With a lift in lockdown regulations in many parts of the UK, we’re sure you’re as excited to spend time embracing the outdoors as we are. After months of screen-based communication and long distance separation, we believe it’s more than justified to be a little bit ‘extra’ in organising upcoming outdoor get-togethers! That’s why in this blog post, we’re sharing our top tips for levelling up your meetup by incorporating luxurious details that your friends and family are going to love as much as you will.
The plant-based snacks and desserts might be the foundation of a good picnic (in our opinion), but the design of the setting warrants just as much attention! An outdoor meetup with an element of luxury requires attention to detail and, with eco-friendly values like ours and yours, an emphasis on stylish sustainability throughout.
Use stylish and sustainable seating
There’s no need to pretend you won’t be Instagramming the iconic moment of meeting up with loved ones outside of your bubble! So we’ve selected our favourite UK-based outdoor furniture brands that offer maximum style and sustainability for your garden get-together:
- Sustainable Furniture uses premium ethically sourced natural materials
- Envirobuild creates quality contemporary furniture while donating 10% of profits to eco-conscious initiatives
- Nkuku offers artisan, handmade outdoor furniture and decor using natural materials
- Puji designs innovative upcycled furniture, each piece handmade by craftsmen
Infuse the atmosphere with aromachology
At Halcyon Naturals, we harness the power of aromachology – a blend of aromatherapy and scent psychology – to produce ethical, sustainable and expertly crafted scents. This makes our candles the perfect option when dining outdoors, not only to create a particular ambience, but also to add touches of diffused light as the evening draws in. If you’d like to infuse your outdoor get-together with aromachology, we would recommend:
A gentle blend of invigorating, floral palmarosa and calming lavender with sweet, fruity ylang ylang, this candle’s fresh scent promotes warmth and familiarity, making it the perfect addition to your family meetup.
This candle fuses zestful, mood-enhancing lemon and rejuvenating litsea cubeba with balancing spearmint and calming yarrow, offering an atmosphere of excitement and positive energy.
Offer unique and low-waste utensils
We throw away billions of utensils every single year! Whilst its impact is relatively small in comparison to some polluting industries, we definitely believe that we should do everything we can to keep our land and seas clear of plastic. Dining with portable bamboo cutlery and investing in reusable metal straws, bamboo straws or, for extra luxury, glass straws, makes ridding your meetup of any contribution to pollution easy. You can even shop planet-friendly picnic cutlery packs with eco-friendly outdoor meetup essentials from independent brands!
Just as plastic plates don’t do your vegan masterpieces justice, they also offer very little as far as caring for the planet is concerned. That’s why we suggest investing in a pack of eco alternatives, like enamel plates and coconut dinnerware – not only is this serverware eco-conscious, but it also feels gloriously luxe.
Serve innovative iced drinks
While we’re switching out the pollutive picnic plastics, let’s get rid of plastic cups too. Instead, impress your guests with sustainable and stylish cups like these gorgeous rose gold steel champagne flutes and insulated steel tumblers.
On top of this, craft ice cubes to embellish each glass with unique talking points. From frozen coffee cubes in iced lattes to ice cubes holding edible flowers in glasses of champagne, experiment with flavours and colours for a hint of luxury.
For extra visual creativity which packs plenty of flavour, garnish soft and sparkling beverages with fresh herbs and fruit slices to incorporate seasonal produce throughout spring and summer.
Play a sophisticated soundtrack
The Halcyon Vibes playlist is a perfect soundtrack for your sophisticated get-together, offering elegance with a hint of edge. Press play and start your meetup with an atmosphere of ease, or select your favourite tracks from the curated playlist to create your own, personalised listening.
Send exclusive, eco-friendly invitations
Set the atmosphere of luxury from the moment your guests are invited, by sending out invitations on eco-friendly cards. Amid constant digital communications, handwritten notes guarantee elements of sophistication and personal connection. Why not include a handful of seeds with each invitation, so that your guests can begin growing a new plant as we start a new season?
In this month’s Halcyon Naturals subscription box, we’ve included a selection of delicate envelopes scented with our Relax signature fragrance, so that you can send your invites in true style.
Which luxurious details are you going to use to enhance your outdoor get-together? Let us know by tagging us on Instagram, @halcyonnaturalsuk