Weekend Update: Central Virginia Wedding Photographer

Happy Monday Friends! I know Mondays get a bad rap, and I understand- but I get so excited for Mondays because it's back to routine and I get to look through the fun wedding images from the weekend! And today, I am suuuuper thrilled to share the photos from this weekend's wedding! Sam & Larissa got married at the Wintergreen Resort, which is just about an hour from the Lynchburg area, and it's such a gorgeous place to get married! 

These two are just beyond cute together, and they were both so happy all day- and goodness it shows in their photos! I had the hardest time picking a few sneak peek photos to edit early this morning! The weather held off just in time for their ceremony to end before the clouds rolled in and it started pouring! The rain finally lifted & we went out for "sunset photos" which were more like fog photos- but oh my goodness was it beyond beautiful! I cannot wait for the full blog post later this week! 

Vendors: 

Venue: Wintergreen Resort in Nelson County, Virginia

Coordinator: Rhiannon Ham with Wintergreen Resort

Hair & Makeup: Wintergreen Resort Salon & Spa 

Florals: Soul Sisters Designs

Bridal Gown & Accessories: David's Bridal 

Catering & Bartending: Wintergreen Resort 

DJ: Cruz Productions with East Coast Entertainment 

And then, what would a weekend update be without some iphone snaps too?! 

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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: Danielle Wallace with The Crimson Magpie Rentals & Design

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! 

Photo by Crystal George

Today, Danielle Wallace with The Crimson Magpie Rentals & Design is going personal today, and talking to us about how she survives as an Introvert, in an extremely extroverted field- the wedding industry! As an extrovert, when she told me what she was thinking about talking about, I was super excited! I love hearing and learning how I can love on others well- and knowing not to take things personally when my introverted friends just need to have a night off, or some alone time! 

Surviving being an Introvert in an Extrovert Centered Career

Reading an entire book in a day. Gardening in warm morning sunshine. Journaling in the stillness of night. Those moments are my idea of a good time. More often than not, though my reality is quite different. Imagine the hubbub of Grand Central Station combined with the blistering pace of the Indie 500 and the drama of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.” Picture that and you have an idea of what it’s like to build a business in the wedding industry.

The wedding industry is bright and full of joy, creativity, passion and collaboration. It’s full of opportunities to solve problems both big and small. But as an introvert the continual need to be “on” socially exhausts me to the deepest part of my being. Add a very busy one-year old to the mix and some days I want to crawl into a closet with the aforementioned book and stay there forever. For the introverts reading this, you know what I mean. If you’re an introvert, well hopefully this helps you understand why your introverted friend canceled plans to go out Friday night. Here are a few of the things that help balance my introvert neurosis with my love for this crazy awesome wedding gig.

Photo by Adam Mullins

Behind the scenes. The song is coming to a close. The DJ is about to direct guests’ attention towards four tiers of buttercream perfection. Aunt June leans over and whispers she forgot to bring the heirloom cake knife. I make a dash to my kit and grab my spare cake server, and dash back to lay it calmly (don’t let me kid you, my heart is pounding out of my chest) on the table seconds before the bride and groom arrive to cut the cake. Okay, maybe not a super hero move in the same category as Clark Kent or Bruce Wayne, but I love filling in the numerous gapes so the wedding dreams of very special people go off without a hitch.

Organizational routines. The fuel of a successful event is organization, and lucky for me I love spreadsheets, timelines, calendars, bullet points, anything that smacks of a plan or a to do list. Que the entrance of my daughter (pride goes before a fall, anyone?)  last year making it almost impossible to be as organized as I would like to be. My latest comprise: I let her unwind an entire roll of toilet paper so that I can update my spreadsheet while doing calf raises because that counts as a workout, right? All you mamas who run a business while raising kids, you are my heroes.

Photo by Mixed Creative Company 

Intentional recharging. For me that means being completely alone. Alone isn’t really a thing when you have a child, so I’ve had to get creative. To be perfectly honest I have a way to go with this part of my life. There are days when I feel like I’m scrapping the bottom of the barrel. Sometimes my car is my sanctuary for half an hour while I write or read, which is not as depressing as it sounds! A big one is turning off my phone. A reprieve from digital human is a must, so instead (if I’m not working at night) I journal, or bake a treat to share with my husband while we binge on Stranger Things or The Office after our baby girl is in bed.

Really cool people. This one seems to contradict everything I’ve said previously, but I’ve met some amazing people in this industry. Many of my brides and grooms, their family members, and fellow vendors have impacted my life the past three years. My bride that hand-painted wall hangings for the nursery when my baby was born.  My bride that checks up on me regularly to see how I’m doing and ask about my life. Fellow stay-at-home vendor moms who reached out to me the first difficult months after my daughter was born. The former bride and groom turned friends who used their trailer to help me pick up rental stock and then wouldn’t let me pay them. My coworkers who have become best friends and yell at me when I’m not taking care of myself…I could go on.

Photo by Sherry Congrad

And I do go on! Let me have my quiet place to recharge, and I’m ready to hit the road again. The joy, the romance, the beauty, and the opportunities of the wedding world adds a depth and breadth to my world that I didn’t know was possible. I can’t wait to see what new adventures the 2018 season has in store.

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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!

Working ahead to be productive || Lynchburg, VA Wedding Photographer

Why is it that some days are just so much more productive than others? Anyone else run into this problem? I am constantly trying to figure this out for myself and whenever I find somewhat of a solution with my workflow, I like to share it!

First off, having set office hours is SO helpful for me. When I have a full day with nothing planned, I procrastinate and find myself quickly filling the time with everything BUT what needs to be done. Ha! So, planning ahead and knowing that I will be working tomorrow from 10am until school pick up at 2pm, then I need to be serious about my time working! 

