Blog
Pop-Up Portrait Event: Pupper Portraits in the Park | Dog Park Mount Joy | June 2025
Lancaster, PA Pop-up mini session number one is complete, and it was much more successful than I had hoped!
Announcing Pop-Up Portrait Events by Megan Hoffer | Mini Sessions Near Lancaster, PA
I am bringing back my Pop-Up Portrait Events this summer, with my family helping out at the events. There will be a strong focus on connecting with and supporting the local community, which we regularly engage with in our everyday lives, so I can teach my kids about the importance of giving back to support the organizations we rely on.
A Personal Essay: The Perfect Summer Morning
Today, I gave my kids a simple summer writing prompt to kick off the first day of summer vacation and to get us thinking about what our summer would look like this year: “Describe your perfect summer morning.” I decided to join in too! As a mom and entrepreneur, my ideal morning isn’t extravagant or picture-perfect. It’s slow, quiet, and connected. It’s real.
A Black Labrador Puppy Party in PA
We threw her a little birthday party yesterday and invited her best friend, Junie, to come over and play. There were pup cups, watermelon, and a basket of new toys to enjoy. It was a blast! Even though I was tired from a wedding the day before, I reloaded my camera and took pictures of the whole event.
The End of an Era | Lancaster Photography School has Closed — I’m BACK!
Sometimes it takes going down a bumpy scenic route for a while to realize you should have stayed on the highway.
Daddy-Daughter Dance at Doe Run Elementary
Watching Marc become a father and then a girl dad has been one of the greatest joys of my life.
Hoffer Easter 2025
As the youngest sibling, I sometimes feel guilty that Katie is always asked to step up while I continue to just show up. So, I did what I always do to chip in.
Finally, An Update | Spring 2025
The more time that passes since my last personal blog entry, the harder it is for me to decide how to start and what to include.
Fall in Pennsylvania | Miura Family | 10-8-2022
It’s been brought to my attention on several occasions that I never officially blogged about how my surgery last year turned out. Fair enough…
We have a surgery date!
After a long conversation explaining all of the scans and tests I had completed in the last 4 months since we saw him last he was turned away from us looking at his computer, scouring his calendar for a date. THE DATE we have all been waiting for….a surgery date.
The Day That Changed Everything
“I’m going to disappoint so many people.” I said as my voice cracked. I couldn’t hold it back anymore — my chest heaved, my face contorted and the tears overflowed. It’s what they were all waiting for…my reaction to the news.
2020 in the Rearview
I’ve been quiet the past few days. It hasn’t really been on purpose but I’ve allowed myself to slip into full family mode over the holiday. We all needed it.
MHP Winter 2020-2021 Updates
Things are looking a little different over here in the Hoffer Household.
Moving into 2021 with a Plan
There’s a lot of talk going around right now. A lot of uncertainty in the air. It feels heavy. It feels a little scary even. The unknown. It has been a stressful year…a sad one too. I have four kids and they miss their grandparents. They miss their friends. I miss dropping the little ones off with my parents to run to the grocery store for a quiet, thoughtful trip. I miss stopping in at their house and tearing up their living room and the last-minute invites to dinner together in the kitchen I grew up eating in. I miss not breathing through a mask. I miss greeting my clients with a ginormous hug of excitement. I miss having a generous reschedule policy. I miss gathering. I miss community in person. I miss offering free events. I miss packed restaurants chattering with life.
“I Because I” and “You Because You”
In these moments that feel so out of control, the key is realizing the difference between the emotion and the need.
The Orange Story
The customary advice for wedding reception speech-givers is to say something nice, something funny, tell a story from the past and to end with a piece of advice for the future. I hear a lot of wedding speeches…2-5 at every wedding so I’ve heard a lot of marriage advice in my career (a perk of the job). Most of them start with, “When the inevitable disagreement comes up…” “When the honeymoon phase is over…” Then, the advice is given… “Remember this day” “Don’t go to bed angry” and many others.
I often think about what advice I would give during one of these speeches. What I think I would say isn’t
