Graduate Features, Student/Graduate Features
Graduate Feature: Luba Gankin of Primavera Dreams
Alex Gordias Photography
Name: Luba Gankin
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
QC Courses she’s graduated from:
Her Website: Primaveradreams.com
Social Media:
Tell us a little bit about yourself!
My name is Luba (derived from “love” in Russian). I was born and grew up in St. Petersburg, Russia. Then, I worked on my Ph.D. in chemistry in Paris, France. I also spent some time in Milan, Italy when working on my thesis—and this is how my love for Italy started. Then I moved to Boston and have lived there for the last 22 years. I have an amazing supportive husband, 4 kids, and a Siberian cat—my immediate family.
Why did you decide to become a wedding planner?
Anna Fowler Photography, Gianni di Natale Photography
To make a long story short, I’ve always loved uniting and reuniting people for a happy occasion. It runs in my genes. Life is full of hardship and losses, and we have to learn cherishing the happy occasions—to live them with those we love, to keep them in our memory, and to consider them real treasures. It gives our lives much needed optimism and strength to overcome routine and disappointing moments. And I love helping people to realize and create a special, happy experience for them and their guests.
You service Italy and Boston. How do you manage weddings across the Atlantic Ocean?
In the modern world, our globe has shrunk. Having traveled across the globe for my previous work as an innovation consultant, I got used to long distances and cross-Atlantic travel. The wedding season is actually similar in Boston in Italy, and balancing weddings here and there is the trickiest part. But so far, it’s worked well.
Carly Michelle Photography
What made you decide to leave your position as the director of a major innovation company to become a wedding planner?
At some point in my career, I grew tired of my position, both physically and emotionally. And I simply felt that wedding planning is my calling. I’ve already planned many events, including weddings, both for my work and for my relatives. Managing international teams and planning complex projects when I was wearing a consultant’s hat was obviously helpful. Still, I realized that I need to enroll in some professional wedding planning classes, to establish relationships with the local professionals, and to understand my goals and business development path. I was lucky enough to afford it financially, obviously, as I had to learn a lot of new staff feel that I was competent enough.
You have close relationships with many venues in Italy. Can you give aspiring wedding planners your best tip for building strong vendor relationships?
I believe being genuinely friendly and honest. Understanding other’s needs is essential in our business. We need to have trustful and reliable friends among the vendors, who will be able to help you – and to whom you would be willing to help. I was doing styled shoots and some charitable work with many vendors, and it helps to understand who these people are and if you like working with them. They also learn a lot about you.
Anna Fowler Photography
What’s something you wish someone had told you before starting your wedding planning business?
I wish they told me to start my wedding planning business 10 years earlier!
How has QC prepared you for the wedding planning business?
I realized that having basic knowledge founded on common sense is not enough. You really need to understand many things, you need to learn a whole new language. There is a lot of research involved in a successful planning process. And you have to be vigilant in order to avoid stupid errors. I’ve gotten many helpful tips in the area of the luxury event planning, which came in handy.
What is your biggest career highlight so far?
I planned a wedding in a beautiful Tuscan Castle. I had to plan almost everything from the beginning to the very end, including a multitude of tiny details. It was an incredibly beautiful wedding, and I cherish the friendly relationship with my wedding clients who entrusted me with such an important event that had complex logistics.
Anna Fowler Photography
What does 2019 have in store for you?
My business is still in its developing stage, but I am happy to receive the prestigious Best of Weddings award by The Knot and The Couples’ Choice Award by the Wedding Wire. I have a few weddings and other festive events scheduled in Italy and some in Boston. I am also expecting my weddings to be published by popular wedding blogs, both local and national.
