Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate Roy and Annakyi Gilbert.
Kate Roy and Annakyi Gilbert are artists, photographers, and self-made entrepreneurs with an expertise in modern weddings. Over the past four years, Kate & Anna have launched three successful wedding companies in addition to the original photography company that started all things Snap Chic. You could say they are “living the chic life!”
Kate moved to San Antonio from Washington State in 2007 and fell in love with Texas and everything it has to offer. In 2009, Snap Chic Photography was born. Kate’s passion for fine art photography has led her to explore lots of spectacular places all over the world.
Coincidentally Anna also moved to Texas from Washington State as well, and that is where she met Kate. They instantly became best friends over their shared passion for photography and love of the Pacific Northwest, and in 2014 began their business partnership! One of Anna’s favorite things about portraiture is the ability to show people their beauty and help them feel confident when shooting. She has actively studied photography since 2009 and continues to learn every day and visit as many countries as possible along the way.
Together Kate and Anna also own Snap Chic Wedding Planning, Snap Chic Wedding Painting and BACH PLEASE- Bachelorette Parties.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
In April of 2012, while working a corporate job, Kate lost her mother in a very unexpected manner, and just six months later, her younger sister passed away suddenly as well. While Kate was on bereavement leave for her sister’s death, she realized life is far too short to be anything happy. It was then, with less than $500 in their family bank account, that she put in her two weeks notice, and went full time with her photography business, Snap Chic Photography: because that was what made her happy. This risky decision was one that would ultimately change the path of her life.
Around the same time Anna was also making big life changes. While working 70+ hours a week as a hairstylist and itching to use her life long passion for photography, Anna saved enough to venture out on her own and begin her career. The stars aligned and shortly after Kate started Snap Chic Photography, Anna and Kate met then began to build their forever careers in the wedding and portraiture world. Snap Chic has since grown into several additional companies which they formed together: Snap Chic Planning, a wedding and event planning company as well as Snap Chic Wedding painting, which provides live wedding and event painting, and BACH PLEASE, a full-service bachelorette party company.
Please tell us about Snap Chic Photography, Snap Chic Planning, Snap Chic Wedding Painting, and Bach Please.
PHOTOGRAPHY:
Snap Chic Photography is a luxury wedding photography company servicing San Antonio, TX and beyond, averaging around 60 weddings per year. Our primary focus is creating unique images to suit our client’s personality, taste, and vision. In addition to weddings, Kate and Anna also specialize in family, boudoir, commercial branding, head shots, high school senior & children’s portraiture. Unlike the vast majority of photographers in today’s day and age, Snap Chic doesn’t believe in the “shoot and burn” method, which essentially allows portraits live on a usb or hard drive. Our goal is to provide high-end prints, albums, custom framing, and heirloom quality albums to ensure our images withstand the test of time.
LIVE WEDDING PAINTING:
At Snap Chic Wedding Painting, our team of artists, Natalie Pheifer and Laura Herndon, create custom acrylic paintings on canvas, crafted in real-time during wedding ceremonies and receptions. We consult with clients prior to their wedding to ensure our visions align perfectly for the event. We pre-plan the location and scene they would like painted and if they cannot decide, we can even collage several of the best areas of the wedding/event venue into one canvas. Upon deciding on a plan, Snap Chic Wedding Painting sends out pen and ink mock-ups of what the bride and groom can expect their final live wedding painting to resemble, which allows them to approve the end design. When the big day arrives, we will set up an hour before ceremony time, and paint the night away! The artist will stay onsite and paint live for 6-7 hours depending upon the size of the selected canvas, and by the end of the night, the painting can either be taken home as-is or the bride and groom may opt for the artist to take the painting back to our studio to add in additional details, such a pets, free of charge. Snap Chic Wedding Painting is the only live wedding painter in the San Antonio area and one of only a handful in Texas.
WEDDING PLANNING:
Snap Chic Planning is our full-service wedding planning company, currently executing 50+ events per year. Out CEO Katy Padilla and her team of Wedding Planners offer everything from month of coordination to full planning and design. Once we begin our journey to “I do” together, we will gather all the information to keep the event organized, create a no-stress wedding day timeline for the happy couple, bridal party, and vendors to follow, and become the go-to guru for all thought bubbles, questions, and fears. We are also there for the rehearsal of your ceremony, assist in floor plan layouts, and of course, be present during the BEST DAY EVER, to aid in vendor set up, timeline execution and take care of all behind-the-scene details to ensure seamless execution and celebration.
BACHELORETTE PARTY PLANNING:
BACH PLEASE is an all-inclusive Bachelorette Party solution for the modern bride. When it is time to party our brides receive a detailed personal itinerary for your #bachbash, confirmed bookings and all the details for the weekend. We send out a packing list of reminders to make sure your wardrobe is ready to go! Every girl gets a swag bag of goodies for the weekend, we make personalized Snapchat filters so you can share the party, and you always have an event-planner on call for any questions or concerns about your reservation!
We can also score the best custom apparel and accessories from our brand partners, reserve an event photographer for those most memorable moments, or even travel to the destination to decorate, set up, and run all of the party logistics!
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Not a thing. Although we aren’t perfect by any means, we believe every mistake, hurdle and obstacle along the way has lead us to where we are now. We are always growing, always improving, and striving to better be than we were yesterday!
Pricing:
- Snap Chic Photography: $3200+
- Snap Chic Planning: $1800- $4000
- Snap Chic Wedding Painting: $1650-$3000
- BACH PLEASE: Custom
Contact Info:
- Address: 8000 Fair Oaks Ranch Parkway
Suite 3115 Fair Oaks Ranch, TX 78015 - Website: snapchicphotography.com / snapchicplanning.com / snapchicweddingpainting.com / bachpleaseparties.com
- Phone: 8303310999
- Email: snapchic@live.com
- Instagram: @snapchicphotography / @snapchicplanning / @snapchicweddingpainting @bachpleaseparty
- Facebook: facebook.com/snapchic
Image Credit:
Photos By: Snap Chic Photography / www.snapchicphotography.com
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