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!

Just got engaged.... Now what?! Creating a Wedding Inspiration Board

Did you just get engaged?! Congrats!! I know you’re feeling so excited… but maybe also a little overwhelmed and don’t even know where to begin with planning your wedding?! Trust me, I totally understand! There are so many big decisions to be made, which can seem impossible when you aren’t even sure what direction you want to go in! Which is why, I think the very first step that can be SO helpful is to create an inspiration board for your wedding! A mood board is simply a tool to help you visually create your wedding day. Creating a wedding mood board will help you to zero in on your wedding aesthetic, nail down your details, and even your style!

This isn’t where you are making all of your final decisions, so don’t worry about stressing about the perfect bridesmaids dresses, but instead draw inspiration from other weddings and images that you love. From here, you’ll be able to discover your palette, style, and design details! This should be not only how you want your wedding to look, but also how you want it to feel!

Help everyone be on the same page. Wether you’re creating a tangible mood board or electronic, being able to share and show friends, family, planners, and wedding vendors, will help everyone see your vision and help you to execute it!

Wedding Coverage: How many hours do you actually need your photographer?

Let's chat wedding coverage This is one of the most common questions I get asked- how many hours do you actually need your wedding photographer to be there? I know, 8 hours seems like a really long time when you're looking from the outside. Before I was doing weddings full-time, I would have told you the same thing. But- the more experience I've had with shooting weddings, the more I am adamant that you need at least 8 hours of wedding day coverage.  

There's so much that goes into your wedding- people say it all the time- but it really is true- this is going to be one of the most important days of your life- if not the most important! Don't you want those special moments before the ceremony of your Mom helping you into your dress, your Dad seeing you all dolled up for the first time, and your best friend toasting you with all of your very best friends around? The photos of your whole family in one place for the first time in 5 years? From the start of the day with getting ready photos, to the reception and the exit as you leave the party as a married couple! 

If you want all of those photos- from the getting ready room to the goodbye hugs to your best friends, you are going to need 8 hours of photography time.  I've offered 6 hour packages in the past and found that something has to give.  There may be times that you need to add in extra coverage- especially if your ceremony venue is different from your reception venue and more than 20 minutes away from each other.  

I work with each of my wedding clients to make a custom time-line to make sure that all of the important moments are captured and have adequate time without feeling rushed or stressed.  

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Ashley Eiban is a wedding and portrait photographerbased in Central Virginia. Serving Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Farmville, Richmond, Roanoke, and surrounding areas. Currently booking a limited number of weddings and portrait sessions for 2017.  Available for travel world-wide.  

Ashley is passionate about capturing moments as they authentically happen to ensure a successful session that gives you time to enjoy each other and savor the wedding day moments.  Contact me today for additional information!