Today we’d like to introduce you to Melody Holland.
Hi Melody, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Photography was not in my radar for a job or a career growing up, though my twin sister enjoyed it and photographed quite a bit growing up. As far as I knew, the only dream God laid on my heart was to be a wife and a Mom one day (and be home with my kids!), which I became married in 2017 at the age of 19 and a Mom in 2019 at the age of 21. I had been working as a receptionist at a church in the town we were living in at the time (Linn, MO) when I found out I was pregnant with my first baby. After finding this out, we made the transition for my husband’s new job in Washington, MO and later that year for me to be a stay at home mom once I gave birth in the Fall of 2019. I enjoyed every minute of just being a stay at home Mom!!! I was also in college during this time, doing online classes at Liberty University studying go into elementary education, thinking that’s what I would pursue once my children got old enough to start school and I could be with them at their school. After our first year living in Washington, MO and going through COVID, becoming pregnant with our second, and being in school, we knew we needed more income in some way, shape or form. After a lot of thought, prayer and consideration, we decided to sell our home and build in New Haven a house perfect and tailored to us that also cut cost for us since we had family that contracted and helped us in the build. We moved into our new home in the Summer of 2021 (with our then two babies) after living apart during the build (my husband living in a camper on property to be close to work and the kids and I living with my parents in Columbia, MO), got settled and continued to pray for more income, preferably a job where I could be home with our children because while we cut cost, we still needed to supplement our income. We knew we had to figure out something. During Christmas vacation with my family, I found out from my sister that she was not really loving it in the wedding photography world anymore. She informed she did not want to do wedding photography anymore (she’s naturally a little more on the shy side and didn’t love being in a leading role) and so instead of encouraging her to quit everything altogether, I asked her if she’d allow me to work with her for at least a year to show me the ropes. It felt like a prompting from the Lord and I had come to the solution that it would be the perfect option to be able to be home with my kids (the majority of the time anyway and to at least be able to make my own schedule)! For whatever reason, whenever this idea entered my brain, I was filled with excitement and zeal and knew that I had to learn everything that I ever could about photography to make this work. It was extremely daunting at first, especially having two kiddos at the time, but it really felt like it the Lord was calling me to it. I continued to work hard over that next year (2022) and honestly had so much word-of-mouth clients because my sister had helped me get started. I had quite a bit of business that first year and it just became more clear that this is what I was supposed to do. I had the best of both worlds, truthfully, in being able to provide for my family and be with them every day. I continued to invest in education and keep photographing anything and everything as much as possible that first year (and also found out I was pregnant with my third boy)! It was the most informative and experiential year and it truly shaped me for every year to come after. I quickly fell more and more in love with wedding photography with every year after. It quickly became an absolute dream job not just for the fact that I get to home with my children, but also because I’ve worked with so many amazing couples, learned an incredible amount about how to run a business while momming three boys all the same, had incredible business opportunities, met hundreds of talented professionals of all kinds in the wedding industries, seen some gorgeous places and venues, been able to spread the love of Jesus to others outside of my home. I’ve had countless creative opportunities, 90+ couples now and business keeps growing! I’m still so in love with it and it’s provided with me opportunities to travel for work occasionally (a dream I didn’t know that I had till I began experiencing it more) including places like Colorado, Florida and Montana last year, this year Florida and Italy! And again, all of this has allowed me to still be home and attentive and homeschooling my three growing boys while being able to provide, and chase a dream I didn’t know I could have or should have had outside being a wife and a Mom. I’m living what I feel like God has called me to do as a Mom and as a business owner and that’s all I could have ever asked for. It has stretched me, shaped me and encouraged me greatly in all areas of my life. It has not come without its many obstacles and hiccups, but I honestly would not trade this life God has given me for anything. It is humbling and refining.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The hardest thing about this has been managing the work/life balance. I crashed pretty badly in what I would consider a postpartum season of grief after having my last baby (born fall of 2022) and I busied myself without ever feeling my feelings that I was experiencing in the winter of 2023/2024. After I took on a lot of projects in 2023, I had lost myself so far into the role of photographer and business owner that I forgot who I was as a person and my role at home. I experienced a bout of extreme fatigue, depression and anxiety and had to retrain my brain and body for health moving forward. It took a lot of counseling, healing, and honestly taking time for more “fun” than work in 2024. Being able to learn how to manage work & life is the biggest challenge, but the priorities and habits that I have formed after experiencing that season of “hard” really have encouraged me and strengthened me since. I have learned to be more intentional with my time and with my people.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a St. Louis & destination wedding photographer. I specialize in weddings, couples and engagements, but I do all types of photography. I am known for timeless, light, true-to-color, romantic images, I love images that are true to the couples I am representing, that are candid and truly represents their day. While I direct when directing is needed, I really enjoy being a “fly on the wall” and capturing the wedding day how it feels and looks as it happens. I want couples to be able to look back on their gallery and remember how it felt. The candids and emotive reactions during first looks, ceremony moments and private vows are my favorite to capture. I love capturing couples in their element and with their favorite people! I love getting to know my couples more personally and be able to really hear and study their vision for their wedding day. However, my main mission in everything that I do is to be the light of Jesus and to serve every couple, family, business, etc. to the best of my ability. I truly feel that my work sets me apart in that I value connectivity and relationship which allows me to curate a unique experience with my clients. I also feel my work is artistic and romantic with a mix of an editorial/documentary style that is not overly dark, moody or saturated, which is what we see of a lot these days. I don’t believe every wedding has to be trendy to be beautiful. I don’t believe weddings are solely about the details, but more a reflection of the love shared and the couple. It’s all about two people coming together as one. I feel like that is often lost. I also do believe that weddings can be trendy while allowing couples to breathe and be reflective of themselves and not be overwhelmed by the appearance of everything. I feel like my work is intentional storytelling and truly reflects the honesty of it all–the day how it feels and the couple as they are.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I don’t believe in luck. I believe in God’s providential plan and will for my life and business. I believe He has everything placed and planned out for His good and for an exact reason. I trust in that and not chance.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://melodyhollandphoto.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melodyhollandphoto
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melodyhollandphotography
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@melodyhollandphoto
