Today we’d like to introduce you to Richelle Gui.
Hi Richelle, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi! I’m Richelle and I’m the owner of California Photo Booth. I manage all aspects of the business including marketing, finance and operations. I’ve always enjoyed going out and taking pictures. Back in the days I would take my camera to every event I’d go to. One day I went to a party and there was a photobooth that kept me coming back throughout the event. At the end of the night, I had soooo many pictures. I thought about how fun that party was because of the photobooth, and it gave me the idea to get in the business. I researched ‘photobooth expositions and conventions near me’ and found there was one in Vegas that was happening the next month, so I booked a flight and went to check it out. To my surprise, there were tons of vendors, manufacturers, and suppliers so I went home with an idea of what I wanted.
Every year my family hosted big parties to celebrate my grandmother’s birthday, so I thought, what better place to launch my business than at my grandma’s birthday party! I bought everything I needed to get started and launched in August 2018. Everyone at the party had a blast! Afterwards, I made an announcement on my social media that I was now providing photobooth services and started getting booked from there. I upgraded my equipment as I got booked for more gigs. As my business grew, I needed more help, so I started hiring my family members. We bring fun to every event, and we also have fun ourselves!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Like anything worth working for, there will always be some challenges. The first challenge was getting booked without a budget for paid advertising. We utilized social media and word-of-mouth to the best of our ability. Other times we go through slow periods where we don’t get any bookings, let alone inquiries. It’s always like that in the beginning of the year. The lowest season of all time was when everything was shut down beginning March 2020. The events industry was hit hard as no one could gather in person. As time goes by, things started picking up again, and we were able to expand our service to other cities!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
CA Photo Booth is an event entertainment company that specializes in epic events by providing modern photo and video experiences including the 360° video booth, video and audio guest books, digital booths, and photo booths. We partner with other vendors (aka friendors) to provide event planning, DJ and MC services, and table and chair rentals. Our packages provide all digital services, high-quality prints, and total solutions. Our services are provided for weddings, brand activations, conferences and expositions, corporate events, festivals, marathons, birthdays, holiday parties, baby showers, grand openings, and any other fun celebrations.
One thing we pride ourselves in is that we are committed to delivering exceptional service and have received positive feedback from our satisfied customers. Seeing guests come back to the booth lets us know they are having fun. Seeing their smiles makes us have fun and smile too!
If you like throwing epic events and want your party to be a memorable one, hire CA Photo Booth and allow us to bring the fun!
Who else deserves credit in your story?
I can’t take ALLLL the credit 😉
My parents helped me get started by buying me a computer I needed to upgrade my equipment.
My sister, Jewel, played a huge role in creating the print designs for a majority of my events. Now she manages services in
Los Angeles.
My other siblings and a few cousins have helped with being on-site photobooth technicians. They help with setup, take down, and guest sessions by giving them prints, encouraging fun poses, and guidance on what to write in guest books.
My partner, Sam, has been the muscle, mentor and supporter through the good times and the bad.
And many other family and friends have definitely been my cheerleaders.
I also appreciate my clients who book me year after year.
Pricing:
- All digital solutions start at $495
- Weddings start at $950
- 360 video booths start at $995
- Corporate solutions start at $1495
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ca-photobooth.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/caphotobooth
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/CAphotobooth1/
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/@caphotobooth/
