Meet Albert and Vivian Toma of Petals & Pics Photo Booth in North Peoria

Today we’d like to introduce you to Albert and Vivian Toma.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Albert and Vivian. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Well, we recently got married in December 2018. We both loved the idea of the photo booth at our own wedding. With almost 800, yes 800, people at our wedding, it was definitely a challenge to spend time with each and every one of them. So, when we reviewed all the photos taken at the photo booth, we found ourselves laughing hysterically and indirectly reliving the fun we experienced with our guests. Based on our experience, we decided to start the business here in Phoenix, Arizona.

Now, we knew what we wanted to do, but where would we start? We both had zero business experience being that our “real jobs” are in the medical field. Albert a Physical Therapist Assistant and Vivian a Physician Assistant in pediatrics. But what if you love your day job and want to continue the fun during your off time? So, we consulted our close friend, Tanya Moushi with Moushi & Co., silenced our doubt, wrote out a business plan, researched, ordered equipment, and everything fell into place. So, three months into our newlywed adventure, we decided to surprise our family and friends with some exciting, unconventional news: our photo booth and backdrop “baby”… and that was how Petals & Pics was born.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
So far, business-wise, it has been pretty smooth. With the support of our family and friends and a lot of social media, we have been able to create a name for ourselves, slowly but surely.

One of the biggest struggles we found was self-doubt. “What if this doesn’t work?” “What if what we create isn’t that good?” “What if we never get booked?” The mind is such a powerful thing. One of my favorite quotes is from the movie ‘An Affair to Remember’: “What the artist in him creates, the critic in him destroys.” Silencing your mind and gaining the confidence to set forth on a new business venture is never easy, but just as you would support your peers, you sometimes need to take your own advice and support yourself.

Please tell us about Petals & Pics Photo Booth.
We are a new, modern type of photo booth with an open-air concept which means it is not the traditional “booth” people are accustomed to. We have a multitude of backdrops, from sequins to 3D printed floral scenes. The booth itself has a sleek design. Our customers stand in front of a backdrop, with props of their choice, and the “booth” quickly snaps a pic when they’re ready. Once the photo is taken, they can input their phone number and/or email and the photo is digitally sent to them as well as a print out copy if they would like. The booth can also take “boomerangs”… a millennial’s dream come true. What sets us apart is that we aren’t the typical photo booth with basic props. We help our customers bring their event to life with backdrops, props, and photos. Most of our packages are custom-priced keeping our customer’s budget in mind.

We are most proud of how excited people of all ages are to take the photos and see their end result. Some people are really so creative. We truly do enjoy preparing for and attending the events. Meeting people all over the valley and learning their stories, the organizations they are a part of, and their own business ventures is fulfilling.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
A huge pitfall in most start-up businesses is over-ordering. If we could start over, we probably would not have ordered so many supplies. Currently, most of our closets in our home are filled with backdrops so we aren’t lying when we say we have A LOT of backdrops.

Pricing:

• Precious Petals Package- 2 hours- starting at $450
• Premium Petals Package- 3 hours- starting at $650
• Pristine Petals Package- 4 hours- starting at $850
• Petite Petals Package- FOR THE KIDS!- starting at $300

Contact Info:

• Website: www.petalsandpics.com
• Email: info@petalsandpics.com
• Instagram: @petalsandpicspb
• Facebook: @petalsandpicspb
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/petals-and-pics-peoria

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