GLOW GIRL Testimonies

A S H L E Y B E A R D E N

I have so many things I could say here. So I’ve thought for days about this experience and about how my friend is so amazing at what she does. I’ve come to the conclusion not only does have an impeccable passion for photography but I truly believe what she gets the most out of all this is watching a woman transform into a confident, strong powerhouse of a queen right before her very eyes. I went early on my marathon day. I did not see the first girl go up stairs before her session but I saw her come down those stairs glowing, radiating, beaming with energy and beauty. I watched three more girls walk up those stairs with nerves and maybe a smidge of question/curiosity or maybe fear (i know i had it) in their eyes and I watched the same three girls walk down those stairs with their heads a little higher, their smiles a lot brighter and their crowns straighter with a look of confidence in their eyes where the nerves once were. These girls were just as gorgeous going up as they were coming down but once in that room with this amazing photographer that we are lucky enough to shoot with, they saw and remembered how gorgeous they were again! I will not lie, when i went up my nerves didn’t go away but they changed from fear to excitement!!! She calmed me, took a few shots and immediately showed me what she saw that I didn’t. Not one moment did i question what i should be doing or am I doing this right? She talked me through every second, danced around and laughed with me. She made me more comfortable in front of a camera than I could’ve ever imagined. Merissa knows her work and anyone can see that through her style!! She has an eye for art and can turn anything she comes in contact with into something gorgeous but I believe her love for this is so much deeper. It’s about her love for people. If you haven’t booked with her yet, you need to! There’s nothing that should hold you back! The time is now ladies!! I promise you will not regret it AT ALL!!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart Merissa!!!

B R I T T A N Y D U N B A R

This is more than a picture of me... more than a reflection...this is me being who I want to be. So many people have asked me if I did this shoot with to gift my new husband the photos, and I will share them but that wasn’t my reason. For the first time in my life I wanted to feel confident, powerful and be the person I want to be regardless of what anyone else would think. I’ve followed the page for a while now and always wanted book my session but always worried how I would look and what would people think about my pics... but I finally decided to take a leap and do something I really wanted to do. If you are seeing these pics from the marathon and feel like this is something you want to do my advice is JUST DO IT!! Don’t wait for a good reason or the right time to make yourself feel like your best and most confident you. Take the leap and let Merissa bring out your most confident you, do it for yourself and you won’t regret it!!!

S H E R A C H Y N A I

Ladies - I have been with as a client for 6 years. I was one of the original girls that was supposed to shoot a few years back. I allowed life and lack of inner and outter confidence to keep me from stepping in front of the camera. I was terrified you would see my truth and broken interior. I chose to book at my lowest point. I was determined to see myself through someone else’s eyes so maybe I could see what they do. I am so grateful to God for making me push yes! The woman I see here is a warrior, a queen, an absolute beaut. I have been given a gift I can never repay through a lense of a camera and cute lingerie. Who knew?! I push every woman hestiating to just push yes and confirm every check in. Be scared be nervous who cares but most of all just be you and that beauty will shine through! I can’t wait to continue to push out all the love for all the ladies in this group. Y’all are queens!!!

R O N D A P E E L E R

Not sure who this women is! But Merissa is magic!! I’m not very confident and I always look for the imperfections in my pictures. I never see what everyone else sees. Even as I look through my album, I have to keep reminding myself not to look at them all judgey. I kept saying I’ll do it when I’m happier with myself. But will you ever really be? You will always want to change something. If you are on the fence or unsure. Just do it. You won’t be disappointed. I already want to do it again.

B R E E Z Y S T U A R D

Ladies, if you’ve been hesitant to take the jump and sign up for your boudoir session, jump. Merissa has been my photographer for 6 1/2 years ranging from newborns, one years, family photos, to pregnancy reveals. She only missed my maternity and birth photos because we had our babies at the same time! I have waited for over a year to jump on the boudoir bandwagon. Waiting to have the perfect body, to feel the best about myself that I’ve ever felt, but the truth is, that day is not a day worth waiting for. It’s like waiting to have kids until you’re ready, if you wait then you’ll never be ready. When the October Marathon’s popped up I decided “what the hell” and signed up. The session ended up being less than a week from my birthday and Merissa had the fantastic idea of adding the balloons .

The week before my anxiety was so high I almost canceled. This just seemed so out of my comfort zone. BUT LET ME TELL YOU. I walked through the doors and I immediately felt comfortable. Having my hair and make up done while drinking mimosas felt like an absolute luxury experience. I was first up in the marathon, anxiety spiked again as I walked with Merissa to get started. Once again, though, it all went away once we began. As someone who has been Merissa’s client for so long, I have never seen her more in her element. She had me feeling so gorgeous and so comfortable the entire time. She knew exactly what angles to do, how to position me, and how to build my confidence. I wanted another session before the session ended. I didn’t want it to be over because it was such an amazing experience. It exceeded every expectation I ever had about doing a boudoir session. When we finished I immediately convinced my husband to do a couples shoot and started talking to my friends because everyone should get to have this memory. Even if you don’t feel ready, JUMP. You won’t regret it, you may even walk out ready to jump again.

M E L I S S A D I L L A R D

Alright to all you fabulous ladies who are hesitating on this experience, I’m here to tell you that waiting is a waste of time. For years I had excuse after excuse... when I weigh less... when I’m more tone... when my hair is longer, boobs bigger, tummy flatter... the list goes on and on. I wasted years waiting for the perfect time and body.

Then my daring friend Breezy Stuard took the plunge and convinced me that there is never a better time than now. I went into it worried that I’d hate the way I looked. That I wouldn’t look like the Pinterest photos I see and that I’d hate it. What if my legs looked bumpy, what if my stomach was bulging, what if I looked chubby?? But wow what energy I wasted for no reason.

Every picture Merissa sent me, I fell a little bit more in love with myself. By the time I got to see the full gallery, I was floored by how much self confidence I had gained. That alone justified every penny I spent. Her style was everything I wanted plus so much more. And she made the shoot feel so natural. I’m already planning my next one.