Published on the cover!!!

Here's the stunning Meg on the cover of the Lansing Bride Magazine, below is also her wedding featured in the Grand Rapids Bride Magazine. If you are a bride, definitely get a copy at any local Barnes and Nobles, Schulers, or here on their website. It is a plethora of wedding information and local vendors.

I'm really not good at writing or sharing much on a personal level, the truth is that I'm kinda shy and a little nervous about sharing. I don't even know if most people actually read photography blogs...we all know you come for the pictures right? ...but I have felt directed into sharing a little about my story and journey as a wedding photographer especially with some of the new exciting things that have happened. Yes, it is exciting to share news such as getting featured on a cover, but I really feel it's important to give credit where due and share where I've come from to understand why this is such a special accomplishment. This really has been such a incredible journey, sometimes I have to pinch myself just to check and make sure it's all real. I believe that my experiences these last few years are such a strong testimony of God's personal love. In the beginning of this whole journey I struggled with trusting and following God, but I kept my faith in him, I prayed a lot, and confessed my struggles. In return he blessed me far beyond anything I could have imagined for myself. It wasn't long ago that I was working at Home Depot, stressing through college, living on macaroni and cheese, and just hoping and praying that someday I would finally graduate with my photography degree and find a job, any job, just not Home Depot. No offense Home Depot, you were good to me, you paid my tuition and kept a roof over my head, but through those long seven years I had dreams and hopes of doing something more, something I loved, something I have worked so hard and so long for....photography. Sometimes when you are in that moment of just wanting something else, or wanting to be somewhere else, wanting to do something else, it is so hard to see God working. I didn't trust him, I didn't think he heard my prayers, or that he even cared about my ambitions or career dreams. After I graduated I felt like all of my peers moved on so quickly to new and excited careers, successful, happy, doing what they loved... and here I was still at Home Depot....honestly I felt like a college graduate loser. I can't deny it, that horrible soul rotting emotion of envy consumed me. I couldn't see God working and frankly I didn't want to, I was so consumed with disappointment and jealousy in my own situation that I didn't try to see what God was doing. At that moment I was a college graduate, still working at Home Depot, hating my job, wanting and wishing to have something else, jealous of my successful working photographer friends, and just plain unhappy. "Why not me, God, why not me, why can't I be doing what I love, why can't I feel successful, why did I go to school just to end up at Home Depot forever". Looking back all I can do is just shake my head at myself. I had just graduated, I was newly engaged, planning my own wedding, and starting my business. God had amazing things planned for me but I was too consumed by everything and everyone else that I just couldn't see his plan and what he was doing in my life. Thankfully I had my husband (fiance at the time) to bring me back to earth, "Phrene" he said, "be thankful for where you are what you are doing right now. You need to enjoy your OWN wedding and be grateful that you have a job. God didn't bring you all the way to Kendall and through school, just to abandon you and leave you at Home Depot forever." As hard as it was to hear that, he was right. I just needed to be content with me, and where I was, and what God was doing and TRUST him. So I continued working the job I hated, and began my business with big hopes and few dreams, but expecting to be disappointed because, me, the worrier and pessimist, just knew years later I would still be at Home Depot and struggling to be a successful wedding photographer, my dreams and ambitions dashed to pieces.

At the time my biggest dream was just to get a website up, find brides who loved my work (which when you are a nobody is not easy), and maybe, just maybe get an image or two featured somewhere amongst the pages of any bridal magazine. I figured those dreams would be challenge enough, so I worked hard and prayed a lot. I asked God to direct me, give me wisdom in running a business, help me see where he was taking me, and most of all stop worrying and trust him.

Fast forward just a year to March 2009, for some reason God blessed me (times a thousand) with 30 weddings on the calendar... then I got the incredible news. "Congrats" the email said, "we have chosen one of your images to be featured on our cover of the Lansing Bride magazine 2009 issue". What! You are kidding me, I didn't believe it. I thought I'd get a phone call at any minute saying, "sorry we made a mistake it wasn't actually your image after all."

At that moment I knew it in my heart, God was telling me it was time to quit Home Depot and make the leap into being a full time photographer. "But what if I don't stay busy enough, what if I don't make enough money to pay the bills, what if, what if, what if."

I could hear God, he said it simply and clearly, "trust me Phrené". I remember that even now, I have to repeat it to myself when I start worrying or stressing about life, business, work, anything...."Phrené, trust me".

Today, I am so honored to say that I have received 3 covers just in this last year, my work has been featured and used for a variety of events and promotions, I have a full featured wedding spread in the GR Magazine, and an amazing array of brides who put their trust in me with the incredible honor of capturing their special day... all of this in one year. That feels amazing, but what is really amazing is where God has brought me. Two years ago this was not my world, the idea of a cover was one of those laughable dreams where you think, yeah that would be awesome but it will never happen to me. Despite my doubts, my worry, my struggles, God has showed his grace and love. He has provided and blessed me more then I could have ever imagined. I can't thank him enough, or thank my amazing clients. I feel that any and all accomplishments really must go to you...family, friends, fans, clients, blog readers that love and share my work...you have all been an answer to prayer and my dreams come true, thank you. I can only hope that God has more amazing things in store and that he continues to help me grow as a photographer, a business owner, a wife, a woman.