Ksenia Galouchko and Zach Lebovitz first crossed paths when they both—quite serendipitously—happened to be vacationing in Thailand at the same time. Ksenia was on a girls trip, while Zach stayed with a few friends from London Business School, where he was earning his MBA. “Sparks flew when it turned out that we were both big foodies and we ended up talking about our favorite cuisines and London restaurants for a really long time,” she remembers. The two shared a first date two months later—on the eve of all the major Covid lockdowns.
“Ours was very much a pandemic love story,” Ksenia says. The pair moved in together after just one month of dating, as London imposed strict lockdown restrictions in March of 2020. “Zach said he couldn’t live without seeing me every day, and I didn’t know how to cook, while Zach is an incredible chef, so it was a perfect arrangement!” she smiles. They spent their days cooking—Thai, Persian, and Eastern European dishes were among the favorites— and strolling through Holland and Hyde parks, glasses of rosé in hand.
Two years later, Zach proposed in Chicago, when they visited family in the States. He asked her “in front of a famous hot dog stand, The Wieners Circle–because simple American hot dogs are my favorite food in the world,” Ksenia laughs. “He kept dropping on one knee to joke-propose at various famous sights throughout our stay in Chicago, so I almost ignored him at that point, until I saw him holding my dream engagement ring.”
Zach worked with Ksenia’s grandmother for weeks prior to the proposal to plan the ultimate surprise via sweet transatlantic video calls. Zach’s parents secretly flew to Chicago and were there alongside Ksenia’s grandmother to reveal themselves immediately post-“Yes!” The two families finally met and immediately hit it off—sharing a sense of humor and a love for good food.
“Zach knew that I wanted an emerald-cut diamond so he worked with Notting Hill’s family jeweler Sophie Breitmeier to design the most special, art deco-inspired ring,” she notes. “He actually drew it in PowerPoint, which was so impressive, and Sophie said it’s the favorite engagement ring she’s created!”
Once engaged, the couple knew they’d be married in Mallorca and ultimately hired Grupo Amida’s Claudia Coll to plan the event and Anastasia Tikhonova to photograph. “During our past visits, we have always loved Mallorca’s relaxed and chic island vibe, and Spanish food is one of our favorites,” the bride-to-be explains. “We were instantly smitten by Jardines de Alfabia, a botanical garden in the northwest of the island in Bunyola.”
As for the dress code? Balearic Chic. The couple expected guests in their late-spring best but wanted everyone to be comfortable and have fun with their choice of outfit. Artist Natalia Bagniewska played into the island aesthetic of it all and created colorful invitations detailed with palm trees, lemons, and wisteria plants against the facade of Jardines de Alfabia.
“I was on the verge of wearing a non-wedding white dress, when I came across Emilia Wickstead’s gorgeous new flagship in Belgravia,” Ksenia says. “It was love at first sight: Emilia Wickstead’s designs are elegant, clean, timeless, and understated, and the service was impeccably classy.” Even before she found the dress the bride idealized wearing Prada’s crystal headband and silver kitten-heel pumps on the day-of. A floor-length veil, Tiffany & Co. diamond drop earrings, and a Cartier Trinity bracelet completed the wedding ensemble. Zach wore a Brunello Cucinelli suit—custom made in Milan.
Beauty-wise, it was important for the bride to have a clean and natural look, as she never wears a lot of makeup. Ksenia gushes, “Sandra Torrero is a fantastic fashion editorial hair and makeup artist based in Mallorca, who made me feel effortlessly chic and beautiful on my wedding day.”
For Friday’s welcome drinks in the Es Baluard Museum of Contemporary Art, the bride also donned Prada paired with Castañer espadrilles and Bottega’s mini Jodie. As for a second look, Ksenia switched into a black, crystal mini dress from Camille Charriere’s Mango collection.
On June 10, 2023, Ksenia slipped into her dress and held her bouquet of Es Brot peonies. “It wouldn’t be a wedding without a little drama,” she laughs. “My fancy wedding car didn’t arrive in time because of the city traffic restrictions and waiting for it would’ve meant being 30 minutes late to the ceremony, so my grandmother, photographer, and I hopped into a regular cab and raced to the venue.”
Thankfully, the bride was only a few moments late, and the ceremony came together beautifully. She walked down the aisle to La Rondalla de Saltillo’s “Como”—sung in Spanish, it was a small homage to Mallorca. “We wanted to keep the ceremony relatively short and light, and Zach’s best friend, Joseph, did a fantastic job at telling our pandemic foodie love story with a great sense of humor,” the bride shares. “Although Zach almost never cries in real life, he teared up during our vows.”
Afterward, guests noshed on Grupo Amida’s unparalleled take on Spanish tapas, as bossa nova band Juanda strummed in the background. Then, everyone sat for dinner before the newlyweds entered the softly-lit space to Dan Hartman’s “Relight My Fire (Disco Remix).” Guests joined in on the fun and waved their napkins in celebration.
Following an elevated serving of beef tenderloin, paired with corimbo reserva tinta fina and terras gauda albariño, Ksenia and Zach cut into their Lluís Pérez Mallorcan olive oil wedding cake, as sparklers ignited around them. Guests headed into the courtyard, where the newlyweds shared a first dance to Sam Cooke’s “Nothing Can Change This Love.” “The party went on until 3:00 a.m. with all of our friends joining us on the dance floor,” Ksenia says. “What a night to remember!”
