The whole thought of an “About Me” page is a little daunting. I’ve never enjoyed being in the spotlight, and I don’t have one of those, “I wanted to be a photographer from the first time I held a camera at age 5,” kind of stories.
When I was little I actually wanted to be a vet because I loved soft, fuzzy little animals! My kindergarten teacher knew I would do something creative when I grew up though. She told me that she expected to see kids books illustrated by me someday. I combined my love for animals and drawing that same year by drawing a dog, in ink, on the living room wall! Needless to say, my parents helped me redirect that creative impulsiveness to surfaces a bit more in need of beautifying! One summer, we spent our time stripping neon yellow paint off of an old player piano that had been used in a circus. It was ours for free if we cleaned it up, and it was so old that it actually had real ivory keys! Another year I decided that the kitchen cabinets in our house needed a facelift, so as a 15 year old I spent the whole summer sanding down, staining, and refinishing the kitchen cabinets. I loved every minute of it!
While I haven’t refinished any kitchen cabinets or old pianos lately, my love for making old things new, and seeing the beauty and potential in the people and places around me has only grown since childhood. I am at home in the mountains and on the water, where the wind can be heard whipping through the valleys, the waves can be felt crashing on the rocks, and the air smells sweet and tastes fresh! As a wedding photographer, I’m able to use my lens to allow my clients to see the beauty and potential in themselves that the people around them see. I’m able to meet and serve and celebrate extraordinary people in extraordinary places as they embark on the adventure of a lifetime that will ultimately build the legacy of love that they leave to the world!
I'm Merry
1
STORY
Our
MERRY
Meet
Alaskan outdoorsman. Always willing to serve. Godly man of integrity. Super duper smart and is going to be the best Physician Assistant there ever was! Unashamedly romantic. The road trip planning, finance managing, Donald Duck talking, klutch rebuilding, coffee drinking glue that holds this little family together. Believes in me when I don't believe in myself!
Gabe
INSTAGRAM
Full name is Leonidas, yes, like the king of Sparta. Will snuggle at any time but preferably all the time. Sleeps in all positions, snores at times, and yips in his dreams. Makes himself comfortable in laps of all shapes and sizes. Everyone's unofficial therapy dog.
Leo
INSTAGRAM
Merry
INSTAGRAM
Introvert by nature, but can be a social butterfly if required. Always up for trying new things and exploring new places. Would live in leggings and sweatshirts if it were socially acceptable. Tends to implement creativity into all things. Strives daily to love God and love others. The scuba certified, tea drinking, letter writing, old soul who would always choose quality over quantity.
We're the Hollands!
I think our story is about as unconventional as they come, and that of course, is what makes it ours! The truth is that when we met we were two individuals who had overcome some very real and very hard things in the “love” department. A broken engagement, and the heartbreak of divorce had put us in positions at young ages where we each had the choice to become bitter and remain victims, or to pick up the pieces and learn and grow, relying on God in ways we’d never known we’d need to. When we met at church in 2014, we were each in a place of contentment and pursuing some long term life goals. We had a funny way of randomly run into each other all the time around town. I moved out of state that fall for an internship, but we kept in touch.
It wasn’t until the following summer that our relationship blossomed. We realized that my aunt had been his high school chemistry teacher, that he knew one of my uncles, and that we were neighbors. Yep, it turned out that he was the boy next door! Whether it was taking my dog on a walk with me, eating dinner together, or randomly hiking in the mountains at the end of our streets we started to become really good friends. It led to really honest conversations that led to deep insights into each other's character, and the ability to challenge each other in areas of weakness.
We knew we wanted to marry each other when we started dating. Because of our pasts, this wasn’t something we took lightly. Our dating relationship consisted of pretty much exactly what our friendship consisted of. Hiking, kayaking, campfires, eating yummy food, great conversation, and simply enjoying life. We dated for three months, and were engaged for two. We had a beautiful intimate wedding ceremony on a frozen lake in Alaska with our closest friends and family, and we wouldn’t change that for the world! Ask us how things are going in 90 years and I'm sure we'll have a few good stories for you!
FAMILY
My
PURPOSE
Our
Our Story
We love photography and exploring beautiful places, but ultimately, we love you even more! Our favorite thing about photographing weddings and elopements is that we get the privilege of meeting and serving extraordinary people as they start the adventure of a lifetime with their best friend. It’s day one of what we believe is the most challenging yet most rewarding journey you’ll ever embark on. It’s the beginning of building the legacy that your love will leave the world around you and we are honored to be a part of it! Our hope is that in serving and loving our clients we can impact lives and marriages.
