We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jillian & Tara. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jillian & Tara below.

Hi Jillian & Tara, thanks for joining us today. Alright, so we’d love to hear about how you got your first client or customer. What’s the story?

As a backstory, my sister Jill and I started this business after binge-watching The Bachelor during the lockdowns of 2020. We loved the cute outdoor setups and styled picnic dates on the show. At some point, specifically during Pilot Pete’s season, we talked about how sweet it would be to set up these types of dates for couples. With so many people stuck indoors and the date activities couples previously enjoyed together no longer available, we thought it would be a great way for couples to share unique experiences together. Picnics provided the perfect option for couples to enjoy the outdoors in an intimate, romantic setting.

Fast forward a month into our social media marketing, we connected with our very first client. This client was Jack Weber, the younger brother of Bachelor lead Pilot Pete! We connected through Instagram to set up a birthday picnic for his then-girlfriend and now-wife Kristine. From there, we had the pleasure of hosting the Weber family for an assortment of events including a rehearsal dinner for Jack and Kristine last year. It was the perfect twist of fate that our first client was directly tied to the show that inspired us.

Jillian & Tara, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

We are luxury picnic and event designers with a specialty in al fresco experiences and intimate settings. At least that is how we started anyways! After two years of rapid growth, we now have experience with full-service event production and small festival design. Whether a dinner party or a largescale event, the goal since the start has remained the same: to provide guests with more than just an event or party, but a full experience. Inspired heavily by immersive music and art festivals, we believe that moments are best remembered and elevated by appealing to an assortment of senses. We do this by providing a specific aesthetic for our guests and paying close attention to all the little details that make the overall event next-level.

We have been very blessed to host international brands, Fortune 500 companies, and plenty of celebrities. While all of this is a huge deal for us, we are most proud of the experiences we provide for our guests and making already special moments that much more remarkable. The stories we hear during the planning process are each so special, to be part of that and to have people trust us with a moment in time, is truly the best part. The number of lovebirds we have witnessed getting engaged, the guest celebrating beating breast cancer with her friends, the couple that has been married for fifty years renewing their vows. This is why we love what we do!

Have you ever had to pivot?

Upon starting the business, we had planned to host two to four-person picnics for a while before taking on larger projects. We only had one table when we started and very limited inventory. A little over one month into starting, we received an inquiry from a very well-known designer based in Beverly Hills. He was interested in hosting his birthday picnic with us after a friend of his referred him to us after following us on Instagram. His guest list included twenty guests, many of them famous celebrities and influencers. We were unsure if we should take on the project since we were so new, but we also felt so honored to work with him. We were on a time crunch with less than three weeks to acquire six more tables, extra umbrellas, and an inventory increase with our dinnerware to accommodate this larger group size. It was one of the best decisions we made for our business because this client ended up becoming a friend and mentor for us, so we are incredibly thankful. Even though it was very much out of our comfort zone at the time, it pushed us to grow in so many ways. Sometimes it really does just take going for it!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

We are both very much ourselves as part of our brand. From the start, we have shared our small business journey. This includes the ups, downs, wins, and losses. Those that follow and support us seem to be invested in this journey along with us, beyond just enjoying our work. We frequently have guests tell us that they have followed us for a long time and are excited to finally book with us. Many have even asked to take a photo with us! That is something that always surprises us but it is so heartfelt, it means a lot to us. We think this has a lot to do with us being genuine and truly loving our work, while at the same time building a community with our supporters and within the event industry.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.dolcepicnics.com
• Instagram: dolcepicnics

Image Credits
Jlew Shoots, Alyssa Hunter