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All over social media in the U.S., there has recently been an uptick of luxurious picnic businesses, charcuterie businesses and hand-made baking businesses promoting their services. 

Des Moines has seen the same increase in those businesses. One of them is Sister Sister Picnics company. It is a Black woman-owned business in Des Moines that supplies luxurious picnic services in central Iowa. They also partner with local small-businesses to include add-on options to their picnic bundles. 

Akilah Anders and Natasha (Tasha) Canada, owners of Sister Sister Picnics, found their shared love for decorating and planning special events by doing it for close family members. As they got older, they both saw the niche hobby as a way to make an income, therefore starting their own small business. They are also accompanied by Jacob Anders, Akilah’s husband, who assists with the deliveries, setups and teardowns of the picnics. 

Sister Sister Picnics offers a variety of bundles that are customizable to fit the customers’ needs. The smallest picnic package they offer is a Luxury Picnic for Two, at the rate of $150, and the largest picnic package is a Luxury Picnic for Six, for $250. They also offer special packages for larger groups and an indoor movie night option. Each package comes with the basic amenities of set up, tearing down and cleaning up at a location of your choice, two hours of use, area rugs and throws, floor cushions, hand made low wooden table, table setting, complementary decor, assorted pillows and blankets, Bluetooth speaker, card games, hand sanitizer, bug spray and sunscreen, complimentary beverages, letter board with a custom message, wastebasket, ice bucket with ice and boho umbrella or lace tent. Each picnic package is customizable; amenities can be added or subtracted to fit the customer’s vision.  

The booking process is simple and easy to navigate on their website. Once the customer has gone onto their website they are able to pick the package that works for them. Once the customer has selected the package, there is a “Book Now” button to start the booking process. The website provides a full availability calendar to show what day and time is available that month. They recommend booking events two weekends in advance to ensure the customer’s date and time will be available.  

Once that has been selected, the website takes the customer to the information page where all of the small details and customizations for the picnic can be picked out. The free customization options include a color theme and picnic location. Some of the add-ons that cost extra include additional guests, movie screen, Inner Picasso package (painting), furry friend guest, yard games, Instax camera, custom acrylic place cards/signs, egg chair and many more. After the details have been selected on their website, it is time for the customer to confirm the booking. The staff will contact the customer within one to two business days to discuss their event. A deposit of $50 is required at the time of booking. The remaining balance is due within  72 hours of the customer’s event.  

Kadeja Scott, Grand View University alumni, chose to book with Sister Sister Picnics in July 2021 to celebrate her 24th birthday. She chose the Luxury Picnic for six. She customized a picnic bundle to include twelve guests, including herself. She also booked an outside photographer to document the event. 

“I chose to book with them [Sister Sister Picnics] because after finding them on Instagram, I fell in love with their designs and I also wanted to support a Black business while bringing my vision to life,” Scott said. “My favorite part about the picnic was that they made custom pieces for my guests who were attending such as cups with their names on them.” 

After hearing about the business and seeing their picnics on social media, Sister Sister Picnics provided Viewfinder staff with an indoor picnic experience. They were extremely easy to communicate with. I chose a mixture of Luxury Picnic for Six and Screen Queen Movie Night. Since I hosted the event in a room that already had a projector and screen, that was not included in the bundle.  

When we walked into the room we were immediately stunned by the amount of detail that went into our picnic. There were three sections that were meticulously put together for us to enjoy. The first section we were greeted with was a winter-themed long table that seats six with black, white and red fluffy decorative floor cushions that served as our chairs. Each placement was beautifully set up with a plaid napkin that encased our silverware, a plate with a personal-sized apple pie and a cup that was in the shape of a Christmas ornament. On the rest of the table there was a green garland that stretched down the length of the table with small winter decor accents sprinkled in throughout. There were also many two-tiered trays filled with bite-sized cookies and puffed rice treats.  

As we continued farther down our setup we were in awe of the glass water decanter shaped liked a Christmas tree, filled to the brim with ice-cold water. Sitting on the same wicker table there was a Bluetooth portable speaker and card games which we used later in the night.  

The last part of our picnic setup was a boho/lace tent that they surrounded with plaid pillows embroidered with “merry” on the front. We were all amazed that no matter what section we were spending time in, each one was meticulously designed to keep us occupied and beautiful enough to take a picture. The different sections were also great for our group so we could have the choice to socialize as a group or have the option to socialize in a different intimate area.  

“I thought the theme was very fitting for the holiday season and all of the decorations were beautiful. It was a very cute idea and well-executed,” said Rachel Stafford, a member of the Screen Queen Movie Night. 

Once we were done, we notified the Sister Sister Picnic staff 15 minutes before we were about to leave. This gave them enough time to come back and clean up the space right as we were leaving. It was extremely nice to have the set up ready for us before we arrived and torn down for us.  

I would highly recommend booking with Sisters Sisters Picnics. The attention to detail and time put into our picnic to make it a special event was outstanding. Every step of the process was easy and inviting from the staff members. It was such a cool experience to be taken care of at such high quality that it made our night memorable and unforgettable.  

“I would recommend them (Sisters Sisters Picnics) because they did an amazing job bringing my vision to life and exceeded my expectations. They also were extremely helpful and I could tell they wanted to make my event as special and as intimate as possible,” Scott said.