John & Yulanda: A Tresca on 8th in downtown Lynchburg, Virginia Wedding

John & Yulanda's Wedding day started in Appomattox, Virginia at their family church. Surrounded by their amazing group of family & friends, they said their vows & became husband & wife! After that, the celebration headed to downtown Lynchburg, Virginia where they had their reception at the gorgeous Tresca on 8th! 

I loved Yulanda's choice of accessories & her dress was amazing!! The blush pink tones of her dress were accented with the beading of her veil, her shoes, and her bridesmaids dresses! They have such an amazing group of friends and family that were there celebrating with them! Just seeing their large wedding party itself showed how loved these two are! The church was packed and the reception was full of hugs and celebration! 

Thanks to the amazing vendors that made this day so perfect! 

Ceremony Location: Springfield Baptist Church in Appomattox, Virginia 

Florals: DIY

Bridal Gown & Accessories: Tiffany's Bridal in Henrico, Virginia

Reception Venue: Tresca on 8th in Lynchburg, Virginia

Catering: Charley's Restaurant & Catering in Lynchburg, Virginia 

Cake: Angela Hudson Cakes in Lynchburg, Virginia

DJ: Dee Jay Noyz 

Lighting: Castle Event Lighting in Lynchburg, Virginia

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Ashley Eiban is a Wedding & Portrait Photographer based in Central Virginia. Serving the Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Richmond, and surrounding areas. Available for travel world-wide.  Ashley is passionate about cultivating genuine relationships built on mutual understanding, trust and lasting friendship.  

Currently booking a limited number of wedding and portrait sessions for 2019. Interested in learning more? Inquire here! 

Beyond the Lens: Wedding Florist || Foraged and Cut Flowers in Lynchburg, Virginia

I am SO excited to be sharing with you a new series while I'm out on maternity leave! I've asked some friends in the wedding and creative industry to write about a topic they're passionate about- whether that be tips helping brides while planning a wedding, what they've learned in their business, balancing life and owning a small business, plus so much more! Let me tell you- there's some amazing stuff coming up and I can't wait to share! 

First up, is my good friend, Natasha, who owns and is the head designer of Foraged and Cut Flowers here in Lynchburg, Virginia! Natasha was a DIY Bride who fell in love with floral design after doing her own wedding! She's since worked as a head floral wedding designer for several years, and even worked on a local flower farm.  Natasha is super passionate about supporting the American flower farmer and holds a 'field to vase' movement! Her work is absolutely stunning and I am constantly amazed at how she can take a brides vision to life! 

I'm so thrilled she is sharing all about things she's learned as a floral designer over the last 6 years! The florals you choose can really set the tone for your wedding day!

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Hey everyone! I’m exciting to be guest blogging for Ashley today. Isn’t she the best?! Let me start with saying that planning a wedding can be so stressful, right?! SO many decisions. After almost 6 years designing wedding florals I’ve talked to lots of brides & answered lots of questions. Here are a few of the conversations I’ve had.

Hopefully this will help make your flower planning a breeze!

1. Find a realistic budget for your vision. This is one of the first questions I ask a bride, “What is your budget?”. Most aren’t sure & that’s okay. Tell your designer your hopes & dreams & they can give you the reality of the cost. If you want bridal party, ceremony, & reception flowers you should expect to spend close to $2,000+.  If you need to find ways to cut your cost, consider a smaller bridal party, smaller table arrangements, or inviting fewer guests. It adds up fast!

2. Choose flowers in season. So many times brides tell me they MUST have peonies buuut the wedding’s in November when peonies are out of season. Flowers like dahlias, peonies, anemones, ranunculus, etc. are very expensive or just impossible to get out of season. If you’re set on an out of season bloom you have to be willing to pay the higher cost or change your wedding date.

3. Find your style. Take a look at your Pinterest board or wherever you’ve saved your flower inspiration. Do you have multiple styles? Try to narrow that down to just one or two. A florist can mix two styles together but combining 3 or 10 just doesn’t work.  When you get your pictures back from your photographer you’ll be happy that you carried a theme throughout your whole wedding.

4. Trust your florist. First, do your homework. Do you like their previous work, do they have experience, good reviews, & did you connect with them in your consultation? Hopefully your floral expert checks those boxes! Trust that they will carry out your vision or let them create a custom theme for you. Trust is so important in allowing you to enjoy the experience & let go of some of that stress. Unfortunately, sometimes things go wrong with the flower order & those dahlias come in bruised & shattered or there’s a natural disaster & they don’t come at all. It’s out of your designers control. When the petals hit the fan (see what I did there), a good designer can use different blooms to execute your wedding vision! ‘Damage control’ goes with every job title in the wedding industry.

