Today we’d like to introduce you to Bonnie Bontempo.
Bonnie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
In retrospect, event planning is an obvious fit for me, but I took a really long road to finding it as a career path. Nothing I majored in in college (English, History, Latin American Studies) led me this direction. After college, I didn’t know what to do with my degrees, so I entered a graduate studies program for history, where my research focused on colonial trade and piracy in the Caribbean (yes, I know a lot about pirates!). When I finished my MA, I realized I did not want to work in academia, so I completed a master’s degree in teaching. I spent the next 5 years teaching middle and high school students from LA to Virginia while my husband went to grad school and then got moved around for his job. When we moved to San Diego from Washington, DC (our 4th move in 4 years), I decided I was done starting over at new schools in new states and decided to try something new. I worked as a personal stylist for Stitch Fix for several years part-time while getting a certificate at San Diego State for meeting and event planning. I loved planning my own wedding but had never thought about it as a career for myself. I started working for other wedding planners to learn the industry and knew I had finally found my place. I had the great fortune to work for some very experienced luxury event planners who mentored me, and I was able to learn so much from and make so many connections in the industry. I had my first daughter in 2019 and found out that my husband was being relocated yet again – this time to my hometown of Los Angeles. I decided I was finally ready to start my own business and work for myself instead of other planning firms.
We signed the paperwork for our new house in LA on March 7, 2020, literally days before the whole world shut down. The entire events industry was thrown into complete uncertainty, so it didn’t seem like the best time to start a wedding planning business! So, I put it on hold, and when it became evident that the uncertainty was going to last a while, I decided it was a good time to have another baby and hoped that by the time I was ready to start after maternity leave, things would be more certain. Around that same time, I was laid off from my job as a stylist and suddenly had nothing to do all day while stuck in the house with a 1-year-old.
Then, when I was 5 months pregnant, I was scrolling on a local moms’ Facebook group and saw someone was looking for a party planner to help with her baby’s first birthday. I thought, “I can do that!” So, I left a comment. She never replied – but another mom saw it and called me soon after and booked me. Next thing I knew I was scrambling to set up a business – figuring out logos and contracts and rates and before I knew it, I was in business. I had to learn all the administrative stuff in reverse while preparing to have a second baby during a pandemic. I coordinated a wedding at 36 weeks pregnant that summer! I took about a month off when I had the baby (business wasn’t booming yet, so it wasn’t too difficult) and then started trying to grow my business.
Originally, I had planned to only do weddings like the planners who had trained me, but with the pandemic and motherhood, my focus shifted somewhat. During quarantine, I learned how to make balloon decor because there wasn’t much else to do – so I added that to my offerings. And as much as I still love doing weddings (there is nothing like being there for the most romantic day of a couple’s relationship!), now that I am a mom and know so many other moms, adding showers, mitzvahs, and kids’ birthday parties have been a really fun and creative addition to my business. My business today does not look exactly like I thought it would when I was dreaming about its San Diego, but I love all the fun, creative, and beautiful celebrations we have had the chance to create or contribute to since then. It really feels like a privilege to be invited into the momentous occasions and special celebrations of our clients to help them make lasting memories.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting a new business a year into the pandemic while 5 months pregnant is not something that I would recommend as an ideal path to others, but it has been a fun road. I don’t have a business background, so finding my way as an owner and not just a creative has been exciting but also overwhelming sometimes. I often feel like I don’t know what I don’t know, but finding mentors and great support communities has helped. Moving even a short distance within Southern California meant having to mostly rebuild by vendor connections, which was definitely time-consuming and much harder when so few networking events were taking place in person. In the beginning, navigating through ever-changing pandemic regulations, client anxieties, and general uncertainties was definitely a challenge, but as things have normalized in the intervening years, it has made me feel like the trial by fire prepared me to meet any challenge. The reality is that while the pandemic was a worldwide shock, the events industry is always chaotic exciting, and challenging. Thankfully, worldwide pandemics don’t come along very often, but mini-crises are always popping up when you are planning large events, and that’s where we step in to problem-solve and manage the situation so our clients can just enjoy their celebrations. It can be stressful, but I thrive on the thrill of problem-solving.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I own an event planning and design company celebrating milestones through the art of color pop, and we strive toward an eco-friendly footprint wherever possible. I specialize mainly in weddings and luxe children’s parties, although we are always down for a celebration, no matter the occasion. I love an event with a unique angle or a challenge. A white ballroom wedding is always a beautiful classic, but I gravitate toward couples who come to us with something weird or crazy or unexpected that is unique to them and their celebration. I don’t have a cookie-cutter couple archetype I like to work with because I want every wedding I plan to be so special to them and their one-of-a-kind love story. When it comes to kids’ parties, I love a modern twist on a classic theme. I also love an unexpected theme for a kid’s party. The more out there the idea is, the more exciting it is to plan. We are known for designing children’s parties that are aesthetically beautiful and elevated but still keep the purpose of the party (kids having the best time) at the center of focus. Guest experience is always a priority held in equal importance with aesthetics at any of our events, but now that I am a mom myself, I know that it’s far more important to our little guests than the floral centerpieces. My goal is always to plan a party that the parents appreciate and the kids can actually enjoy. I want everyone going home talking about it.
I pride myself on providing a unique take on every event, even if it’s a theme you’ve seen a hundred time before (some kids’ parties themes are classics, and we are not here to tell a two-year-old that Minnie Mouse has been done to death!) or a wedding venue we’ve been to before. We balance giving the client what they want with giving their guests a unique experience.
While we are by no means perfect, I really strive to always be conscious of how we can reduce our carbon footprint in a very wasteful industry. I am always looking for ways to reuse and repurpose, rent to avoid disposable items, when possible, eco-friendly alternatives, etc. I really connect with clients who have this attitude and are looking for guidance on how to reduce the waste in their events. I work to align with other vendors who share this same goal to be able to offer that guidance to clients.
In terms of design, I think trends are starting to shift, but we’ve been in a very soft and neutral design era for weddings. Lots of white, tans, boho styles, florals that focus more on texture than color. It’s a beautiful aesthetic but one that is harder to personalize in some ways, which has led to a lot of weddings that feel repetitive in design. The element that I think sets us apart from other planning and design companies is a love affair with color. There is a time and place for soft neutrals, but I love designing with color and clients who love a playful design with lots of personality. I want guests at any event we plan to experience moments of surprise and delight woven into the day. You’ll see this throughout my portfolio, from weddings to kids’ parties. I am always looking for ways to incorporate color in a fun way and cheeky elements that remind everyone that this is a PARTY.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I grew up in LA, but my family is not in the entertainment industry. I was an outgoing kid, and that personality trait has definitely helped me in owning a business. I have never been what might be called an “outdoorsy” person, but my family spent a lot of time in Palm Springs when I was growing up, and I still love the desert and a lazy pool day. I was always a girly girl and loved all things pink and sparkly (and that hasn’t changed!). My mom always threw the best DIY-themed birthday parties for all (4!) of us and went big for all the holidays. Our house was always the celebration house. She was a Pinterest mom long before they existed! Our childhoods were very magical in that way, and it has stuck with me. I learned really young that a little bit of extra effort to make something more special has a big impact, and that has informed my work in event planning. The way a special party or celebration can really create memories and traditions to treasure your entire life. I have always loved a good party and all things creative and crafty, and now I feel like I get to channel all of that into my job, which is the best!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bonbonfete.com/
- Instagram: @bon_bon_fete
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090023222883
Image Credits
Jade Elora Photography
Lily Tapia Photography
Danielle and Deanne Photography
Karlo Photography
Linda Tran
