The Wedding Day Timeline || Lynchburg, VA Wedding Photographer

There’s a lot of big decisions you’ll have to make for your wedding day- from caterers and bakers, to what dress you’re wearing, and who you want in your wedding party, etc. Yet, one of the most important decisions you’ll have to make is your wedding day timeline. You want to make sure you have enough time to ensure that you have the time set aside to get those wedding day photographs, to be able to capture the memories of your Dad seeing his little girl in her wedding dress, your Grandparents dancing together, or your groom seeing you for the first time!

Here are a few tips when prepping your wedding day time:

1- Remember, everything always takes longer than you expect. You may be expecting your ceremony to be 10-15 minutes, but also counting in the time it takes for everyone to say hi to each other, and walk over to the cocktail hour, it will most likely be closer to 30 minutes.

2- Check the time of sunset! Especially if you aren’t planning on doing a first look! I recommend scheduling the end time of your ceremony an hour before sunset so you have time for family portraits, photos with your wedding party, and of course time for pictures with your new hubby!

3- Make a list for family photos. Talk with your Mom, and your future mother-in-law so everyone is on the same page, and create a list of about 10 groupings for family photos. I recommend immediate family, grandparents, parents, siblings, etc! Then anything else can be captured at the reception!

4- Build in extra time. I usually recommend 30-45 minutes before the ceremony of “extra” time in case your hair or makeup is running late, a groomsmen forgets his tie and has to run back out to get it, etc!

5- Make sure you prioritize Bride and Groom portrait time! The day goes by in a blink and it’s easy to rush through these, but these are the photos that you’ll want to remember the day by!

Hope these tips helped you! I believe creating a great timeline is crucial to a successful wedding day that is stress free! Because of this, I include a custom timeline creation meeting with each and everyone of my couples!

Getting Ready Rooms || What to look for in your getting ready room for your photos!

I think you would be surprised to hear that one of the most overlooked, but important aspects of a wedding day, is the getting ready time. This time with your closest friends and family is something to truly cherish, and most likely, important moments that you want to have documented. But, often times, the getting ready room is not the perfect place for taking priceless photos!

As you are touring venues, keep a special eye out for the Bridal Getting Ready Space! Aim for a space that has at least one window, as well as plenty of room for you and your bridesmaids to not only hang out, but also to get ready! These rooms can fill up pretty quickly when everyone has their clothes, makeup, hair, snacks, etc!

Know that I will ask your bridesmaids to do a quick clean up before getting you in your dress- you don’t want to see reminders of old water bottles or snack bags in the background of you getting zipped up in your dress by your Mom, but a teeny tiny room can make that very difficult.

So, what happens if you fall in love with a venue, but the getting ready room isn’t anything to be excited about? It’s okay- I’ll just ask you to be a little flexible! Often times, especially for church weddings, the bridal room is a preschool classroom, filled with bight colors and plastic toys, so for this, I will actually have you do those final getting ready moments outside. I often look for a porch, a pretty doorway, or space outside that will help us get those gorgeous photos without the clutter and distraction!

Have questions about your getting ready space? Let me know & I’d love to help you get those dreamy photos you’re dying for!

Lenis & Becky's Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyard Summer Wedding in Charlottesville, VA

Shooting a wedding at Pippin Hill Vineyards has been a bucket list venue for me to photograph a wedding at for such a long time, and I was finally able to cross it off my list this past weekend for Lenis & Becky's wedding! There are so many gorgeous wineries in the Charlottesville area, but Pippin Hill is one of my favorites! The view of the winery overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains, the patio & tasting room, everything is beautiful- it was the perfect location for Lenis & Becky's wedding! 

Everything about their wedding was elegant and classy! From the staff handing out champagne and rose' as guests arrived for their wedding, Becky's stunning bridal gown, the ceremony on the lawn under the chuppah, to the gorgeous ballroom reception with a full band and the most amazing florals and the best dinner ever.

Lenis & Becky had such a sweet first look moment and we were able to get tons of their family and wedding party portraits done before the ceremony started! Their ceremony had a Jewish twist and was so touching and beautiful! The summer view of the mountains behind them was just perfection! And we also took advantage of some time during dinner and got some super romantic photos as the sun was setting! I am so excited to share this one with you guys! 

We LOVED working with the amazing vendors that made this wedding a stunning success! 

Venue: Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards in Charlottesville, Virginia

Coordinator: Amore' Events by Cody in Charlottesville, Virginia

Hair & Makeup: Jeff & Natalie with Beauty Elevated in Northern Virginia

Bridal Gown & Accessories: Elegance by Roya in Northern Virginia

Groom & Groomsmen: Suit Supply in Tysons Corner, Virginia

Catering & Bartending: Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards in Charlottesville, Virginia

Cake: Cakes by Rachel in Charlottesville, Virginia

Videography: Silver Streak Media in Charlottesville, Virginia

Band: The Band Punch with East Coast Entertainment in Raleigh, North Carolina

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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 with joyful couples, 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! 

Weekend Update: Pippin Hill Wedding Sneak Peek

Oh my goodness- this Monday I am exhausted, but in the very best way possible! Saturday, I headed to Pippin Hill Farm and Vineyards for Lenis & Becky's wedding! It was a beautiful, beautiful day! Then on Sunday, I headed to Holly Field Manor in Richmond, Virginia to shoot with my dear friend, Lindsay. Working with her is always such a joy, and she has the sweetest couples! 

I'm so excited to share some sneak peeks from Saturday's Wedding! I cannot wait to share more from this amazing day!! 

Vendors from this wedding: 

Venue: Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards in Charlottesville, Virginia

Coordinator: Amore' Events by Cody in Charlottesville, Virginia

Hair & Makeup: Jeff & Natalie with Beauty Elevated in Northern Virginia

Bridal Gown & Accessories: Elegance by Roya in Northern Virginia

Groom & Groomsmen: Suit Supply in Tysons Corner, Virginia

Catering & Bartending: Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards in Charlottesville, Virginia

Cake: Cakes by Rachel in Charlottesville, Virginia

Videography: Silver Streak Media in Charlottesville, Virginia

Band: The Band Punch with East Coast Entertainment in Raleigh, North Carolina

And, like all good weekend updates- here's some fun iPhone shots! Some from Sully Saturday morning, some from our time at Pippin Hill, and some from Hollyfield Manor with Lindsay! 

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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 with joyful couples, 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! 

Dani & Cj || Engagement session at Historic Meems Bottom Covered Bridge

I first met Dani when I traveled to Fort Walton, Florida this past January and instantly loved her! She's so sweet & bubbly, so I was beyond thrilled when she reached out to me to shoot her wedding! Dani & Cj are getting married next spring in the Harrisonburg area, so when they were in Virginia for his sister's wedding, we knew it was the perfect time to take advantage of the time for an engagement session! 

Cj grew up in the Harrisonburg/ New Market area, and suggested doing their engagement session at the Historic Meems Bottom Covered Bridge and the battlefield that has tons of history for him with college. It was a gorgeous location, I could have stayed for hours and hours taking photos of these two!