5. It’s not more expensive because it’s a wedding. Flowers are a live product just like food. They fade quickly & must be used when fresh. And don’t forget, you’re not just paying for the flowers! Think of your floral arrangements as custom pieces of art. There’s a lot of labor involved. From the first email, to the consultation, & eventually designing for your big day, your designer has put in a lot of hours. Annnd let’s not forget the delivery, set up, & take down. That’s a lot of time y’all!

6. Don’t be afraid to step out of the box. Girls, have you seen all the blush going around the last few years??? It’s everywhere with no end in sight. Pinterest can be a good thing but it can also limit you. Blush is beautiful but don’t feel confined by what you’ve seen on Pinterest & in blogs. Lots of those pictures are styled shoots & not real life. Some of those flowers don’t even hold up out of water! If you’re favorite color is red, rock it! Make your wedding stand out!

7. DIY doesn’t work for everyone. It may seem like a good way to save money. It may even sound fun to make your own bouquets & centerpieces. But if you’re already stressed, leave it to the professional. DIY will add a lot of time &; stress to a day that should be enjoyable! Your wedding planning & wedding day should be so fun!! Take the time to enjoy it all & to relax! Let’s not have any DIY fails on your wedding day.

To all you brides (& grooms!) planning your big day, breath. A third of the things you think are super important your guest won’t even notice if you do them or not, another third you just have to do because it goes along with planning a big event (probably the biggest of your life!) & the last third will be a breeze if you choose the right vendors! 

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Ashley Eiban is a Wedding & Portrait Photographer based in Central Virginia. Serving the Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Richmond, and surrounding areas. Available for travel world-wide.  Ashley is passionate about cultivating genuine relationships built on mutual understanding, trust and lasting friendship.  

Currently booking a limited number of wedding and portrait sessions for 2018 and 2019.  Contact Ashley today for additional information!

Lynchburg, VA Elopement: Taylor & Kim || Central VA Wedding Photographer

I've been DYING to share this gorgeous elopement & am so so so excited to finally be sharing it today! Taylor & Kim had their family coming to visit them in Lynchburg for Thanksgiving and they decided to elope while everyone was here! I LOVE elopements because they are so personal and intimate! Just the couples very closest friends and family without the stress of planning a huge wedding! Taylor and Kim had both sides of their families there, and a couple of good friends, as well as her daughter. 

Their ceremony at Riverside Park in Lynchburg, Virginia was so sweet and special. They choose a tucked away part of the park that overlooks the James River. The leaves were still on the trees and the sun was coming though so perfectly.  It truly was a gorgeous day! Kim's daughter was an important part of the ceremony- she held the rings and Taylor gave her the sweetest necklace to symbolize them becoming a family. 

After their ceremony, the families headed to Bootleggers in downtown Lynchburg for a celebratory dinner. Taylor's parents decorated the bar tables and truly made it a special dinner for them! 

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Ashley Eiban is a Wedding & Portrait Photographer based in Central Virginia. Serving the Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Richmond, and surrounding areas. Available for travel world-wide.  Ashley is passionate about cultivating genuine relationships built on mutual understanding, trust and lasting friendship.  

Currently booking a limited number of wedding and portrait sessions for 2018.  Contact Ashley today for additional information! 

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! 

Weekend Update || October Family Sessions & Weddings

It's finally starting to feel more like fall around here, and even though I loooooooove summer and all the fun that comes with it- the cooler temps and golden light sure are a photographers dream!  We had another busy fall weekend, with some family portraits, a gorgeous Trivium Estate Wedding! 

My busy weekend started with the gorgeous Bell Family. I've been getting photos of this adorable family since Mom was first pregnant, so it really is so much fun to see them again each year and how much they've grown! This year, both kids were talking my ear off and it was such a blast! 

Saturday's Trivium Estate wedding was such a blast! I always love shooting at the Trivium- and not just because it's just down the road from our new house- but because it's gorgeous there, and the staff there is SO helpful and organized! Ryan & Andrea's wedding day was no exception and their ceremony overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains was simply stunning! 

Sunday, we met up with the Smawley Family at Sweet Briar College! We worked with Kristin as our mortgage broker when we bought our house, so it really was an honor to photograph her gorgeous family! 

October is so busy for photographers, but I secretly love it too! It's always so much fun and keeps me motivated and moving!

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