[F]or our 2nd anniversary this past Monday I wanted to do something low key, but utterly romantic so I planned a surprise sunset beach picnic for Kevin. I tried to get as creative as possible and make every aspect of the picnic a walk down memory lane.

For starters, instead of a blanket, I used a rug we bought together from the flea market in Paris which gave the scene a more formal feeling. I then surrounded the rug with clusters of sandalwood incense we bought on our recent trip to Bali. Everywhere we went on the island, this beautiful and sexy smell drifted by our noses; now it reminds us of those unforgettable sunrises from only a moment ago. I made it personal with our monogrammed glass hurricanes lanterns flanking the view of the setting sky. I brought our go-to Pinot Grigio by one of our favorite studio clients, Ecco Domani, which brings back such fun studio memories – one of our first shoots at our new place. Just as I was talking about yesterday with “upgrading the everyday”, we toasted another year of marriage with monogrammed stemless wine glasses, formal, lovely, and personal (plus much less likely to spill on a sandy beach setup!)

Kevin *loves* crab, so I asked my friend Molly when she was over for dinner for a crab salad recipe that would go well with the Pinot Grigio for our picnic (recipe below!). I also had lots of beautiful fresh finger foods from the farmer’s market such as morning radishes with a little pile of Maldon salt, a couple of flaky, yummy farm stand cheeses, the most beautiful petite blackberries, an avocado, salami for depth and to finish it off – grapes. So classic. And just so there were no pesky bugs around, I threw down some citronella candles in terra-cotta pots. To finish it off, I had our assistant Carly stop by and snap a few photos of us together, just like we did 2 years ago when we said “I do“.

We sat on the beach and sipped wine, took black and white photos of each other in an intimate dance we’ve been doing now for years, shared food, and watched the colors of the sky paint their way into darkness. Happy Anniversary to my husband, thank you for my beautiful anniversary gift (scroll down to see!) I’ll cherish forever which will remind me of this magical era of our life and cheers to forever, wherever that may take us.

Thank you again, Ecco Domani, for the memories…

 

My 5 Must Have Beach Picnic Items:

1. Wine. Something like Ecco Domani’s Pinot Grigio is great choice because it’s light, crisp and fresh

2. Forget the blankets, go for a vintage rug

3. Incense, Sandalwood is my favorite

4. Fresh, easy food bought that morning at the market

5. A camera for the memories, always & forever

  

Crab Salad with Homemade Mayonnaise
serves 2

Mayonnaise:
1 egg yolk
3/4 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup peanut or canola oil
salt, to taste

Whisk together the yolk, mustard and lemon juice. In a very slow, steady stream, whisk in oil until thickened and emulsified. Season to taste with salt.
Crab Salad:
1/2 lb lump crabmeat
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp finely chopped chives
1/2 lemon, zested
1/2 lime, zested

Gently mix all of the ingredients together. Serve with saltines or toast points.

    

 

“And I think to myself, what a wonderful world…”

My generous anniversary gift from my husband, the world around my neck so that I may look down and remember all the places we’ve been together and dream about what’s to come.

 

I hope this inspires you to do something romantic for the one you love, to make it personal and take time to sit back and remember all that is good.