I keep my paper planner cleaner with just the important dates and appointments, but I also use my iCalendar on my MacBook to block off time ahead for office hours and then will add some of the big tasks that I need to make sure happen during that timeframe! 

I’ve also found if I can plan ahead the night before or first thing that morning, I can stay on track a little bit easier.  I always have a running list going (hello Trello!) but each morning, writing down what needs to be accomplished that day, and being able to prioritize those tasks helps me so much.  I’m such a firm believer in getting things out of my head and onto paper so I have the mental capacity to think about other things instead of all the little things that need to get done!

For me, having it all written out and on paper is also so important to me! There is nothing like physically crossing off something to make you want to get more done!

So, I want to know- what tips have you found make you be more productive?

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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!

How to have FUN at your wedding! || Lynchburg, VA Wedding Photographer

It’s SO important to me that my wedding couples are able to let go of the planning stress on the day of their wedding and actually enjoy the moments- big and small- and have FUN on their wedding day! It sounds like common sense, but sometimes it really can be difficult to let go after you’ve been planning for so long. Your wedding day should be so much more than a pretty event- but something that you look back on forever!

1- Have a wedding day timeline. This is not something that only Type-A Brides should have- but every single couple!! Your wedding party, vendors, and the bride and groom should know ahead of time where and when they need to be somewhere! We have to make sure we don't miss that gorgeous Lynchburg, Virginia sunset! Make sure you send this timeline out to everyone that needs it about 2 weeks before your wedding and again the week of the wedding- especially if you’ve made any changes to them!  (ps: I love that this is a service I provide with each and every couple because I know how important it is!)

2- Hire tried-and-true vendors that have great recommendations from other Bride’s you know that have gotten married and from other vendors as well! By hiring vendors that you trust, you can let go of the stress and know that they are going to get their job done! Especially in the Lynchburg, VA Wedding Market- vendors work with each other often and can give you some amazing recommendations! I even have a list of vendors that I've loved working with over the last 6+ years, so feel free to reach out and ask me for it! 

Also, If your venue doesn’t include a wedding coordinator or planner, see if you can make it work in your budget. Even if it’s just a day-of coordinator, this will be so helpful so you don’t have to worry about answering everyone’s questions!

3-Have all your important wedding day details, your dress, shoes, etc. already packed together and see if your venue will let you drop that box off at your rehearsal the night before.  I always recommend that my brides have their getting ready details in the getting ready room and set aside for me as soon as I arrive so we aren’t searching for anything while you’re trying to get ready!

4-Bring an extra change of shoes! A comfy pair of flats or even flip flops so you can kick off the heels and change for dancing at the reception! (I also recommend rain boots for if it’s raining & snow boots and socks for if it’s snowing!) I warn my couples that sometimes we do a bit of walking around for their portraits- and you don’t want your fancy shoes to get muddy or anything! You never know what the weather is going to do in Central Virginia, so making sure you're prepared with your shoes will help a ton!! 

5- Only allow your best friends and people that you want and do not stress you out in your getting ready room. Sometimes, that includes Mom or your future Mother-in-Law and sometimes that’s just your wedding party.  Be sure to communicate that with your Maid of Honor and your Coordinator and they can help make sure your room is shut down and you don’t have tons of people coming in and out stressing you out.  

6- Finally, take a step back on the wedding day and allow yourself to relax and have fun! When your wedding party, friends, families and guests see you guys having fun, they are going to be able to have fun as well!

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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!

Defining your own success || Lynchburg, VA Wedding Photographer

Oh man, this is a hard one for me to write. I don’t want to come across as “preachy” as I’m talking straight to myself in this one, but I know as much as I need it, there has to be others that do as well! Especially this year as I'm only booking a limited number of weddings with baby on the way.  

In this industry, and paired with social media, it is SO easy to look at what everyone else is doing and compare it to what I am doing. To see that other photographer posting wedding images from what seems like being booked every single weekend. To see their gorgeous home, that never seems to get dirty and have piles of unfolded laundry in the corner and stacked up on the living room couch. It’s so easy to constantly be comparing how many shoots another photographer shoots compared to how many you shoot. We compare what other people are charging, trips they go on, social media followers and comments. It is exhausting. And not accurate.

It’s extremely difficult not to get wrapped up in how everyone else seems to be doing better and booking more weddings than you. Then it can seriously spiral from there, that you must not be as good and talented as they are. But really it needs to come down to your own personal definition of success. Your definition of success shouldn’t be the same as anyone else’s- it should be what is success for you and your family specifically.  Everyone’s journey is different and unique.  

There was a time in my life where shooting a wedding every single Saturday (or most of them, anyways) was what I genuinely wanted to do. There was a time when I was working full-time and trying to build my business and my definition of success would have been to shoot more than 10 weddings a year.

It’s so important when running your own business to take everyone else out of the equation and ask yourself- what is success to you? What makes you happy at the end of the day- that says, I feel fulfilled, content and am doing what I need to do for my family.

For me, my definition of success always focuses on my family. I am able to do what I love to do, but also be available for my family. When Michael has a Friday off, we can go on a lunch date (always El Jefe downtown for tacos and margaritas! Can’t wait to go after this baby is born- I’ve missed those margaritas!!) or I can go on field trips and volunteer in Emmie’s classroom.  I love that I’m doing something I am so passionate about, can love on my couples and have my family stay a priority as well! I haven’t always been able to balance everything well- especially when I was first full-time with my business, or balancing both working full time and trying to build my business up. It takes some work and learning to adjust, but you can get there!

Keep your eyes on your own paper. Be encouraged by looking back at what you have accomplished and how far you’ve come- not how far you feel that other people are in relation to where you are. It’s totally okay to grow at your own pace, and be as busy as you want to be!

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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!