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Meet Kari Kuschel of Kari Joy Photography

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Kari Kuschel.

Kari, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I grew up with a camera in my hand thanks to my dad! We have photo books from almost all of our childhood vacations and from a very young age, I loved taking photos. I loved photography because it was a way to document an experience that I could look back on years later and relive.

When I got older, photography became an outlet for me. Something I could do that was relaxing but also fun.
It wasn’t until I sold my first stock photo for a whole whopping $5 that I realized, “Wait, I can make money doing something I love!?”

From there, I slowly started doing photo shoots for family and friends. Once I photographed my first wedding though, there was no looking back! I fell in love with getting to work alongside couples and documenting such a special celebration! From that day, I decided I was going to be intentional and pursue building my wedding photography business.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been all easy or smooth! I would say the hardest thing was working a full-time job while growing my business!

Most of my free time in the evening and on weekends was devoted to my new business. I learned about all things business, taxes, and getting better at photography. I wanted to grow it the right way, and for me, that meant taking my time to build a solid foundation.

It was also a blessing to grow my business while working another job. It took the pressure off of having to make decisions because I needed the money. That allowed me to invest in my couples and make healthy decisions for the longevity of my business.

My relationship with my husband, Kyle, also grew during this time which I think is so cool! He has always been my number one supporter! Being so busy forced us to be more intentional about our time with each other and communicating what nights we would not see each other. (because I’d be locked in my office or at a shoot!) We would block off certain nights of the week to make sure we had time together, even if we didn’t go out and just stayed home. Those nights were always so fun and refreshing!

I was finally able to quit my full-time job earlier this year and pursue my business fully, and it has been a BLAST! I love what I do and the couples I get to work with!

Please tell us about Kari Joy Photography.
My photography business is focused on weddings and couples.

I love celebrating marriage, and I can’t imagine a better time to celebrate than a wedding! It’s such an honor to be apart of my couples lives and to share in their story. It’s so important to have images on your wedding day that capture authentic emotions and moments. Ones that you can look back on years from now to relive and share with generations to come!

I’m with my couples through each step of the process from the moment they ask me to be their wedding photographer to the day of their wedding!

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Some of my favorite memories from when I was younger was when thunderstorms would pass by our house and the electricity would go out! I always grab my flashlight and head for the family albums. Typically, we’d wind up with the whole family flipping through photos long after the electricity had come back on. My brother and I would laugh along as my parents told us the stories behind the photos in the albums from birthday parties to vacations to graduations.

Having that experience as a child has helped me understand the importance of being able to look back on special moments captured in a photograph.

Pricing:

  • Weddings beginning at $2,500
  • Elopements beginning at $1,350
  • Engagement Sessions $350

Contact Info:

Getting in touch: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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