Meet Amber Zubkov | Event Planner & Pastry Chef

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amber Zubkov and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amber, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Originally, we were still in the midst of Covid when we were throwing out ideas on what my husband (Fiance at the time) and I could do, to have some sort of income coming in while we were short on work. Both of our jobs at the time had cut our hours to almost nothing due to only being open for a minimum time during Covid. We had a lot more free time to work on a few ideas and the one that seemed to stick, was the picnic and bonfire business. We’re not reinventing the wheel by any means, but this type of business model allowed us to start slow with minimal start up costs. We had already dabbled in the events and service industries and my husband and I had both worked in restaurants/bakery type of jobs and had creative backgrounds. So we thought it couldn’t hurt to start setting up some small events. Thinking it would be no more than 10 guests, we started small and set up some stuff for friends, to start out.

We started investing in more inventory and started to build our own tables and backdrops. My husband had some previous construction and moving experience, which has been so helpful with what we do. We can customize a lot of things because of his experience, and don’t get me started on all the heavy lifting! Business started to pick up and we started to expand our inventory and our list of services to encompass so many facets of events. We started to offer wedding arches, rentals, bars, florals, and signage among other things and haven’t stopped since.

What started as a second stream of income became almost full time. While we are still not ready to leave the stability of our regular catering and restaurant jobs, we do see this business as a plan to work for ourselves full time in the future. We truly love the joy and peace of mind we bring to our clients and it’s so much fun to be a part of someone’s special day, whether it be as small as a beautiful floral arrangement or as large as a full scale event.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I went to school for art as I have always loved painting and creating. After I graduated, I fell into my first creative job as a cake decorator and that led me to work on cakes and pastries for the next 13 years. I worked in the pastry industry exclusively, for about 8 of those years and helped throw events for friends and family along the way. I was looking for a life change and moved to San Diego to start over. I got a job as an events assistant for a bit and then eventually over the last four years, have since opened my own events business. It started as a small luxury picnic and beach bonfire business catering to small groups but my husband and I have both worked hard to expand it to cater to the many different facets of events, including wedding arches, rentals, faux and fresh florals, event coordination and planning, tablescaping, grazing tables, signage, lounge furniture, backdrops and balloons. My husband has a construction and moving background as well as being a chef. With all of our experience combined, we have almost every aspect covered when it comes to running a well designed and well executed event.

It has definitely had it’s ups and downs over the years and in the beginning, it was the hardest due to working out of an apartment building and a small storage unit. Our biggest constraint when it comes to running an events business is storage! Where do we store all the backdrops, materials, furniture, plates, glassware, firepits, chairs, tables and all of the things that we rent out? We get creative with our space and have since moved into a place that allows for us to expand what we do! We also needed a functioning workshop to build our inventory, paint signage and backdrops and fix certain items that need to be repaired from time to time so moving to a larger place has been key to us expanding. Running a business like this, takes a lot of patience, determination, creativity, skill, and time. We don’t have investors and we had to build what we have from the ground up. It takes a lot of energy to accommodate custom requests and no event is ever exactly the same as another so it’s difficult to rinse and repeat. Everyone has different needs and budgets and if anyone knows how expensive it is to throw a party, we do! This type of service is not easy. There are only two of us, and even though we can hire out help, based on how large the scope of work is, the budget does not always allow for that. With perishable items like flowers and balloons, those typically have to be done right before an event and take quite a lot of time to put together. Every event requires many, many hours of loading and unloading inventory, designing themes and layouts, emails back and forth with clients, and making sure we hit setup and breakdown timeframes when dealing with venues and start times. People may think that you can relax while an event is going on, but we are never off the clock during an event. We still have to remain close by, if not on site, ready for anything and typically have to come back to break the event down. Not to mention, all of the late nights and long days beforehand prepping for the event itself. It’s hard on the body and also a lot of details to remember when it’s a larger event.

Why do we do it, you ask? We like working for ourselves, and also love making people happy. The beauty of owning your own business is that you can mold it into whatever you want it to be. It can grow or it can stay small. The choice is ours! We are in the people pleasing business and while some may not see the value in what we do, we truly help people throw a party, and make their lives easier in the long run. I love seeing the surprise and joy on people’s faces when they see it all come together, or realize that someone planned something so special for them. We want to continue to help people make lasting memories and hope to see our business grow over the years.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I had to show my friends or family some of the best spots in the city, I would probably take them to Balboa Park since it offers so many things to do in one place and great walkability. Liberty Station is a foodie fanfare and also a great spot to take someone or a group of friends because there are so many options for food too, along with the Lot and fun activities. One of our favorite spots to walk, is along the coastline in La Jolla, past Cuvier Park, the Children’s Pool, the sea lions near the La Jolla Bridge Club, and ending at Sunny Jim’s Sea Cave Store. Lots of great sightseeing, wildlife, and scenic viewpoints. Breakfast or Lunch at Caroline’s Cafe or maybe for the more daring, taking a flight at the Torrey Pines Gliderport. We frequent The Flamingo Deck in Pacific Beach, the new Beverly rooftop, Wonderland Ocean Pub, the boardwalk, and anywhere with a view of the ocean since that’s why we live here right? We absolutely love the bay for a fun boat ride or tour. The hot tub cruisin’ boat is one of our faves! Or listening to live music at Aquarius Bar and Grill. If there is a comedy show going on and we can make it, our friend Kash Komedy hosts free shows with rotating comics, at multiple places around town and its great entertainment while grabbing a bite or a drink.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Our parents have been very supportive with their encouraging words and have complete faith that we can keep expanding and hit our goals. We love them dearly!

Website: https://www.suiteandsea.com

Instagram: @suiteandsea

Facebook: @suiteandsea

Yelp: http://m.yelp.com/biz/suite-and-sea-san-diego

Image Credits
Amber Zubkov, Jesus Salazar, Emily G Visuals