Luxury wedding planner and designer from Ahmedabad, Purva Patel found herself in a difficult spot halfway through her career. After working with a family member for 15 years, she had to quit due to financial disputes, although it was her network, creativity and hard work that made the company famous. The night she quit, she was full of introspection. In these difficult times, his family had been his constant support. They too decided it was a wise decision to let go of everything, including money, to continue to respect family and relationships. Lo and behold, they found something uniquely their own and Pristine Paige Events was created. Today, Purva successfully leads Pristine Paige and has designed and planned over 100 weddings with her impeccable expertise. In an interview with ELLE, she shares her story of building a million dollar business from scratch.
SHE: Tell us about the difficulty you encountered when setting up your business.
Purva Patel (PP): My experience and hands-on work ethic with the same team made it easier to establish my new business and I had less difficulty. But letting people change their idea of the business from an earlier brand took time. With constant work, this conflict was also resolved.
ELLE: We see few women leading the team in your industry. Do you encounter such conflicts between customers and the company?
PP: I have been in the industry for 15 years. When I started Pristine Paige, people who had associated with me in the past knew that I knew how to run a business. When we meet people for the first time, some are confused at first, but our portfolio, workspace and abilities speak for ourselves and this helps build confidence in us compared to other wedding companies.
Women running wedding or event businesses used to be a problem, but times have changed now. We see women working side by side with men. Our team is very organized, which makes it easier for people to trust us for their special days.
SHE: What was your ‘Aha Moment of life’ in these five years at the head of PrisPaige events?
PP: As I said, it is difficult to leave a considerable amount of money to save a family relationship. So when I started again, I never would have thought that Pristine Paige would make $1 million in sales in such a short time, despite the two years of the pandemic. It also shows the company that a female founder can achieve great success. And this “Aha moment” would not have been possible without the support of my family and everyone’s blessings.
I believe that if you are talented and hardworking, nothing can stop you from building what you want to create for yourself and for the brand. And, of course, the money will follow. I have never chased after money and I only believe in creating unforgettable experiences and beautiful memories.
ELLE: What role did your family play in your career?
PP: My family have been my unwavering support from the start and have been instrumental in getting me to where I am today. The way they handled the family, my child Prayan, the house and everything. They knew it was a crucial moment for me, so they wholeheartedly supported us (my team and me). They are our greatest cheerleaders; without them, who Pristine Paige and I are today would not be possible.
ELLE: And your message to young event companies?
PP: I would tell them there is only one thing to do: work hard and bide your time. Get up to speed with everything new and trendy. It took me 15 years to talk about my fight and my journey. Nothing is easy, so be sure to work hard with your team and create something unique for your customers.
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