Prior to the 19th century, graveyards were often a part of church grounds. Things like war and epidemics meant that soon there was not enough space to bury the dead there.
This led to the creation of rural cemeteries, which were both spacious and non-denominational. With so many people losing loved ones to things like cholera and typhoid, mourners of the 19th century turned paying their respects into an occasion by taking picnics with them. Thus the cemetery picnic craze of the 19th century was born.
