As the founder of White Lilac Inc. – one of Southern California’s most in-demand planning and event design groups – Sunny Ravanbach is the embodiment of style, entrepreneurship, and vision. White Lilac is the team behind countless lavish events throughout Los Angeles and beyond (several have been featured in Wedding Style), and Sunny has a certain knack for taking a concept and translating it into something tangible, bespoke, and aesthetically pleasing. Here are a few fun facts about the woman behind White Lilac Inc., and the unique story that led to the creation of this top luxury design firm.
She’s from Iran.
Having an international background and being well-traveled are certainly beneficial when it comes to dealing with a diverse demographic of clients and tastes. Sunny was born in Iran and was fortunate to grow up within a hub of creativity; her mother was one of the country’s first women to work in TV, so Sunny recalls most of her childhood being spent on set with producers and set designers.
She had no intention of becoming an event designer.
Sunny has an undergrad degree in English and attended graduate school for Russian Literature Theory, with absolutely no intention of being a wedding planner or event designer. “My first event was completely by accident,” she says, as the opportunity arose when a friend randomly asked if she wanted to make a bid for an upcoming wedding.
Sunny’s first wedding landed her a feature in Town & Country magazine.
After putting in a bid of $27K for a wedding and booking her first client, Sunny ended up having to borrow an extra $100K from her uncle to cover the lighting, tenting, carpeting, and florals. Fortunately, it turned out to be a worthwhile investment when that wedding was featured in Town & Country magazine as the “most romantic wedding of 1999.”
She serves as an entrepreneurial role model.
Sunny has given lectures about entrepreneurship at institutions like the University of California. “You cannot plan your life,” she says. “You have to put one foot in front of the other and let life direct you where it needs to take you; because, if you force it, you’ll never really find your passion.”
