News

Nov 15, 2023

Local woman creates picnic company to help people give the gift of experiences together

Whether it’s a birthday, a holiday, or a special event—finding that perfect gift

Whether it's a birthday, a holiday, or a special event—finding that perfect gift can be difficult. A local woman learned that providing an experience, rather than having someone open a present, was more meaningful and created lasting memories. It forced her to create her own business—Seacoast Picnic Company and the idea all started--with a gift.

"This is definitely just a color, a vibrant picnic," said Emily Huxtable, owner of Seacoast Picnic Company.

From scenic Newcastle, New Hampshire, Emily talked about wanting those colors to pop in the imaginations of her clients at the Seacoast Picnic Company. Emily says building strong memories has been important to her, especially after her father passed unexpectedly when she was a child.

"It was very shocking, sudden, and unexpected and changed things very quickly," said Huxtable.

Emily's mother no longer asked for gifts on holidays, she instead wanted an experience.

"And over the years I realized that time is much more important than anything that you can give to someone material-wise," said Huxtable.

Meantime Emily's mom still gave her gifts—but the idea behind this picnic basket she received from her mother on Christmas of 2019 was to create ways to spend time with others.

"She would ask me if I’d used it, I felt terribly because I hadn't yet used it," said Huxtable. "And one day I kind of like sparked this idea of, wow, I could I could set picnics up for people, and that's what started the concept of Seacoast Picnic Company," said Huxtable.

With a marketing background, Emily posted her new business venture online, reached out to family and friends, and word started to spread.

"We do a lot of bachelorette parties, we do a lot of anniversaries, a lot of dates, birthdays," said Huxtable.

In just a short time, her luxury picnic company took off.

"I think just because it's different and it's unique and it's luxurious, but also fun and it just is a nice way to spend time with people that they care about and be outside and have a great time," said Huxtable.

Instead of having to lug everything down to the picnic, Emily has it already set up. And when guests are done, they can just get up and leave. She will clean it up, allowing guests to spend more time with friends and family.

"The surprise picnics are the best because they result in a lot of tears, which I think happy tears, of course, which has been really nice to see," said Huxtable.

Emily's success in helping create unforgettable memories has also landed her recognition—earning a New Hampshire's Best Award in 2022. She is now booking picnics through next year—and is even considering creating a picnic brand---all inspired by her mother and the gift of time spent together.

"She's blown away, but also not surprised, I think, because she's always encouraged me and told me that whatever I put my mind to, I’ve always been able to accomplish," said Huxtable. "But that's easy when you have someone like her behind you."

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