We’re looking forward to introducing you to Jenny Jolley. Check out our conversation below.
Jenny, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What is a normal day like for you right now?
Oh, this is exciting to talk about, because my week days look a lot different now! I went full-time with wedding photography in May and now that school has started again, I am noticing how different my days are now! I usually start the day getting up with my husband and sending him off to work, then I dive in to answering emails and editing photos. Some days I have meetings with current couples to talk about wedding plans or newly engaged couples that are interested in booking! My meetings might be in my office over video chat or at a local coffee shop! You’ll also find me doing things around the house to take care of my little family or running errands during the day when it’s not as busy as after 9-5 work hours. Each day is different but involves doing what I love – serving couples and spending time with my dog and cats until my husband comes home from his job!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi! My name is Jenny Jolley, I’m a wedding photographer serving the Lawrence and Kansas City areas (and beyond, I love to travel)! I have been photographing weddings since 2018 and have loved this wild, cool life of meeting amazing couples, their friends and family, and celebrating love since day one! How is this my job? I don’t know, but I’ll forever be honored! I work beyond the camera by helping couples with the wedding planning process (I know a thing or two after over 100+ weddings!) and making wedding days go as smoothly as possible as someone couples can rely on and be vulnerable around. My goal is for Jenny Jolley Photography to make not just an impact with beautiful, vibrant wedding photos, but also an impact with a meaningful, personal experience!
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
Slowly, I’ve worked on being more conscious with my time. I’ve always had my social media notifications turned off on my phone and I only see updates when I pull up my apps. That was a big step that set a personal boundary many years ago.
After that, I still found myself checking social media and scrolling…scrolling…scrolling. It wasn’t necessarily bad for me (most of the time), but it wasn’t good for me either.
One day, I couldn’t tell you exactly when, I decided to put my phone on “do not disturb” indefinitely. THAT was a moment that really shaped how I see the world today. I didn’t even realize at the time how impactful it would be. Funnily enough, I originally started putting my phone on “do not disturb” during hours I worked around others, because the group chat with my best friends kept popping up on my watch and no one needed to see the nicknames we have for each other or content of our messages – ha! I really liked how I could forget about my phone and be so much more present when it was on “do not disturb”. I decided that I was a part of a world where I was accessible to people at all times, and I didn’t want to be. It felt wrong to make myself unavailable 24/7, but I remembered that’s how it was before we all had cellphones in our pockets! My phone has been permanently on “do not disturb” for MONTHS now and guess what, my world didn’t burn down! (: In fact, it was freeing!
I’ve since fine-tuned my focus settings, making sure my close circle of family and friends have access to me in case of emergency, but other than that, I’m living in a much more intentional, present world! I highly encourage trying this out for yourself, even if it’s just for a few hours a day!
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
Oh my gosh, I don’t like to open up to this often. I won’t share too many details, but as a bride, one of my vendors told me I wasn’t her “ideal bride” and it tore me apart. It was two weeks from my wedding day and I was aware that my wedding had a limited budget. My fiance, now husband, saved up as much as we could for our wedding day and I know how beautiful it was. But that comment, knowing my budget, and also dealing with personal self-image issues (wedding and diet culture can be a nasty combo), I really took her comment to heart. Looking back, I still cannot believe she said that.
Honestly, when it comes to being a wedding photographer myself, I’ve healed from that wound by serving couples in a way I wish I was treated – when I’m planning to photograph their wedding, I think about how unique their love story is, all the details they planned to make their day special, and how cool it will be to see them get married in front of their friends and family. Don’t get me wrong, I love to share moments from wedding days that make me so proud, but that’s not even close to the primary purpose! Portfolio, especially at this point in my career, is secondary to the experience and photos my couples receive. And genuinely, every one of the couples that book me are *my* couples. Not once has it crossed my mind that a bride of mine is not my “ideal bride”! I’m just humbled and honored to be their wedding photographer!
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What do you believe is true but cannot prove?
I believe that there is something wired in me to where anytime I hear Mr. Brightside by The Killers at a wedding reception, I cannot help but dance and sing along – just of many songs that have this effect on me. I can’t be held responsible for the cheesy dance moves, but you best believe I’m still getting those fun dance pictures of you enjoying the song with all your people on the dance floor too! Oh, and 100% leftover wedding food and dessert tastes best on the car ride home from wedding day.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. When do you feel most at peace?
I am most at peace spending time with my husband. He’s my home in human form. I truly wouldn’t be the wedding photographer, friend, family member, and person overall today without him. We’ve truly lived in the “honeymoon” stage since the beginning and plan to live in our fairytale forever.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jennyjolleyphotography.com
- Instagram: @jennyjolleyphotography
- Facebook: @jennyjolleyphotography
- Youtube: @jennyjolleyphotography
Image Credits
Jenny Jolley Photography