FAVORITE THINGS
A Few of My
STORY
Our
FAMILY
My
PURPOSE
Our
what we're all about
Our Purpose
Alaskan outdoorsman. Always willing to serve. Godly man of integrity. Super duper smart and is going to be the best Physician Assistant there ever was! Unashamedly romantic. The road trip planning, finance managing, Donald Duck talking, klutch rebuilding, coffee drinking glue that holds this little family together. Believes in me when I don't believe in myself!
Gabe
INSTAGRAM
Full name is Leonidas, yes, like the king of Sparta. Will snuggle at any time but preferably all the time. Sleeps in all positions, snores at times, and yips in his dreams. Makes himself comfortable in laps of all shapes and sizes. Everyone's unofficial therapy dog.
Leo
INSTAGRAM
Merry
INSTAGRAM
Introvert by nature, but can be a social butterfly if required. Always up for trying new things and exploring new places. Would live in leggings and sweatshirts if it were socially acceptable. Tends to implement creativity into all things. Strives daily to love God and love others. The scuba certified, tea drinking, letter writing, old soul who would always choose quality over quantity.
We're the Hollands!
2
I think our story is about as unconventional as they come, and that of course, is what makes it ours! The truth is that when we met we were two individuals who had overcome some very real and very hard things in the “love” department. A broken engagement, and the heartbreak of divorce had put us each in positions at young ages where we had the choice to become bitter and remain in that victim mentality, or to pick up the pieces and learn and grow, relying on God in ways we’d never known we’d need to. When we met at church in 2014, we were each in a place of contentment and pursuing some long term life goals. We had a funny way of randomly running into each other all the time around town. I moved out of state that fall for an internship, but we kept in touch.
It wasn’t until the following summer that our relationship blossomed. We realized that my aunt had been his high school chemistry teacher, that he knew one of my uncles, and that we were neighbors. Yep, it turned out that he was the boy next door! Whether it was taking my dog on a walk with me, eating dinner together, or randomly hiking in the mountains at the end of our streets we started to become really good friends. It led to really honest conversations that led to deep insights into each other's character, and the ability to challenge each other in areas of weakness.
We knew we wanted to marry each other when we started dating. Because of our pasts, this wasn’t something we took lightly. Our dating relationship consisted of pretty much exactly what our friendship consisted of. Hiking, kayaking, campfires, eating yummy food, great conversation, and simply enjoying life. We dated for three months, and were engaged for two. We had a beautiful intimate wedding ceremony on a frozen lake in Alaska with our closest friends and family, and we wouldn’t change that for the world! Ask us how things are going in 90 years and I'm sure we'll have a few good stories for you!
Our Story
3
We love photography and exploring beautiful places, but ultimately, we love you even more! Our favorite thing about photographing weddings and elopements is that we get the privilege of meeting and serving extraordinary people as they start the adventure of a lifetime with their best friend. It’s day one of what we believe is the most challenging yet most rewarding journey you’ll ever embark on. It’s the beginning of building the legacy that your love will leave the world around you and we are honored to be a part of it! Our hope is that in serving and loving our clients we can impact lives and marriages.
what we're all about
Our Purpose
4
What do others have to Say?
“Merry is someone who sees who we want to be and loves that person. If you look deeply it's as if you can see her sorting through what you're saying, but registering more about what you're projecting. This is an interesting trait to have as a photographer, because most clients probably want portraits that portray a positive image even if they have a negative image of themselves. It would be easy to struggle with seeing the truth and yet trying to capture a lie - but she can see past all that... past the veneer to find what lights us up and reveals the "who we want to be" within… THAT is the person she photographs!”
Mike H.
"Merry is a person of depth, diligence and perspective. She has creative energy that flows into her work, and inspires people around her. She is a person that society needs -a woman who eagerly seeks to keep transforming.”
Sierra P.
“She finds beauty in the simple things of life and celebrates the natural beauty that overflows all around us. She gives things space to speak for themselves. Merry is refreshing. She reminds us that we are each unique in our beauty and that we never ever have to try to be somebody we are not."
Joye H.
Jaron C.
"Merry is one of the most grounded people I know. There doesn’t seem to be a false bone in her body. When I think about who she is I think about the earth and earth tone colors, of adventures, mountains, camping and campfires. She is honest and genuine. She knows who she is and who she wants to be. She’s a life liver and a life lover!”
“Though I may be biased, I can honestly say, as Merry’s husband, that I don't think she fully understands the effect she has on people. People WANT to be around her. They gravitate towards her. She radiates God's peace, and people yearn for it. She is the calm in the storm. She loves people. She serves them. She hurts with them. She celebrates with them. She bathes them in prayer. She sees the beauty in things that are lost or broken and has vision for things where others see nothing."
Gabe H. -
