I was born and raised in Wichita and never left. Growing up, there weren’t nearly as many entertainment options as there are now, so being outside was just part of what we did. Parks, road trips, rest stops, pretty much anywhere with a decent place to sit could turn into a picnic.
That tradition stuck.
To this day, every road trip includes a picnic. Sometimes it’s somewhere beautiful. Sometimes it’s somewhere completely unexpected. Sometimes it’s even a quiet old cemetery with big trees and a little history. The food does not have to be fancy. Somehow, the exact same sandwich just tastes better outside in a place you love.
A few years ago, on a road trip through California, I saw one of those gorgeous luxury picnic setups and it clicked. I loved the idea of taking something as simple and familiar as a picnic and making it feel special. What I didn’t love was the idea of buying, storing, and hauling all of that stuff just to do it once.
That idea eventually became Ready. Set. Picnic.
Every setup has been built piece by piece. Our table is handmade, and I have probably spent way too much time deciding whether one plate, pillow, flower, or tiny detail works better than another. But that is also part of the fun.
Ready. Set. Picnic. is also a little bit of a family affair, whether everyone officially volunteered for that title or not. There is usually someone helping haul, set up, tear down, or giving me a very direct opinion about whether an idea is brilliant or ridiculous.
More than anything, I just love the idea that a picnic does not have to be saved for a special occasion.
Take your partner somewhere you have been a hundred times and make it feel different. Celebrate something. Revisit a place you love. Find a new corner of a park you thought you already knew. Sit. Watch. Talk. Pay attention to each other.
And if you have an idea that feels a little unusual, complicated, or even impossible, tell me anyway. I love a challenge. I will usually figure out a way to pull it together without turning it into some huge, expensive production.
Our logo
There’s a little story tucked into each piece of our logo.
The Butterfly.
The butterfly is for someone we lost way too young. I wanted them to be a little part of this too. And I guess it’s also my reminder that you don’t always get as much time as you think you will. So take the trip. Sit around the campfire. Pack the picnic. Spend the time with your people. Those are the things you end up remembering anyway.
Rental pickup and return are located near 21st Street and Amidon Avenue in Wichita. The exact pickup address will be provided after the reservation is confirmed.
Customer pickup and return may still be possible when your picnic location is outside our on-site service area.
The map below gives you a general idea of our Wichita-area service area. Exact on-site service availability and any additional travel charge are based on Google Maps drive time from our pickup location, not mileage.
On-site service is generally available within about 15 minutes of our Wichita pickup location, based on Google Maps drive time.
Locations farther away may still be available for an additional travel charge. Travel charges are based on additional drive time, not mileage.
The map is a helpful visual reference, not a guarantee of service or pricing. A location inside the shape shown does not automatically receive standard pricing — Google Maps drive time from our pickup location is the final basis for standard-area versus additional-travel service.
Ready. Set. Picnic. serves Wichita and surrounding South Central Kansas communities, including areas such as:
This list isn’t exhaustive. If you don’t see your community, please ask — we may still be able to serve you.
Pick your style. Make your plans. We’ll get the picnic ready.
You are booking a Morning DIY Picnic.
On the next screen, choose the 8:00 AM time slot.
That one slot reserves your whole morning window. You have from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM to pick up your picnic, set it up, enjoy it, and return everything.
You are booking an Evening DIY Picnic.
On the next screen, choose the 3:00 PM time slot.
That one slot reserves your whole evening window. You have from 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM to pick up your picnic, set it up, enjoy it, and return everything.
You are booking On-Site Service.
On the next screen, choose the time you would like to arrive. That start time reserves your two-hour picnic.
Need longer than two hours? Choose your arrival time anyway, then send us a message and we will take care of extending your reservation.
