I love to plan things; dinners, parties, get-togethers. Planning is a huge part of who I am. When it comes to planning ANYTHING, my first stop is always Pinterest, and there’s nothing like putting together a Pinterst-worthy celebration! (See my inspiration boards on Pinterest).
This week we celebrated our two year wedding anniversary and I wanted to do something memorable. I found several different ideas that I combined and added my personal touches to create a picturesque anniversary picnic surprise. A lot of planning went into this, and the surprise was especially hard to pull off considering we both kind of work from home. At one point, I just had to ask Logan to leave the house for awhile so I could prepare the food, ha!
Even though this took a lot of time to plan, it didn’t take a lot of money, and it was so much fun!
Location
September 10, 2016
We got married at my in-law’s 40 acre farm in a quiet woodsy area by the pond. Considering we said our vows in this location two years ago, I thought it would be fitting to celebrate our anniversary by having a quiet picnic in the same spot.
Sometimes a picnic right in the backyard is the most romantic!
Theme
The “theme” I chose was using mason jars for every I prepared. This was an idea I have had for a long time and thought this picnic would be perfect for it! From the food, drink cups, salt and pepper shakers, salad dressing, and candles, I found a way to use mason jars for all of it! This was a really fun challenge to keep with the theme and come up with new ways to use mason jars.
Since this was picnic, I wanted to use the red and white gingham print, which I incorporated with the picnic blanket and mason jar lids. This blanket is great because it has a water proof layer underneath which is so genius. The mason jar lid tops are actually cupcake liners! This print is classic, and I can reuse these items for another occasion.
Good Eats
Of course, to plan the perfect picnic you have to have FOOD! To me, a homemade meal beats going out to eat any day. But planning a meal for a picnic takes a little more work because you have to pack some of the things you would normally have available at home; napkins, salt and pepper, ice, extra utensils, etc.
I really wanted this anniversary picnic to revolve around the food and a fancy, more romantic setting. I figured that sandwiches in a plastic bag just wouldn’t have that vibe lol. I mentioned that I went with a mason jar theme, so I chose food that I thought would feel like a fancy sit down dinner, yet still work for a picnic in mason jars! I finished off the look by adding cute labels on each jar.
Dinner for two (:
These mason jar lid pies were so much fun to make and can I just say ADORABLE! They stayed with the mason jar theme, of course, and were a perfect addition to the menu, and so yummy!
Anniversary Picnic Menu
Mason Jar Garden Salad w/ Ranch
- 2 cups of Spinach
- 1 Tomato Chopped
- 2 Hard Boiled Eggs Chopped
- 1/2 cup Shredded Carrots
- 1/2 cup Celery Chopped
- 1/2 cup Cucumber Chopped
- 1/4 cup Onion Chopped
- 1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese Shredded
*Layer ingredients in that order. Serve ranch on the side
*Makes two mason jar servings
Mason Jar Spaghetti
- 2 cups Penne Pasta
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 lb Hamburger Meat
- Prego Meat Sauce (I’m fancy but not that fancy)
- 1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese
- 1/4 cup Parmesan
*Cook pasta, adding the olive oil to boiling water. Cook hamburger meat. Layer ingredients in that order
*Makes two mason jar servings
Garlic Bread
- 1/4 Baguette cut in half
- 3 Tbsp Butter
- 3 cloves of Garlic Minced
- 2 tsp Garlic Powder
*Preheat oven to 350° and microwave butter, garlic, and garlic powder mixture 1 minute. Cut baguette into six pieces, and brush on the melted garlic butter. Bake 10 minutes. Place three in each mason jar
*Makes six pieces (two mason jar servings)
Sparkling Sangria
- 1 cup Decadent Saint Raspberry Sangria Mixer
- 3 cups club soda
*Serve in mason jar with ice. Makes two mason jar servings
Mason Jar Lid Mini Pies
Pumpkin Pie
*I followed the recipe on the back on the pumpkin puree can and portioned out enough for three mini pies. I used the rest for one regular sized pie, but you can certainly make more mini pies!
- 1 Rolled Dough Pie Crust
- 1 can Pumpkin Puree
- 3/4 cup Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Ginger
- 2 Eggs
- 1 12oz can Evaporated Milk
Apple Pie
- 1 Rolled Dough Pie Crust (same one)
- 3/4 cup Apple Pie Filling
*Preheat oven to 350°. Cut pie crust into six small circles using a cup. Place crust into mason jar lids. Pour pumpkin pie mixture into three mason jar lids, and cut the apple slices into small pieces so the filling fits in the other three lids. Use a pizza cutter to cut strips of dough and weave enough to cover the surface of the three apple pies. Using the cup again, cut circles out of the weave and place on top of each apple pie, pinching the sides of the dough so they stick together. Butter the top of the apple pie weave and bake all six pies 20 minutes (separately from large pie).
*Makes six mason jar lid pies (and one regular sized pumpkin pie, lol)
Mood Setting
Since I wanted this picnic to have a fancy, romantic feel, I lit some mason jar candles and strung outdoor lights on some tiki torches (which only worked half of the time, but hey, still looks cute lol). I dressed up in white (an anniversary tradition of mine), and decided not to have music playing so we could just talk and listen to the sound of nature. We exchanged gifts/cards and lots of laughs.
I also made sure to set up a camera to capture every moment!
Accessories
I completed this anniversary picnic with a personalized letter board and our wedding photo album so we could look back on our special day. To add some practicality and style, I used an old suit case as our “table”, and brought cushions to sit on.
I kept this all a secret! The day of, I brought Logan a change of clothes (because he was already out there hunting), and told him I would pick him up in the four-wheeler for a surprise date, lol! (Not pictured unfortunately).
He was so surprised and we had so much fun reminiscing on our wedding day two years ago. The food was great, the decorations were beautiful, but the company was the best part! It was the perfect way to spend our anniversary together. (Notice the cow having her own picnic across the pond)!
I hope this inspires you, and got you thinking about throwing a picnic celebration of your own! With a bit of planning and preparation, you can have a picture-perfect picnic for any and every occasion. Thanks for reading, God bless!
XOXO
ASHLEY DIANN
