Wedding Planning 101: Giving Back

How You Give Back by Booking with Amanda May Photos

I want to be very careful to say up front that I am not sharing this information with you to boast about what I’m doing. I’m not trying to get a pat on the back or a high five for these things. In fact, the ONLY reason I am able to do these things at all is because the Lord brought me clients like you, and absolutely all the glory goes to Him. My heart behind sharing this information is so you know the ways you are supporting both locally and globally by supporting Amanda May Photos.

There are three consistent ways Amanda May Photos gives back both locally and globally through the earnings I make booking clients.

1. Dustin and I are members at Shoreline Knox. It’s a church in West Knoxville right off the Westland exit on Pellissippi Parkway. The reason we love our church so much is because they are truly the hands and feet of Christ. They are persistently pursuing the heart of God and holding themselves accountable to what it means to be a leader in the Christian community. They are serving both local needs in Knoxville and global needs across the world. If I began listing all the ways they show people the love of Christ, this blog post would be a mile long. Honestly, the list goes on and on and on and it is the reason why we feel it is so important to give to our church. Amanda May Photos gives 12% of gross revenue back to Shoreline Church. That means, if you book my most popular wedding package, I am giving $720 straight from your payment directly to Shoreline. If you book my most popular portrait session, I am giving $72 straight back to Shoreline. Through this gift to shoreline, you are impacting people in such a beautiful way who just need to feel the love of Jesus. If you want more details on what ministries and what areas of the world Shoreline supports, please visit their local ministries here and their global ministries here.
2. The second way I like to give back to the community is by partnering with Hope Resource Center. Many of you who receive these emails know this because you guys just helped me support them through my mini session fundraiser day! It’s something I do annually, and since 2020, we have been able to donate over $40,000 to them. On top of my mini session day, I also donate my services to photograph all of Hope’s staff photos, baby shower photos for their patients, their annual banquet, and any other photography needs they have arise throughout the year.
3. The third way Amanda May Photos gives back is through supporting an orphan in Africa. In college, I went on a mission trip to Kenya with a non-profit called 127 Worldwide. I stayed at an orphanage/school and helped anyway they needed. I met a little girl named Elvis who I absolutely fell in love with. I saw the home she came from made out of mud floors and hay ceilings, yet how joyful she is in every single thing she does. I have supported Elvis since my junior year of college and will continue to do so until she doesn’t need me anymore!
4. I know I said 3 ways that AMP gives back, but I added a new one last year called A Secret Safe Place. This non-profit supports and assists facilities where mothers can surrender their babies, operates a 24-hour helpline to answer questions, and educates young women across the state about this legal alternative to infant abandonment. I was approached about potentially being on their board, and as badly as I wanted to say yes, I know I don’t have capacity for anything else on my plate right now. Instead, I offered to photograph their fundraising events and donate to their silent auction each year!

When you support Amanda May Photos, you’re not just helping me provide for my family. You’re not just helping me pay my bills. You are giving back to dozens of ministries and truly being the hands and feet of Christ.

Thank you for your support. Thank you for your loyalty. Most of all, thank you for allowing me to do what I love while also giving to ministries who reach far more needs than I could ever reach by myself.

I’m a Knoxville Wedding Photographer that loves to travel. I shoot anywhere! Click here to contact me with any questions you have about pricing or booking! If you liked what you saw above, go ahead and follow me on Facebook or Instagram to see my daily updates of the latest sessions!

See more from Amanda May Photos:

Engagement Session at Sequoyah Hills

Engagement Session in Downtown Knoxville

Engagement Session at Concord Park