Meet Martina Di Napoli | Wedding & Event Planner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Martina Di Napoli and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Martina, what is the most important factor behind your success?
Being myself and really embrace my diversity as a powerful brand identity

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
More about your career: My name is Martina Di Napoli and I am an Italian woman in mid late 30s living the US since 2006.  My dream and passion was always to produce, design, and manage events. I worked over a decade in the hospitality industry when I was learning the language and the culture and always looked up at the polished and well dressed people who were running the show thinking: “one day will be me”. I went back to school to obtain a bachelor in hospitality and event planning program at the Cal Poly Pomona Collins College in Southern California, and graduated (sadly) in 2020 with a degree in Event Management. I started my journey in the event industry from a global corporate name to a private luxury company, where from just a passion I was finally slowly turning it into a real profession and career. As I grew into the professional I am today, knowing that I have so much more to learn, I felt ready to take a leap of faith and follow the path of entrepreneurship and open my own company, thinking It will be small but it will be mine. That’s when Storia Mia Events was born. The name means “my story” in Italian (keeping my roots alive) is embracing the concept that every client has its own story to tell the world through their event, whether is a wedding or a social gathering. Storia Mia Events has been serving clients in Southern California and destination in Italy since 2022.

I find sometime the burden of keeping up with the operation, the creative, the accounting, the marketing, and mostly the selling of the business side is far away from what my passion is: producing, designing, and managing events. I believe in this brand and its potential to make other people’s important life moment happen in front of their eyes. What I learned, and still learning, along the way is how one person defines success… I feel successful for what I define my first few years in business can do for me at this time and I want to be nice to myself that even though there is so much more to do I did all I could as of now and I am proud of how far I have come in only 2 years.
Storia Mia likes to give back, and a percentage of our proceed goes to animal rescue support. One day I wish to build enough wealth where Storia Mia Events could create something like a sanctuary and event venue to continue the passion for events and give back to the animals in need.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I actually just did this for my very long best friend who visited from Italy:

– we started our week in LA and the most iconic view from The Griffith Observatory. Walked around Santa Monica for sunset hours and finished the day in Sherman Oaks to our favorite Italian restaurant Panzanella on Ventura Blvd.

– the next day we spent one day in Orange County and visited the NewportBeach and Laguna Beach and stopped by the Mercado Gonzalez in Costa Mesa and ate the most authentic Mexican food in SoCal. Spent here a couple of more hours just to walk around and see all the produce and traditional food they have for sell, eat, and display.

– 3rd day spent in San Diego where we did the usual beach visit at the Coronado (a small site visit for wedding purposed at the Coronado Hotel) and then spend the day in Gaslamp District. This was a Special day as it was Saint Patrick so we dressed in green and did some light bar hopping and danced in a few places. It was a fun American holiday for my best friend to experience. We are from Europe and no we don’t celebrate that , I think even in Ireland lol

– Last day we saw a Candlelight concert (highly recommend) in Long Beach and had brunch at amazing The Attic. Walked outside the Queen Mary before we headed to the concert where we just relaxed an enjoyed the music experience.

There is sooo much to do in So-Cal that a few days is never enough! I have been here since 2013 and I still have things on my list to-do!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My partner Connor Frenn. He is the reason why I started my business and after these years I am still standing. His unstoppable support and words of encouragement was all I needed to take that leap of faith and embrace this entrepreneurial journey.

Website: https://www.storiamiaevents.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storiamiaevents/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinadinapoli/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/storiamiaevents/

Other: I am also on the Knot https://www.theknot.com/marketplace/storia-mia-events-pasadena-ca-2087951 and Google at Storia Mia Events

Image Credits
Kate Noelle
Tanya Parada
Gianni Di Natale
Vincenzo Errico