Meet ourTeam

I ache to share my heart with you...the heart of this company!  I encourage you to read my story & hopefully it will inspire you to come in & let us pamper you, so you can experience a session with us for yourself!

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Read my story HERE.

Check out Chelsey's story & some of her FAVORITE things HERE.

Katya was born & raised in Almaty, Kazakhstan and has the most adorable accent.  You may find yourself asking her to read the phonebook to you...any excuse to keep her talking.  She has lived in Minnesota for 23 years & has 3 busy, cute boys (ages 6, 18 & 20) that keep her on the move all the time.

Photography has always been a passion of hers, but when she came to Sugar & Spice Photography for her own photo shoot years ago, she fell in love with the entire experience, the mission and the team.  She made friends she had prayed for...that care for her, love her and inspire her - and she wants each woman that comes to the studio to feel the same way! 

Katya thinks that every woman is beautiful - and celebrates their differences - because she believes we were created by God...and He never makes mistakes.  Seeing women rediscover their inner beauty & confidence during their photo shoot - brings happiness to her. 

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In addition to her work with Sugar & Spice, she is an amazing lifestyles photographer - able to capture the perfect moments, so get in touch with her HERE & check out her work with her other  company, Dream Catchers Photography HERE.

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If you're looking to tip Katya from your session, you can Venmo her here: @Katya-Gail (0171)​

Sydney, born and raised in Minnesota - like so many of her fellow ladies, has been playing with makeup since she was just a few feet tall. 

Ever since her kindergarten years she has been putting on fashion shows for her family and practicing with makeup. Evolving her skills and sense of fashion over time, she has since gone from putting on runway shows in her parent’s living room to modeling here and there today. 

Although she is a city girl by day, Sydney is also a barrel racer by night and participates in multiple races all across Central Minnesota with her quarter horse, Jesse. More often than not, they can be found racing multiple times a week from early summer to late fall. 

Sydney also loves to travel with her husband, and together the two of them have seen twenty-two percent of the United States. 

Along with her never ending wanderlust and love of seeing new places, Sydney loves God, her two puppies (Tris & Gilly,) true crime podcasts, and people. And all of the crazy, unique stories each person she meets has to share. 

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This fashionista completed her professional makeup training with Faces, Etc. and does freelance work.  Check out her work HERE.  To help Sydney grow her business, you can consent to allow her to use your headshots to showcase her makeup skills HERE.

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If you're looking to tip Sydney from your session, you can Venmo her here: @Sydney-Peck-5 (1986)​​

Chels (a/k/a Chelsey #2) is known for being friendly, positive, and supportive—with a true way with words. She values openness, self-awareness, curiosity, kindness, integrity, balance, and continuous growth. Naturally communicative and reliable, she approaches challenges thoughtfully and with a solution-oriented mindset.

The way to her heart? Coffee, good food, and meaningful conversation—preferably all three. Outside of that, her obsessions include writing and storytelling (through both words and photos), photography, all things Fall, camping with family and friends, tattoos, mental health and psychology, Pilates, and her unofficial second language: quoting Friends. (“How YOU doin’?”)

Outside of work, her biggest—and busiest—role is being a mom. She married her husband in 2016, welcomed their first daughter in 2017, and in 2021 grew their family in the most incredible way when they welcomed Quadruplets! Yes, four babies at once! Motherhood has deepened her appreciation for resilience, perspective, and balance—and it shapes how she shows up professionally, with heart, patience, and follow-through.

A passionate mental health advocate and lifelong learner, Chels believes strongly in growth and transformation. After nearly 10 years, 5 babies, and a breast reduction, she decided to book another session with Sugar & Spice Photography to reconnect with her body and feel empowered again. What she didn’t expect was that a subscriber email would lead to something more. When she opened it, she noticed an opening for a remote-friendly, part-time marketing role. After reading the description out loud, her husband said, “If there was ever a job tailored to you, this is it.” The rest, as they say, is history.

Today, Chels serves as our Marketing Manager specializing in social media content creation, marketing strategy, and lead management. She supports day-to-day marketing efforts by keeping leads organized and moving through the pipeline while creating content that helps us show up consistently, build trust, and connect authentically with our audience.

At the heart of her work is a passion for people—especially women supporting women. She believes deeply in body positivity, confidence-building, and creating spaces where others feel seen and empowered. She thrives where creativity meets strategy and loves bringing artistry into everything she touches. After all, “the EARTH without ART is just EH.”

Chels earned her Associate of Applied Science in Paralegal Studies and previously worked with the Minnesota Judicial Branch, where she strengthened her attention to detail, organization, and professionalism. While her path has taken a few beautiful turns, marketing has always felt like her calling—and she’s grateful to blend creativity, connection, and strategy in the work she does today.

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Profile Coming Soon

Viktoriya is most at home with a warm coffee and a cold Minnesota fall morning, lounging next to her four fur babies (two cats and two dogs) and adoring, but nerdy, husband. She has a passion in helping people love the way they look - stating with a smile that, “when you look good, you feel good.” At her heart though, Viktoriya knows the love that she has experienced through her faith and simply wants each person to see themselves for the beautiful person they are. 

Early in her life, Viktoriya felt a calling for hair, attending the Scot Lewis Schools of Cosmetology in 2003. Almost 30 years in cosmetology, she worked primarily with kids and men in the’ office’ but developed a passion for women’s beauty while working weddings on the side. In 2019, she decided to build on that passion by attending Faces Etc. of MN to add makeup artistry to her elegant up-dos.  Viktoriya feels blessed to be working beside the talented women of Sugar and Spice, with a shared focus of making women feel beautiful.

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See her work on Instagram & get in touch with Vik HERE.

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If you're looking to tip Vik from your session, you can Venmo her here: @Viktoriya-Brabec (3531)​​