We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Bonnie Bontempo. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Bonnie below.
Bonnie, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
Does anyone ever really get over imposter syndrome? Ha- just kidding, sortof. I think most small business owners and entrepreneurs that I know feel imposter syndrome to some degree. Certainly as they are starting out, but even as you grow and develop confidence it can stick around in some form. There’s always a next horizon of success to reach. The days of people advancing along one career path their entire professional life are gone. Many of us entrepreneurs are on second or later (third, for me!) careers. So while you might feel like a newbie at whatever the newest venture is, it’s important to remember that the skills and experience from your prior pursuits still count and can be an asset now. You can’t be expert at something without being a beginner first.
One thing that helps me stay confident in myself and my offerings is to remind myself that I’m not the only one who feels insecure on occasion. Everyone is susceptible to it and that takes some of the power out of the feeling. I also think that using it as a tool for growth is a good way to keep the feelings of insecurity from taking over. I always recommend networking for businesses at every level, even when it’s intimidating, because it’s an opportunity to meet people you can learn from. You might meet someone at the same stage of business as you who can be an ally to you. If you’re surrounded by people who are more established than you are, use the opportunity to learn from those people and ask questions, and if necessary, fake it ‘til you make it. That’s what everyone else is doing anyway!
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am an event planner and specialize primarily in weddings and luxury kids parties, although we are ready to celebrate any occasion with our clients. I have planned everything from baby showers to celebrations of life. I love planning events with cheeky and whimsical elements, which is why I love kids parties. I love to marry (no pun intended, haha) the sophistication of our wedding aesthetic to a fun theme with playful details that guests love to discover. My signature is adding design details that nod toward the theme in a subtle way. For me, that’s where the magic is in party planning. If you look at our wedding galleries, you’ll see a lot of color, which is a hallmark of our design aesthetic. Bold and joyful storytelling in event design is the goal.
Another cornerstone of our planning process is our commitment to minimizing the carbon footprints of our events wherever possible. It’s definitely a challenge in an inherently wasteful industry, but that makes it even more imperative to me to use my expertise and experience to offer clients more sustainable options. I have also made it a point to seek out other vendors who are making efforts toward more sustainable event planning to work with.
And as far as new projects go…my newest and most exciting project I’m working on is my third baby! She’s due any day and I am excited to welcome her to our family and take some time off this summer to enjoy those early weeks (but don’t worry, the team will still be tossing confetti and executing events even while I’m out of the office!)
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I’m a born and bred Angeleno, but I’ve lived all over the country before returning to LA with my husband and two children in 2020. I was raised by parents from the midwest and I’m grateful to them for exposing my siblings and I to the variety and diversity this country has to offer. We spent rustic summers in Minnesota and Illinois with grandparents and road tripped all over the place. When you grow up in SoCal it’s easy to feel like you’re already in the best place (and truly, you cannot beat the weather!), but there are so many experiences out there that can expand your worldview and I’m glad for them. I think it paved the way for all the directions and places my life took me in my twenties. I wouldn’t have met my husband if I hadn’t gone to Pittsburgh for grad school. In my life and business, it’s allowed me to connect and work easily with all kinds of people. I think that wealth of variety of life experiences and new people has been invaluable to me as I’ve entered each phase of my life and career.
As I mentioned before, event planning is my third career. I started as a middle and high school teacher out of grad school and then became a personal stylist. I have a lot of organizational and project management skills I brought over from my earlier career, and they have served me well as a planner. While of course I love the fun of the design process and having a place to exercise my creativity, any true event planner knows that the devil is in the logistical details, not the design. It’s a lot less glamorous than mood boards and mockups, but making sure all the details and and coordination are in order ahead of time is what makes for a smooth and enjoyable event. We want the guests to see only the centerpieces and balloon installations, but we want our clients to be able to enjoy the party knowing that we have taken all the minutia off their plates. And I know it’s working, because the feedback I get from clients consistently mentions how organized we are. Un-glamorous as it may be, for me, that is the true value of working with a professional planner – knowing that everything is taken care of and coordinated to perfection. Anyone who has thrown a party at their house knows that you don’t really get to enjoy it when you host because you are working the whole time! Our clients have the peace of mind that not only will everything be photo ready, but they can show up and be a guest at their own event without having to worry about a thing.
As a former teacher, I value education, and I put a lot of stock in learning from professional educators. With this in mind, from the very beginning of switching to the events industry, I have invested time and money in continuing education. Conferences, courses, coaching, whatever makes sense for the business, but it’s so important to keep learning. You can learn a lot on the job and in the field, but I have found that investing in the expertise of more experienced industry leaders is worth the time and mistakes saved along the way. I still made plenty of my own mistakes, but it’s always good to learn from other’s experience.
As for advice, I think we all have such unique life and professional experiences, and it’s really important to view them as assets and consider how they can be leveraged in new directions when you start on a new path. As I said, I am a big proponent of investing in continuing education in your field. Getting involved in professional organizations and networking groups is a great way to make industry connections and find a mentor who can provide the real life guidance that might be missing from courses and other general education.
Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
As I mentioned, I love to combine elegance and whimsy, which has led me more and more to work with couples who have that same attitude toward their wedding aesthetic. Clients who share our goal of planning sustainable events are wonderful to work with as well. We’re not looking for stuffy brides, but rather joyful couples who want to infuse their special day with unique details and vibrant energy (whether that be from the color palette or some other element). I believe you can be traditional and still be fresh and modern. Love is love and we celebrate all couples, no matter how unconventional. I adore a couple who isn’t afraid to add a little playfulness to their wedding design. It’s all about creating something special for them and their guests to experience as they celebrate. A one-of-a-kind love story deserves a one-of-a-kind party!
When it comes to kids parties, I love working with that mom who wants to honor her kiddo’s desire for their favorite movie or character (or construction vehicle, lol) to be the star of their birthday party design, but still wants something chic and cool that adults can also appreciate. Probably because I am that mom, haha.
Some planners prefer to only do one type of event – weddings, corporate, social events, etc.) but I want to cultivate legacy clients who we can help celebrate all of life’s special milestones with. From bridal showers to 100th birthday celebrations, and everything in between. There is no bigger compliment than a client who comes back, and I love getting to deepen the relationship with them and their families. I’m all about making memories that last a lifetime, and it’s so much fun to do it again and again with the same people.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bonbonfete.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bon_bon_fete/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090023222883
Image Credits
Jade Elora Photography
Lily Tapia Photography
Danielle and Deanne Photography
Making Memories by Linda Tran
Erich Chen Photography
Andrew James Abajian
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
