team up and combine their aesthetic skills.
“I thought we could bring this idea to the public and share what we’ve been putting together for our families but with other people,” she says. “It’s a way to spend time together and have something fun to do.” premierpicnics.com –Jamie Coelho
