Lynchburg, VA Engagement Session || James & Tresa

I can't even begin to tell you my excitement when I turned into the entrance of Sweet Briar College and saw how much color was still around! All week, I've been shooting with very limited options- you know- the trees with the half-dead dark orange leaves barely hanging on. Somehow, it's like this little area has been protected from all of the wind and rain we've had lately and all of the gorgeous color was there! 

James & Tresa drove down from Northern Virginia to Charlottesville for their engagement session, and then met me at Sweet Briar, which is only about 30 miles from the Lynchburg area. I love this spot because there are a ton of options and so much variety- between the boat house, open fields, brick buildings, and the barns- there's something for almost everyone! 

We had a great time getting to know each other- their adorable pup, Foster came along and you know I LOVE it when fur babies get included! We chatted all about their upcoming wedding at the Knights Gambit Vineyard in Charlottesville, Virginia- it's going to be BEAUTIFUL and so much fun! 

Thanks James & Tresa for making the trip down to Lynchburg! I LOVED LOVED LOVED getting to know you both and can't wait for your big day!!! 

View their full gallery or to purchase prints, click here! 

Happy Birthday Michael || Central Virginia Wedding Photographer

A special Saturday blog post to celebrate Michael- today is his birthday!! I'll avoid calling you out with how old you're turning and just make a point that you're getting old! ;) It seems like just yesterday we were practically babies and getting married.. and look at us now! We have both grown so much over the last 8+ years, it makes me so excited to see what else is to come! 

Really, I just want to brag on Michael and what better excuse than a birthday post! This guy is the best Dad I could ever image, seeing him with Emmie is the best thing ever! He is so loving and encouraging to her- and teaches her so much! Sometimes good, sometimes not so good! ha! 

Michael is so supportive of me and my business. He loves and recognizes my dreams and works with me to accomplish those goals! Thank you for being my best friend and constant support.  For cooking dinners when I don't want to (ummm, like every day) and doing the dishes. Thank you for working so tirelessly to improve our future and accomplish our goals.  For being my second shooter and assistant on wedding days- you know I love bossing you around! 

I am SO thankful for you Michael! Enjoy your Birthday weekend- relax and let's celebrate!! I love life with you and can't wait to see what this next year brings!! Happy Birthday! 

PS: Thanks Kelsey & Nate for the photos!! 

Pinterest & Planning your Wedding || Be Unique & Original

I'm going to sound old here... but when I got engaged, Pinterest didn't exist yet! Overall, I this was a good thing for me, as I was able to pull some inspiration from wedding magazines, and truly make my wedding my own, all without breaking my budget (Michael was so proud)! Pinterest is a great tool for inspiration, but it's really easy to take it too far and plan your entire wedding based off everything you see on it! I just want to encourage you to make sure you're telling your own love story, and planning a wedding that's as unique as you and your fiance'.  

The first few weeks after getting engaged can seem so overwhelming. There are SO many decisions to make- from what flowers to choose, what colors should your bridesmaids wear, to what venue you want to book! Pinterest truly can be a great starting place for ideas to help you find a sense of direction. However, you should use it with caution because it can quickly overwhelm you with ideas and photos that are just a form of 'click bait,' are not feasible, and most importantly not a true representative of you.     

-A lot of the wedding images you see on Pinterest are from Styled Shoots, which is where a photographer will plan a fake wedding, rent or borrow dresses, hire models, and have cakes and florals made and photograph them. Styled shoots pull together the talents and creativity of all the different wedding vendors and are so fun to shoot (I've done several- and all the photos from this post are from one!) However, while the photos are gorgeous, this does not always reflect a real wedding day, because you probably are not a model, and because they are bypassing the timelines, families, and stress of a wedding day.  

-For the photos that do come from a real wedding, you are mostly seeing only a handful of photos from their entire wedding day. Chances are, you're only seeing the best of the wedding photos. People are pinning the best 1-2 images out of hundreds from their day! When you see only the best, your expectations are going to be set really high, and you may be disappointed that not every single picture is one that you're going to hang on the walls. Keep in mind that in order to get some of those photos, you will have to have a timeline with a lot of "extra" time built in! (See my post on creating timelines here!) 

-Pinterest goes through trends of what's most popular right now, and if you're copying everything from Pinterest, your wedding is going to look the exact same as hundreds of other brides that are planning their weddings this year! Before you start looking at Pinterest, talk with your fiancé and choose a feel for your day- do you want something rustic, something classic, something modern? Choose some color schemes that you like, and then search for those specifics on Pinterest! 

-I learned this one the hard way... but everyone has different levels of creativity and abilities.  I would see these awesome DIY house projects and then try to recreate it on my own. I just don't have the time or the follow-through to do what it takes to build these amazing things.  Know when you see something online, it's never going to be quite that easy! And you shouldn't feel guilty that you didn't hand-make all of your reception details! 

-Lastly, and most importantly, sending your vendors a bunch of Pinterest links and a list of 'must have' photos can make it really difficult for your vendors to do their job on your wedding day! When I have a long list of photos I need to take, I'm not able to capture the candid moments that are actually happening throughout your day that will be the real memories you cherish.  When interviewing your vendors, hire a professional that you can fully trust, so you aren't stressed out on your wedding day.  

Your wedding should be a reflection on you, your fiancé, and your relationship! Just remember to choose what you like, and not just what you see on Pinterest! 

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Ashley Eiban is a Wedding & Portrait Photographer based in Central Virginia. Serving Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Bedford, Farmville, Richmond, Roanoke and surrounding areas.  Available for travel world-wide.  

Ashley is passionate about connecting and encouraging couples so they are free to enjoy the wedding day! Learn more about her approach here!  Currently booking a limited number of weddings for 2016 & 2017.  Contact us today for additional information! 

Coleton & Elizabeth's engagement session || Downtown Lynchburg, VA Engagement Photographer

I looooooooove that I have some super awesome couples that are braving the cold and getting their engagement photos done this winter!! I was so excited to have our engagement session with Coleton & Elizabeth- when I first met with them a few months ago, it totally felt like I was catching up with old friends! They are the sweetest couple, are always laughing & smiling and so down-to-earth! What could be better!!?! 

We met up in downtown Lynchburg and got some photos on the streets in Lynchburg and then headed over to Percival's Island on the Blackwater Running Trails! 

Mike & Emilee's Snow Day Elopement: Lynchburg, VA Wedding Photographer

I don't even know where to begin with this post! Mike & Emilee's wedding weekend was crazy stressful with ups and downs and a snow storm that hit the entire east coast and shut down the entire city of Lynchburg, VA.  Their Saturday wedding wasn't going to happen when their venue couldn't keep their roads cleared and couldn't have the liability of having all of their employees brave the snow.  This couple was calm and collected throughout the weekend, and even was featured on the local news! (View their story here!) 

When they realized they couldn't make their wedding happen on Saturday like planned, they decided to drive to their pastor's house (who was stuck in his driveway) and eloped in his yard.  It was such a beautiful ceremony & I loved being there to capture the images from those moments!!  

Then, Mike & Emilee had their full wedding celebration on Sunday morning with their friends and family that could make it! It was so beautiful and I can't wait to share images from their wedding day!  Stay tuned!! yay! 

Ashley Eiban Photography is a Wedding & Portrait photographer based in Lynchburg, Virginia- serving Central Virginia and surrounding areas.  We LOVE to travel- including Sunset Beach, Hampton Roads, and Northern Virginia- but available for travel worldwide!

Contact us for additional information today!