Hi friends! I hope life has been treating you well. I recently did new brand photos for this blog and I was able to make my Italian picnic dreams come true; well, as much as they could come true in the Arizona desert. Nonetheless, I felt so in my element and excited about my setup. I thought I’d share some of the photos and give some tips on how I made an aesthetic picnic, perfect for your photo needs or just to make time with someone extra special!
Tip 1:
Pull out the Pinterest boards. I did so much searching on Pinterest under picnic aesthetic to grab ideas for this Italian picnic photoshoot. I saw very relaxed and vintage images with personal touches and fell in love.
There were lots of picnic images all over the internet with books, but to personalize it a bit I used a vintage cookbook that belonged to my Nonna and Papa!
Tip 2:
Hit the thrift stores. I actually ended up owning a lot of what I had envisioned for this shoot but was shy of a few specific items and was able to snag them for such a cheap price. It’s okay to go all out sometimes for special events or photoshoots, but know that you absolutely do not have to break the bank for it!
I thrifted this classic picnic basket and adorable pie dish for a grand total of $6.
Tip 3:
Don’t be afraid to DIY. Sometimes you have a vision you can’t let go of and if you don’t want to spend a ton of money for it, you’ve just got to make it. I DIY’ed this mirror tray because it’s very outdoor trendy at the moment and I did not want to buy one. You gotta do what you gotta do!
I DIY’ed this by thrifting a mirror tray and then using gold rub n’ buff on the edges. It only took about 20 minutes! The trendy wine glasses were also thrifted for mere cents. Simply stunning 🙂
Tip 4:
Bring all the things you enjoy. If you’re going to take the time to set up a picnic whether it be for outdoors time with a loved one or simply for a photoshoot, you mine as well enjoy it! I brought my favorite food, drinks and snacks, as well as some of my favorite items in general. It helped make me feel so much like myself and brought tons of happiness. Don’t forget, life is meant to be savored!
Another pro-tip, don’t forget that fresh pasta doesn’t keep as well as boxed when you have to travel. Does this stringy mess still count as one of those cute pasta ladies photos? I sure hope so.
Tip 5:
Lay out your items in a natural and functional way. If you put your items out in a super structured manner, it just won’t look normal and won’t provide as great of a time. You better believe I was snacking all throughout this photoshoot because everything was placed just how I like it. Make the setup too rigid and you shall be too rigid too.
Pretty much all my favorite things set out around me! Plus a glass of vino in hand, what more could you ask for? 😉
Tip 6:
Choose a few select items just for aesthetic purposes and don’t worry about the rest! Like a lot of other tips in this post, you want to enjoy yourself! Most of what you bring for eating and drinking purposes will most likely look cute anyway. For aesthetics only I brought a basket of citrus as this was a branding shoot for me, as well as my favorite cookbooks, my polaroid and some flowers. The rest were food and drinks that did get consumed or storage/cleanup that were actually used in some way as well.
I stuffed the bottom of this basket with foam so I wouldn’t actually have to fill the whole thing with citrus. It’s more cost efficient and practical this way!
Tip 7:
Spend the time with company that you love! I brought my sister and my dog along for this photoshoot, and I have to give a huge shoutout to the photographer who took these pictures, Kayla Koch. Kayla takes the most beautiful photos and she is such a joy to be around! I always feel like I am just catching up with a friend when I am around her, and feel so comfortable experimenting with ideas and poses around her. You can tell she truly cares about whatever story you are trying to tell through photo form and she is such a sweetheart. For both the purposes of a photoshoot and a regular picnic, put people in your corner who make you feel most like yourself! And if you’re interested in working with Kayla, find her on socials via @kaylakochphoto or through her website, https://www.kaylakochphoto.com/.
Bailey says hello 🙂
That’s all for now folks! If you’ve been thinking about having an aesthetic picnic, this is officially your sign to grab your friends and do it. I hope these tips were helpful in some form, if you want to know more feel free to ask me. Salute!
Adding Italian Soda to your picnic is a great way to have an element that both looks and tastes great.
With Love,
Jenna