Creating memories, one gathering at a time

Heather Graves

Staff

July 29, 2024

SHIOCTON – Luxury and picnic aren’t necessarily two words many people would put together.

Grab a cooler stocked with sandwiches and drinks and a bag of potato chips, and you’re good to go.

Chandra Brooker, owner of Enchanted Picnics out of Shiocton, said she’s hoping to help Northeast Wisconsin redefine picnics by adding a little luxury.

Through Enchanted Picnics, Brooker said she’s “creating memories, one gathering at a time.”

“A luxury picnic experience is characterized by meticulously designed table settings, exquisite florals, plush pillows and charming accents,” she said. “This elegant setup transforms a simple outdoor gathering into a picturesque and unforgettable event, complete with personalized service and attention to detail.”

The journey

Starting Enchanted Picnics earlier this year, Brooker said, was an adventure – filled with various bumps along the way.

“Getting a business license – I currently operate the business as a sole proprietorship but plan to transition it to an LLC – and an employer identification number was easy, setting up a website was not,” she said. “I have never set up a website before, so it was a huge learning curve. It took me almost the entire winter to get it up and running the way I wanted it.”

Because she has always enjoyed planning and hosting her own gatherings, Brooker said launching her own event planning business seemed like a good fit.

“There are a lot of event planners, especially in the area,” she said. “There are wedding planners, there are bridal shower planners, there are birthday party planners – planners that specialize in all kinds of things.” 

Luxury picnics, however, Brooker said, was an out-of-the-box idea that hadn’t yet been extensively explored by planners in the area.

Here, she said, is where Enchanted Picnics comes in.

“When I first heard about the idea of luxury picnics, it was on Instagram,” she said. “I thought, ‘that is so pretty, I could do that.’”

Already playing host to an annual get-together for family and friends in her own backyard, Brooker said organization was already a skill she had in her wheelhouse.

“I love hosting parties – luxury picnics were a way for me to create a little bit fancier, more intimate parties,” she said. “There’s no reason you can’t bring a little glam outside. That’s why I do the lace teepee, a full formal table setting, fancy silverware and flowers everywhere.”

Brooker said she does everything she can to make each enchanted picnic special.

“You can take your food outside and sit on your patio anytime,” she said. “I seek to fulfill a need for novelty and enchantment among individuals craving a departure from the ordinary and into the extraordinary.”

Natural growth

Brooker said business growth has happened naturally – evolving from nothing to several picnic options.

“I spent a lot of time in my garage over the winter months creating mock set-ups – making sure things went well together,” she said. “And even if they didn’t match, they purposefully coordinated with the overall theme.”

Originally, Brooker said she planned to focus on color-coded themes – which she does offer, “but has continuously added more elaborate, over-the-top complimentary additions or extras.”

“I could create a ‘Bridgerton’-themed picnic using one of my base color-coded models with extra keepsakes for each client, more decor, more flowers – more of everything,” she said. “I want to do more character themes like that, so ‘Harry Potter,’  ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Jurassic Park’ are other ideas I have been thinking about.”

When an idea for a theme pops into her head, Brooker said she does what she calls “inspiration shopping.”

“It helps me see how easy it would be to get, for example, ‘Harry Potter’-related items I could incorporate into a picnic,” she said.

The items she uses, Brooker said, need to be good quality because many of the pieces – except for client keepsakes – are reused for other picnics, including pillows, flowers, tablecloths and settings.

“If you think of an idea, I can run with it,” she said.

Looking to the future

Though the first part of the Enchanted Picnics dream has become reality, Brooker said she isn’t done yet. 

“Coming soon will be painting sessions that take place during your luxury picnic,” she said. “So, I’ll provide the canvas, the paint brushes, the table, the paint – everything you need – and set it all up. You’ll have extra time to enjoy it as well. Right now, I’m researching (the option), and it should roll out in the next month or two.”

The big dream, Brooker said, is owning and operating a picnic studio.

“I think it would be cool to do indoor and outdoor picnics year-round,” she said. “I would love to have a green space at a studio or a storefront so you can have your picnic outside at my location – you don’t have to clean your yard or figure out the permit requirements of a park.”

If the weather isn’t ideal, Brooker said the studio would give her the option of bringing a picnic indoors.

The Enchanted Picnics studio, she said, would also include space for indoor picnics as well.

“I would also love to have a little retail shop attached to it – with picnic-themed items attached,” she said.

Before the brick-and-mortar location becomes reality – down the road – Brooker said she will look to expand the offerings she currently has, including food and beverages.

Though she has a culinary arts degree from Fox Valley Technical College, because she doesn’t have a food license or a commercial kitchen, Brooker said she isn’t able to prepare food for Enchanted Picnics.

She is, however, researching other opportunities.

“There will be food and beverage options available someday,” she said. “I have a few businesses in mind (that I plan to reach out to about) meat and cheese platters, fruit platters, dessert trays – things of that nature.”

Brooker said there are no plans to obtain a liquor license, however, that doesn’t mean Enchanted Picnics won’t have drink options.

“I could do a build-your-own mimosa station where you bring the champagne and I bring all the juices, fruits and accessories,” she said. “Those options will be coming once I get a food license, which will hopefully happen by the end of the year.”

Been received well

Much of the feedback Brooker has received from clients, potential clients and the community, she said, has been positive.

“A lot of the initial reaction has been a lot of wonder and amusement,” she said. “That is why I do what I do, to get reactions like that because it makes all my hard work worthwhile.”

Luxury picnics, though popular in other parts of the country – such as Florida and the East and West Coasts – haven’t reached that level yet here in Northeast Wisconsin, Brooker said.

“People don’t know you can even do such a thing,” she said. “I want to get the word out – showing people this is an option for their special events, and even for their not-so-special events, but their just because.”

When she started Enchanted Picnics – “as a hobby, something fun to do” – Brooker said she never expected to receive the reaction from potential customers.

“At first, I only had one color scheme,” she said. “I took pictures, posted them and people liked it. I was surprised.”

Those reactions, Brooker said, inspired her to go further – thinking “what else could I do?”

This she said was complemented by her natural interest in exploring new things, her knack for hosting parties and a desire to “infuse magic into every gathering.”

“I believe life is meant to be celebrated, and Enchanted Picnics is here to sprinkle a little bit of magic into every moment,” she said.

For more on Enchanted Picnics packages, visit enchantedpicnics.com.