Rising Stars: Meet Gaya Aroush of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gaya Aroush.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Creativity has always been a part of who I am. From a young age, I was naturally drawn to fashion, design, interiors, florals—really anything that allowed me to create something beautiful and meaningful. But growing up in a traditional household in Ukraine, pursuing a creative career didn’t necessarily feel like the practical path, so I chose a more conventional route and became a pharmacist.

I spent many years working in a pharmacy while raising my three children, and while I was grateful for the career I had built, I eventually realized that something was missing. I was successful in what I was doing, but it wasn’t feeding my creative side or giving me the sense of purpose I was looking for.

The turning point came during my daughter’s engagement. As I became involved in creating and designing the celebrations surrounding such an important moment in our family, something clicked. I began exploring floral design, initially as a creative outlet, and quickly realized how naturally it came to me. Florals opened the door to something much bigger. I fell in love not only with designing beautiful spaces, but with bringing all of the elements of an event together—the atmosphere, the details, the experience, and most importantly, the emotion behind it.

That journey eventually evolved from floral design into full wedding | event planning and design, and ultimately into what Gaya Events is today.

Looking back, becoming a pharmacist may seem completely unrelated to the work I do now, but I don’t see those years as a detour. They taught me discipline, precision, responsibility, and how to remain composed under pressure—all qualities that have been invaluable in this industry. Gaya Events became the place where that part of me could meet the creative side that had always been there.

What began during one of the most meaningful moments in my own family’s life ultimately became my purpose: creating beautiful, thoughtful celebrations that become meaningful moments in other families’ lives.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t always been a smooth road, but I think the challenges have been an important part of shaping both me and Gaya Events.

One of the biggest challenges was simply having the courage to start over. I had already built an established career as a pharmacist, so stepping into an entirely different industry meant leaving behind something familiar and beginning again in a space where I had to build my name, my experience, and my confidence from the ground up.

I also learned very quickly that having a creative vision and running a creative business are two very different things. There is so much that happens behind the scenes—building relationships, managing expectations, navigating budgets and logistics, leading teams, and learning how to protect your creative vision while still listening closely to your clients.

I didn’t come into this industry through a traditional path, so I worked incredibly hard to earn trust and let the work speak for itself. Over time, experience gave me the confidence to trust my instincts, understand my value, and become more selective about the work that truly represents Gaya Events.

There have certainly been difficult moments along the way, but each one has taught me something. I believe the challenges are part of what allowed Gaya Events to grow organically into what it is today without losing the personal connection and passion that made me start in the first place.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Gaya Events is a full-service wedding and event planning and design company specializing in creating elevated, highly personalized celebrations. For me, it has never been about simply making an event beautiful—it is about creating an experience that feels intentional, cohesive, and deeply connected to the people we are celebrating.

My approach is very design-driven. I look at an event as a complete composition, from the overall atmosphere and use of the space to the florals, color palette, textures, lighting, tablescape, and smallest finishing details. I love taking a client’s personality, story, and vision and translating those elements into an environment that feels uniquely theirs.

I think what sets Gaya Events apart is the level of personal attention and emotion we bring to each celebration. I don’t believe in recreating the same look from one event to another. Every wedding and event begins with a blank canvas, and the goal is always to create something that feels timeless and sophisticated while still being unexpected and individual.

I’m especially proud of the trust our clients place in me. Weddings specifically are incredibly personal milestones, and being invited into a couples love story to help shape those memories is something I never take lightly. Some of the most meaningful relationships I’ve built through Gaya Events have continued long after the event itself for future celebrations.

Ultimately, I want my work to be remembered not only for how beautiful everything looked, but for how it made people feel. That is at the heart of Gaya Events—transforming emotion into atmosphere and vision into experience.

Who else deserves credit in your story?
No journey is ever built alone, and I have been incredibly fortunate to have so many people support and believe in me along the way.

My family and friends deserve so much of that credit. They encouraged me when I made the decision to step away from the career I had known for so many years and pursue something completely different. My daughter, in particular, will always be an important part of Gaya Events story because it was during her engagement that this journey unexpectedly began. What started as creating for such a meaningful moment in our own family ultimately opened the door to an entirely new chapter of my life.

I’m also incredibly grateful for my team and the talented creative partners and vendors I have had the opportunity to work alongside. Events are truly collaborative, and bringing a vision to life requires so many talented hands. I value the relationships I have built and the mutual trust that allows us to continually push ourselves creatively.

And of course, my dear clients deserve tremendous credit. Every family who has trusted Gaya Events with one of the most important celebrations of their lives has helped me grow. Their stories inspire my work, their trust gives me the freedom to create, and many of them have become lasting relationships well beyond their special day.

Gaya Events may have started with my personal creative journey, but it has grown because of an incredible community of people who believed in that journey and became part of it.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.gayaevent.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gayaevent/?hl=en
• Email: gayaevent@yahoo.com
• Phone: (818)653-1211

Image Credits
Photographer Credits:

Kris Kan Photography
Moosho Photography
Chasing Pleasures Photography
Sakosan Photography Photography
Dmitry Shumanev Photography
Rene Zadori Photography
Kost Photography