My name is Elena Honchariuk. I was born in an ordinary family in Chernivtsi, Ukraine. Since childhood, I have been fond of drawing and had creative skills. Growing up, I realized that only a small number of people follow their heart's calling.
I entered the medical university, because everyone around me called this decision the right one. But my heart made its way and already during my studies I started to create and sell my first jewelry. Working at the hospital took all my free time, and the realization of myself as a creator took a backseat, and one day I realized that I did not see a happy future, because I was going against my purpose.
The turning point was my pregnancy and unpredictably complicated childbirth, as a result of which I found myself on the verge of life and death. At that moment, I clearly understood - fear and excuses no longer exist. Waking up after anesthesia, as a medic, I realized that a miracle had happened and that I had a chance to do something special for this world.
My husband supported me, and in 2016, the family business for the production of personalized designer glasses and accessories, Wedding Art Gallery (WAG), was born. After posting the listing with photos of the glasses on Etsy, we received our first order from Nicole Hunter the same day.
Each following year was a stage during which we grew and hardened. In 2017, we registered patents for the author's arrangement of crystals in Ukraine and the USA, and in 2019 we moved to a spacious workshop located in the very center of a European city.
The 2020 quarantine was the first serious test. Weddings and any celebrations were not in time, so we decided to launch new projects with a new concept, but none of them turned out to be successful enough. Having recovered from the pandemic, people felt a thirst for life, communication and meetings, and therefore the celebration of special days. These wonderful people, our customers, inspired us to develop in this field.
Already in 2021, we moved to a spacious workshop with an area of 500 square meters, and our team consisted of 16 employees. At that time, the WAG project fulfilled the dreams of thousands of brides from all over the world. With the awareness of the value of our product, with the desire to expand the assortment, to become closer and clearer to our client, we rebranded and continued our creative path under the name Elena Honch.
2022 started promisingly. We improved communication with customers and worked diligently on new orders, improved the site, developed a new product and were preparing to present it in the near future, at the same time conducted team interviews and optimized production processes.
However, on February 24, Russia invaded the territory of my country and began a terrible war against my people, which shocked the whole world. Being a part of this civilized world, we could not believe what was happening, and so could our customers and people from all over the world, from whom we received words of support every day. It brought us back to reality, motivated us to continue doing what we do best, support the country's economy and provide jobs.
We continued to work, interview, and grow, despite the days when we could sit in a shelter for hours during an air raid, and once the threat was over, it was back to work and life. After all, light always defeats darkness.
One of the main achievements of 2022 was the launch of a new product - fashion hair accessories. I was motivated to do this by the desire to create and show beauty not only for special events, but also in the elements of the everyday image, in things that remind us of the need to choose our true self every day.
In addition to continuous work within the brand, we started talking about us to the whole world. In 2022, we began to be chosen by celebrities, stars, influencers from various fields and bloggers.
On June 2, we got the first mention of our brand in Sydney Warner's stories, and on June 25, Sydney and Fred made their first joint toast holding Elena Honch glasses.
The same month saw the lavish wedding of actor and model Chase Mattson and Tik-tok superstar Kelianne Stankus, who also chose Elena Honch glasses and their wedding.
We were honored to make wedding glasses for Kazz Kumar and Oritse Williams, Vanessa Villela and Nick Hardy, Cheyenne Floyd and Zach Davis, Tara Davis and Hunter Woodhall, and the incredible Hollywood couple Taylor Lautner and Taylor Dome.
Every couple and every wedding is a special story about trust and love for our brand. If, after unpacking the package, the client is filled with positive emotions, our mission is fulfilled, thanks to thousands of positive reviews, we know for sure that a personalized thing for a special event is a good reason for happiness.
