We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Bethany Lubrano a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Bethany , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?

I hope my legacy will be that I elevated the standard of what it means to create meaningful, unforgettable experiences—not just for clients, but for their guests, families, and communities. I want to be remembered as someone who led with integrity, creativity, and generosity. Someone who made people feel seen, celebrated, and deeply cared for. In an industry where money is thrown around like confetti, I want to find a way to tie each of my events into giving back and serving others. I don’t want to be known as a cutthroat “shark” of a business owner, but rather a kind, generous, approachable human. Beyond beautiful events, I hope to inspire others—especially women—to build businesses that reflect both their vision and their values.

Bethany , 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?

For those just discovering me—welcome. My name is Bethany and I am the owner of Belle & York Events, an event planning & design company based in Colorado. I serve as a luxury event planner, designer, and creative director with a passion for crafting experiences that feel as uniquely curated as they are unforgettable. My background is in nursing, and while that might seem like an unusual path into events, it gave me the tools to navigate high-pressure environments, lead with empathy, and manage complex logistics with calm precision. That foundation, paired with my deep love for artful storytelling and hospitality, naturally led me into this industry.

I went to nursing school because it seemed like the sensible thing to do. I was never really taught or exposed to entrepreneurship growing up, and while I’m grateful for all that nursing has brought me, I always knew my passion lay in another career. I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit, wanting to work for myself. One of my first loves was hosting, entertaining and design. So I asked myself “If I could do anything where money didn’t matter, what would that be?” And the answer led me to event planning.

However, leaving a career where all I did was help others to enter into a business where hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent on one event left me feeling very guilty. I quickly started asking myself a second question, “How can I combine my passion for helping others with my passing for event planning and design?” The answer led me to partnering with a local domestic violence resource center. In this partnership I volunteer my event planning services to help plan their youth program reunions, annual Gala, and much more. Additionally, I donate our leftover florals to them, and offer all of my clients the opportunity to sponsor a donation to them. This is a small place to start, but I am proud of this being my differentiator. Eventually, I would like to give back on a much larger scale and plan events to help fund medical mission trips to Africa, which was one of my favorite experiences during my nursing career.

I’m most proud of the relationships I build. It means everything to me when clients say they felt truly taken care of, or that their guests are still raving about the experience months later. I’m equally proud of building a business rooted in purpose. I’m passionate about generosity and giving back, and I hope to use my platform to support causes I care deeply about, particularly those in healthcare and community well-being.

At the end of the day, I want people to know that I care deeply about what I do—not just the aesthetics, but the emotion, the impact, and the legacy of every event I touch. My work is about celebrating life’s most meaningful moments with beauty, grace, and intention.

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

I believe my reputation was built on a foundation of trust, refined taste, and strong relationships. From the beginning, I’ve been committed to delivering a level of service and creativity that goes beyond expectation—and just as importantly, doing so with integrity. My clients know I’ll listen closely, communicate clearly, and execute their vision with care and precision.

But reputation doesn’t happen in isolation—it’s also the result of meaningful industry relationships. I’ve been intentional about building a strong network of trusted creative partners, vendors, and fellow planners. We collaborate closely to ensure that every detail is not only beautiful but logistically sound. The Colorado events industry is one of collaboration over competitive, and it truly creates beautiful work because of that. I’m grateful to be part of a community that values excellence and professionalism, and I believe the strength of those relationships elevates every event we touch.

Consistency and connection have been key—whether someone sees my work online, attends one of my events, or receives a referral from a colleague, the experience is the same: thoughtful, elevated, and seamless. That kind of reliability and relationship-building is what I believe has truly set me apart.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Profit First by Mike Michalowicz was a monumental book in allowing me to pivot my business from side-hustle to full time. It taught me to pay myself, and the rest will still get figured out. I love listening to the inspirational stories of the powerhouses on the Diary of a CEO podcast. But the primary resource that has really helped my trajectory is networking with other like-minded entrepreneurs, especially those in my industry through the Emerge Collective and WIPA organizations.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://belleandyorkevents.com/
• Instagram: @belleandyorkevents
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552772784275
• Yelp: https://biz.yelp.com/biz_info/KFey_m_G0nibw6PkauhyFQ

Image Credits

Salt + Co. Photography
Ashley Joyce Photography