I wanted to write this blog post after I announced in December of 2023 that Grant and I are no longer taking weddings. This comes as a surprise to many people – evidenced by my inbox which was full of messages after making the announcement.
What shouldn’t come as a surprise is that we made this decision to step back because this season had outgrown us. Being full-time wedding photographers and videographers takes dedication. It is hard work and long hours. Oftentimes we missed big functions, family and friend events, and important milestones. It meant less time at home, more time away, and ultimately less time with the people we loved. While this demanding schedule of being gone and working every weekend works for a lot of people in the industry, Grant and I realized that it didn’t work for us. We didn’t want the grind to take over. We were already missing out on so many things. The cost wasn’t worth it anymore.
Ultimately the decision came with the realization that we didn’t want our future children to see us working 24/7. I (Holly) was getting incredibly burnt out. I started photography because it was my passion. I was excited to pick up a camera and take photos. But that wasn’t the case anymore. Photography was becoming a means to an end, much like a normal 9-5 had become to me before my business. I realized I couldn’t do my business the way I wanted to when I got sick at the thought of picking my camera up. So for the last four months of 2023, I allowed myself to step back, slow down, and most importantly say “no”. We canceled some weddings. We said no to weddings. We cut back on scheduling sessions and didn’t even do winter minis like we usually do. We used this past winter season to slow down and refresh ourselves, seeking the Lord’s direction for our business.
Coming down the other side of that incredibly rocky mountain, we find ourselves refreshed. We are now photographing for Airbnb, taking on seniors, couples, and families for this new year. We are still saying “no” to weddings. You won’t see us booking any or posting any unless they are intimate elopements. We are traveling for fun now, instead of for business. If we book a session or two while we’re traveling, we’re making the space for it! But we’re focusing on this new season that God has asked us to walk in. We are excited! Excited for the chance to slow down and heal from an incredibly hard, grinding 8 years in the industry.
We don’t expect everyone to understand this decision, but we are insurmountably grateful for the few that do. We are honored to have been entrusted to capture almost 300+ weddings in the past 8 years. We are honored that some of our couples keep coming back to us as their families grow. We LOVE that. And we love that we’ve found our passion again for our business. Sometimes stepping back is necessary. We thank you, and everyone who has walked alongside us in this, for allowing us to take that step back.
We are eager to see where the Lord is guiding us this year and are looking forward to all the people we’ll be serving this year. Thank you.
