Meet Karissa Barney Reckling:Elopement Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Karissa Barney Reckling and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Karissa, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
When I started Wildflower Photo Co., I wanted to build a business around helping couples build and document a day truly rooted in them. My business combines my love of photography, documenting couples’ stories and the outdoors. I wanted Wildflower to be a place that no matter who you were or what your background was, that you could feel supported and heard as you plan your adventure that kicks off your marriage. I wanted to document couples honestly, genuinely, and with a respect for their unique story.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
We are very different from your typical wedding photography business in the sense that we specialize in elopements and intimate weddings— and we don’t just show up on the day to document it. We are very much apart of the planning process helping our couples craft an incredible elopement experience from A-Z. Building our business has taken years of hard work and focus. At the core of everything we do is our “why” as a company and having that strong foundation is our business compass and helps to inform how we approach every aspect of what we do. You know those amazing travel hosts…the ones that have snacks waiting for you when you arrive and provide you all of the best tips, insider knowledge, local hidden gems, road maps, and resources for you to have the best trip possible? We’re basically those people for our couples’ elopement day experience.

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 am a nature geek at heart so I would take them into the Angeles Forest, into the Santa Monica Mountains and probably spend a day exploring the desert. In the mountains, we’d explore our favorite hiking trails from Sandstone Peak Trail to Mount Lowe Trail. The desert is our favorite for sunsets and astrophotography, so we’d definitely spend an evening enjoying a stunning sunset and capturing the Milkyway behind our lens.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Absolutely! I could not have built my business alone. Along with our amazing team (my husband on video, Kristin with day-to-day administration, Sean composing music for our videos, and Hilary helping to document eloping couples’ stories), my biggest shout out has to be to Maddie Mae and her course/community, Adventure Instead Academy (https://adventureinstead.com/academy/). Maddie’s Elopement Photographer course is the most comprehensive, thorough, and grounding business course I’ve taken. It’s an online course but feels more like a mentorship program. She provides an extensive amount of information and tools that you can take and apply to your unique business. Through Adventure Instead Academy, I’ve also found myself in an incredible community of elopement professionals who all genuinely support each other and help each other grow.

Website: wildflowerphotoco.com
Instagram: instagram.com/wildflowerphotoco
Facebook: facebook.com/wildflowerphotoco

Image Credits
Photo credit: Wildflower Photo Co. (wildflowerphotoco.com | @wildflowerphotoco)