Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Annie Greene and Molli Milner . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Annie and Molli , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start big picture – what are some of biggest trends you are seeing in your industry?

No event is ever the same. A big reason we love doing the work we do is the challenge and creativity each project brings. The Bay Area, in particular, the West Marin area, has become a destination for all types of events and especially weddings. Our clients seem to share the values that our business is built on; local and sustainable. A recent client contacted us for a large private party. Her goal was to stay as local and sustainable as possible. The event was held on a friend’s private property and we brought in local caterers who sourced seasonal, local food that paid tribute to the surrounding areas of dairy farms, bakeries and seafood. The sailcloth tent was hand made by a local company, the guest giveaways were sustainable hand made blankets by a local sheep farmer – no single use plastic! Waste management was also carefully considered ending the night with very little trash and recycling. When possible, locals were hired rather than outsourcing to bigger companies keeping the monetary loop within the community.

Highly curated personal menus, locations that are meaningful to the host, focusing on quality time with friends and family are the biggest trends we are seeing. We love this!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Small Blue Planet Events + Consulting is a Bay Area based company focused on helping people and organizations create high quality and environmentally friendly, events, conferences and retreats.

Molli started Small Blue Planet Events + Consulting in West Marin in 2010.

Over time, Molli (working in the food industry) met so many people- local farmers, caterers, land owners and other small artisanal business owners. She started small, just Molli running the business. With attention to detail, good communication and networking, it grew naturally. Molli met Annie through mutual friends and their connection was immediate. Annie started working with SBP in 2015. Annie grew up in Stinson Beach and loves working in the natural beauty of this area and working within the community.

We often start working with clients a year or so out. Beginning with their vision, this informs who we recommend and hire for catering, florals, photography, entertainment etc. Building a relationship and trust with our clients over the year of planning forms a bond between us all. Because of this connection, everyone involved in the event is prepared, understands the vision and can execute each piece confidently.

Events have a lot of moving parts and vendors involved. Our job is to foresee any problems that may arise. We are the first ones onsite and the last to leave. Managing each piece requires attention to detail, knowing what might arise, understanding each vendor’s job, and taking care of the guests, all while holding the ultimate vision of our clients.

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

We met through a mutual friend in the community we share. During that time, Molli would hire Annie for event help. As the business grew, Small Blue Planet was able to hire Annie more and more often. While finishing design school and working in events in other capacities, Annie came to know this is what she loved to do so she and Molli worked together to grow the business and ultimately became business partners in 2020. It has been a beautiful fit.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

We love our work and we think that’s what grows the business, year after year.

We would say that our reputation grew because both of us lead with our integrity and our hearts. We really care about our clients, especially planning weddings. We form a strong bonds with our couples and vendors and that bond is what makes the events go so smoothly.

We also have had a few write ups on the business, Sunset magazine did a small piece and we had a feature in the San Francisco Chronicle about sustainable wedding planning. Small Blue Planet believes in giving back to the community and regularly donates much of their time and planning to local non profits, so that helps too. The venues and vendors we love recommend us regularly, referrals are our livelihood and with so many trusted industry professionals in our network, we feel very lucky.

Recently, we were approached by the rental company we love and asked to do a styled shoot at a local venue. We approached our favorite florist, photographer and caterer, all of whom not only said yes but were as excited as we were to be part of this project. Everyone gave their time and resources to put this shoot together, working with this incredibly talented group of artists was well, beautiful.

We are always excited to see what interesting projects are next!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sbpevents.com
• Instagram: @small.blue.planet
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smallblueplanetevents

Image Credits
Photo 1 – Adonye Jaja Photography Photo 2 – Chris Glenn Photography Photo 3 – Chris Glenn Photography Photo 4 – Chris Glenn Photography Photo 5 – Diana Rothery Photography Photo 6 – Jessamyn Harris Photo 7 – Melissa Habegger Photography