Mrs. Christina Lomonaco shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Mrs. Christina , we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
I’m most proud of building a Professional “Quiet Luxury” brand.
Christina Sorensen has built a 24-year legacy as the CEO of Ciao Bella Wedding & Events, operating within “discreet local networks” where trust is a primary currency and fame is the name of her game.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Christina Sorensen is the founder and creative force behind Ciao Bella Events, a luxury wedding and event production company known for designing elevated, immersive celebrations throughout Southern California and destination locations. With a reputation for transforming estates and exclusive venues into breathtaking experiences, Christina has built a brand that blends timeless elegance with a modern, highly personalized approach.
What makes Christina’s work unique is her hands-on creative direction and visionary eye for detail. Every event she produces is designed to feel intentional, meaningful, and deeply reflective of the people being celebrated. From lavish floral installations to culturally significant elements like Sofreh Aghd ceremonies, Christina and her team specialize in creating events that feel both sophisticated and emotionally unforgettable.
Beyond event production, Christina is also an entrepreneur, mentor, and emerging public voice in the lifestyle and entertainment space. Her work emphasizes authenticity, confidence, and empowering others to build lives and businesses aligned with their vision. Through her company, she leads with strong values of integrity, professionalism, and creativity, cultivating a team culture built on excellence and collaboration.
Christina’s story is one of intuition, resilience, and forward vision. She has always believed in creating the life you see for yourself, and that belief has shaped both her business and her personal journey. As her platform continues to grow, she is expanding into speaking, media, and mentorship, sharing insights on entrepreneurship, personal alignment, and building brands with purpose.
At the heart of everything Christina does is a simple philosophy: create beauty, lead with intention, and never be afraid to design a life that feels extraordinary.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
One of the moments that truly shaped me as both a mother and a business owner happened when I realized that the life I was building wasn’t just about success it was about the example I was setting for my children.
Running a business in the events industry requires long hours, high pressure, and constant creativity. There were moments when I questioned how to balance being fully present as a mom while also building something meaningful professionally. But I came to understand that the two weren’t competing with each other, they were actually strengthening each other.
My children became my greatest motivation. They taught me the importance of patience, perspective, and purpose. As a mother, you learn that love, presence, and resilience matter more than perfection. That same mindset transformed how I lead my company. I lead my team with heart, I stay grounded in gratitude, and I remind myself that building a business is not just about growth, but about building something that reflects your values.
Coming home after creating beautiful celebrations for others and being greeted by my kids with excitement about their day reminds me why I do what I do. It keeps me humble, focused, and deeply grateful, and even more available when I come home to them!
Motherhood didn’t slow down my ambition, it gave it meaning. It shaped me into a stronger leader, a more compassionate entrepreneur, and someone who understands that success is not just measured by what you build, but by the life and legacy you create around you, for the ones who will be able to enjoy my efforts, and fruits of labor.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
If I could say something to my younger self, I would tell her to trust her intuition sooner and not spend so much time questioning whether she belonged in the rooms she dreamed of being in.
When you’re younger, you sometimes look for validation outside of yourself. Over time, I learned that the most important voice to trust is your own. The vision you have for your life is there for a reason. Even when things don’t unfold exactly the way you planned, those experiences are shaping you into the person you’re meant to become.
I would also remind her that resilience is one of the greatest strengths you can develop. The challenges, the setbacks, and the moments of uncertainty are often the things that build the deepest confidence later on.
Most importantly, I would tell her that everything she’s working toward, the life, the business, the family, the impact it will come together in ways even more beautiful than she imagined. Stay patient, stay grounded, be resilient and keep moving forward with integrity and heart.
Because one day you’ll look back and realize that every step, even the difficult ones, was guiding you exactly where you were meant to be, just believe and always put in the work! And you can achieve anything, the sky’s the limit!
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
No one shows every layer of themselves publicly. The version people see in interviews, media, television, or on social media is usually the most intentional, composed, and representative version of who you are, but it isn’t the entirety of you. Your private life holds other parts that are your quiet moments, doubts, family life, spiritual experiences, and personal growth, that the public doesn’t fully see.
For many entrepreneurs, creators, and public figures, the public version becomes more like a distillation of their values and mission rather than a mask. It highlights what they want to contribute to the world: their work, their perspective, their leadership.
So to answer the question “Is the public version the real me?” Yes it truly is!
When it is, you will know, this is how I knew, it doesn’t feel like a performance. It feels like an extension of your purpose and who you are unmasked.
And as many people who step into larger platforms like myself, you will eventually realize that your public identity isn’t something separate unless you want it to be, for me it’s simply another expression of who I’ve grown into and have become.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What light inside you have you been dimming?
For a long time, the light I dimmed the most was my willingness to fully step into my voice and my visibility.
I’ve always been someone with big ideas, strong intuition, and a deep belief that life can be created intentionally. But there were periods where I held parts of that back, sometimes out of humility, sometimes because as women and entrepreneurs we’re taught not to be “too much,” not to shine too brightly, or not to take up too much space.
Over time I realized that dimming your light doesn’t serve anyone. It doesn’t serve your family, your work, or the people who might be inspired by seeing someone lead authentically.
What I’ve been learning is that confidence isn’t about being louder than everyone else, it’s about being comfortable being fully yourself. The creative, the visionary, the leader, and the passion I bring to my work are all parts of that light.
So now, instead of dimming it, I’m learning into it, to honor her. Because when you allow yourself to shine fully, you give other people permission to do the same as well! It’s a domino effect !
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lagunabeachweddingplanner.com/
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/christina_c_sorensen
- Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/ciao-bella-wedding-and-events-laguna-beach
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/ciaobellaweddingandevents/
Image Credits
Production by Ciao Bella Wedding and Events
