Courtesy of Alpaca Picnic
This couple celebrated an anniversary (and proposal) with the igloo package in their own backyard.
Like us, you're probably dreaming of hosting lavish backyard parties as the vaccines continue to roll out. This company encourages you to dream on. Alpaca Picnic masters luxurious pop-up picnics for birthdays, wedding receptions, holidays, and other major events.
The idea for the cutesy business came to Alpaca Picnic founder Julie Ellison after watching an Instagram story featuring a beautiful picnic display in another state. She wondered if anyone was offering the service locally, she says, "and there wasn't anyone in St. Louis doing this just yet."
Here's how it works: Customers have their choice between three different setups (see below) and select a time, date, and amount of guests (each plan accommodates a different number of guests). The packages include a cozy igloo (perfect for a backyard birthday celebration or romantic dinner), a signature picnic, or a custom picnic.
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Courtesy of Alpaca Picnic
The igloo experience: This one is $229 for two guests with a maximum of eight guests. $30 fee for additional guests. The igloo layout offers guests a tent structure to experience temporary luxury, either rain or shine, with a heater if needed. Hot chocolate, sparkling, and water are included as well as pillows, blankets, tables, and more. And to top it off, no worries about clean up as the company will ensure your yard looks spick and span. The igloo is a perfect option for wintertime.
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Courtesy of Alpaca Picnic
Signature picnic: This option is $169 for two guests with a maximum of 12. $30 fee for additional guests. This layout follows the more traditional approach featuring the wooden table, plates, glasses, and more to accompany guest’s needs.
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Custom picnic: This layout offers more for groups of 12 and more. Make the setup your own. Prices vary.
Ellison says pop-up picnics have become popular in the last five years with regions like the East and West coasts as well as Australia. After setting up her first picnic in October 2020, she says the business has taken off. Throughout the past three months, she's hosted 68 picnic celebrations in residents' backyards and public spaces like Kiener Plaza, Tower Grove Park, Forest Park, and Frontier Plaza, and even at Sugar Creek Winery. Next, she hopes to grow the business into a larger event company and even incorporate alpacas into their services.
The true seller of the experience is its aesthetic and, well, Instagram-worthiness. Each setup has fun and extravagant details—with a bright or pastel color scheme and tablescape to match. At most picnics, balloons and flowers are abundant and guests sit on soft pillows. Sometimes, Ellison says, it's whatever the client dreams up. Take, for example, Alpaca Picnic's recent take on a disco cowgirl backyard picnic. "Whatever you can think of, we can make it work,” she says.
