Meet Krista Garrand | Photographer, Videographer & Planner

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

Hi Krista, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
When I started Chantilly Lace, I was working a regular 9 to 5 job and it came at a sacrifice to my time spent with my children. I decided to become a business owner primarily so that I could find success without that major sacrifice. In addition to being able to do what I genuinely love, I’m able to set my own hours and be available to my children. My primary working hours are on the weekends, so I’m free to my children on weekdays. Being a business owner allows me to travel with my children, attend school functions and field trips and give them my undivided attention. Being able to have that work and home life balance is paramount to me.

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?
The wedding industry is oversaturated and it’s a hard market to really succeed in. It’s easy to become one of many and get lost in the shuffle. I’ve never wanted to blend in or be trendy, so when I started my business I decided that I wanted to be timeless, but noticeably different than others. I have a very unique style for my photography and videography that’s not replicated much, at least not in my area. Additionally, I’m the only business in my region that offers photography, videography, planning and a photo booth all in house. I don’t sub-contract jobs out or hire in any freelancers. Instead, I have a full-time team so that there is consistency with client experience and quality. This model is very rare in this industry. My team is really like a big family and it allows us to have a more personal approach with our clients.

I think I’m most proud of my growth and retention. I started as just a photographer about 17 years ago and have grown into a multi-service business with a strong retention of customers and staff. When I was a teenager in high school, my guidance counselor discouraged me from business ownership and the photography field all together. She told me that I could not make a full time living as a photographer, so I readjusted my dreams and goals and ended up working a 9 to 5 job in accounting. Finding much unhappiness, I decided to pursue photography anyway and 17 years later I’ve been successful enough to provide for my family, buy a house, send my children to private school and even travel. So, I’m proud of achieving what I was told I could not do.

Getting to where I am today wasn’t easy. I’ve spent a lot of time in the trenches, working for free or for pennies as I learned. I think more than anything I’ve learned the importance of relationships with people. My clients choose me because I prioritize them, getting to know their families and their stories. Nothing is one size fits all, so we do our best to make our clients feel that.

This business really has a huge chunk of my heart. It’s not a corporate machine, there is not bottom line. Myself and my team are all here because this is what we love. Every single client means everything to us.

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?
I think I’d probably spend a little time both in Charleston and in Savannah. I really like to support local, so we’d pop into some mom & pop shops to eat, check out the Charleston Market or spend some time enjoying the beach.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Truthfully speaking, I didn’t have a mentor or anyone in particular that helped me achieve the success I have. I’d mainly want to shoutout the families that let me photograph them when I was still learning. I’m self taught, having spent countless hours in the field and on YouTube, quite literally ‘winging it’ while I learned the industry. The people that took a chance on me all those years ago are who I’d want to give credit and recognition to. Thanks to them. Without their support, I wouldn’t have a business.

Website: https://www.chantillylaceweddings.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chantillylace.llc/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChantillyLaceLLC/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS8ixBet6NgFgQi3KeG_wEA

Image Credits
Ashlyn Halee Photography (professional group photo)