COZY PICNICS
With backgrounds in aesthetics, events, and hospitality, Valerie and Nicole of Toronto’s very own ‘Cozy Picnics’ are mastering the art of bringing old school romance back with a sustainably local twist.
CBG: Valerie, Nicole, you’re the two founders of Toronto’s latest and greatest picnic craze ‘Cozy Picnics’. Curating moments and celebrating milestones you’ve created an option for people to have romantic urban picnics in an easy, beautiful and completely stress free way. Before we jump in to all things ‘Cozy’, we’d love to know how did did this all get started? How you two first meet?
V & N: We met back in high school through a mutual friend. Realizing we were both from the same nationality, we had a lot in common, and so clicked instantly. We’ve been close friends ever since.
CBG: Aw, that’s so wonderful to hear. Close friends and now close colleagues, what a wonderful transition. If you were to describe ‘Cozy Picnics’ to someone, how would you?
V & N: Think of ‘Cozy’ as the custom, luxury burger of picnic parties. You always start with the base, and you can keep adding your favourite toppings (custom add-ons in our case), until you're happy with your sandwich (party). It's the childhood fairytale moment you never had, all while you enjoy a Covid-friendly experience in nature.
CBG: How magical! What made you want to start it?!
V & N: Funny story. It all started when we took a hike up a hill one day to watch the sunset over the city. After reaching the top we decided to sit down to eat some delicious watermelon, and we started to talk. We talked about how much we loved the view, and how much we loved the watermelon, and how we absolutely loved romantic moments, but how silly it was that our partners never really thought of them. Even something as simple as sitting on a hill and eating some picnic food together seemed so romantic, yet no one really had thought to plan it for us. That’s when we thought to ourselves, what if we did the planning! What if we could create something where we’d set up romantic dates in nice spots around the city for other people to enjoy. That way, all they’d have to do is show up and they could easily have an experience of a lifetime.
We’re both just basically hopeless romantics who want to create special moments for others.
CBG: Well if that’s not just the sweetest thing, then we don’t know what is. What a lovely origin story. We love how you really specialize in creating these meaningful, intimate moments. What do you think it is that makes Cozy Picnics different from other private events?
V & N: ‘Cozy’ focuses on picnic-style events only, tying nature and luxury together in one place. We don’t offer typical event venues with typical event menus. Instead, we utilize public and private spaces to really maximize on the unique aspect of our intimate events. We also focus a lot on using local ingredients from Canada or other local talent (restaurants, bakeries) to help support other small businesses during hard times like this.
CBG: What an amazing initiative. Ok so focusing in a bit more on that whole ‘picnic-style’ event aspect, what sort of picnics do you offer? We heard there are 3 different varieties!
V & N: The three main styles are:
1. ‘Boho- Chic’, Soft colour palettes with a hint of vintage
2. ‘The Classic Picnic’ - inspired by romance with the classical red and white checkered patterns
3. ‘Afternoon Tea’- Classical Victorian style afternoon tea set-up
CBG: How neat! And how did you settle on the three styles that you chose?
V & N: Well, ‘The Classic’ was a no brainer. We had to include the original picnic and just put our own little twist on it. ‘The Afternoon Tea’ and ‘Boho-Chic’ themes were something we thought would be super cute to host in a park setting, and we just absolutely loved designing the set of these picnics.
CBG: We can certainly see why! Now what type of celebration or event would your cozy picnic be perfect for?!
V & N: Any occasion and all! Birthdays, date nights, bridal showers, engagement parties or just a day in luxury at the park.
CBG: How versatile. And what is your favourite part about being able to create little luxurious moments and memories?
V & N: The most exciting thing about creating special moments for other people is putting a lot of love and our creative touch into each event and then seeing our client's reactions. These reactions are priceless. We also enjoy mixing and matching our decorations that we have for each and every event so that every one can be unique and so different from the others.
CBG: How great. Now seeing as we are currently in the middle of a pandemic, we’ve got to ask, how has Covid changed how you approached your business?
V & N: Our business started during Covid, and was actually part of the reason we felt so confident it would kick off. We saw that restaurants and event venues were closed and we wanted to offer an alternative to them. Having a picnic in the park is actually a great way to social distance. You can a have small group and still enjoy the outdoors while celebrating. Not everyone feels safe in a restaurant environment during the pandemic, so this is an excellent alternative. We also just extra precautions and follow all government regulations to make sure everyone is safe and feels comfortable.
CBG: That’s so wonderful to hear. While starting a business during a pandemic is a memorable milestone in itself, what are some of the most memorable moments you’ve witnessed/been able to help plan so far?
V & N: The most memorable moments we’ve planned so far were a few date nights that turned into proposals and a surprise birthday party from a mother for her daughter. These events drive us to constantly do better to make sure these moments are remembered for the rest of our clients lives! Our "hopeless romantic" hearts become fulfilled.
CBG: How beautiful. We love the emphasis you place not just on creating a beautiful environment, but creating beautiful experiences for your guests. What would you suggest for someone looking to plan an intimate memorable evening with ‘Cozy’? How do they go about it?
V & N: We recommend picking one of our themes and adding on a few of the extras that are not included in our set-ups, like pairing it with a charcuterie board of your choice (made with our selected local Ontario products), then finishing with a bouquet of fresh flowers to take home, balloon garlands, and some chocolate covered strawberries. Truthfully, the best way to plan an unforgettable picnic would to start by visiting us on our website and then to get in contact with us so that you can start customizing your picnic any way you want!
CBG: Amazing! You really make everything so simple. Aside from just making your clients lives super easy and incredibly memorable , what do you hope your ‘Cozy Picnics’ legacy will be?
V & N: We hope to create a picnic trend in Canada, where nature can be utilized for special moments in everyones lives, and where we can promote sustainable, eco-friendly events, and local food from our fantastic country. We know we have a small window for good weather in Canada, but we also hope to be a four-season picnic company by providing indoor venues such as private home settings and a private flower shop venue where picnics can be held during the winter months.
CBG: Oh wow - how sustainably original! We love it! Well thank you Valerie and Nicole for taking the time to create yet another memorable moment with us here today. We so appreciate the time and cannot wait to see all the incredible places you’ll go.
To check out more, head to: www.cozypicnics.com or on IG at @CozyPicnics
Florals provided by Martin’s Flowers | www.martinflowers.com
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