All about First Looks || Lynchburg, VA Wedding Photographer

The first look is an amazing options for your wedding day-- it's a special and romantic addition to your wedding day celebration! I never tell my brides to do one way or the other because it is a personal preference, but I find that a lot of couples don't really even know what a first look is! It not only adds to the experience, but also helps reduce stress! 

It's no secret that photographers love first looks, and wedding guests typically do as well! I just want to encourage you to keep an open mind and do the research before deciding one way or the other! 

Not doing a first look at my own wedding is my only regret from the day.  I thought I wanted to be traditional and not see each other until the aisle, but I know the moment could have been so much more emotional and intimate doing a first look! I was so nervous before my wedding and we were all super stressed to make sure all of the pictures that we wanted were taken! 

A first look allows you to have intimate, alone time with your groom! It's an emotional moment that just you two will share, and it's incredibly special! This is a time to love on each other, to be able to actually talk to each other, and for him to tell you how amazing you look, instead of having to wait 30 minutes until after the ceremony's finished You can see how this would be a once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunity!! 

By doing a first look, you'll receive at least 40% MORE portraits of you and your groom!! These are the images you are paying for, the one's you'll decorate your first home with and will guarantee you're getting the most for your money! 

Thinking about doing a first look, but aren't completely sure? Shoot me an email and we can talk through it to make the best decision for you and your fiancé!! 

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Ashley Eiban is a wedding and portrait photographer based in Central Virginia.  Serving Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Farmville, Richmond, Roanoke and surrounding areas.  Available for travel world-wide.  

Ashley has been photographing couples for over 5 years and is passionate about cultivating genuine relationships and images you can cherish forever.  Currently booking a limited number of weddings for 2016 and 2017.  Contact me today for additional information! 

Bad Weather & your wedding || Lynchburg Wedding Photographer

They say that rain on your wedding day means good luck... I'm not entirely convinced... but let's go with it! ;) It may not bring you good luck, BUT it doesn't have to ruin your wedding day! In fact, we can actually have fun with it!! 

Over the last 5 years, I've only had to worry about bad weather a handful of times, and they all still turned out beautifully! The common factor in each of those weddings was the bride didn't let the weather ruin her wedding, or her attitude.  I'm so lucky to always have amazing brides that are more excited about their marriage than their wedding! 

If you're planning an outdoor wedding, I would highly suggest having a back-up plan in case of rain.  That could be a tent, holding the ceremony in the reception hall, or even just having umbrellas for your guests! Know that unless it's dangerous outside... we are going to head outside for a few photos!! 

A great example is John & Tori's wedding from this year! They had a backyard wedding, with no real option for a backup plan, so they planned in advance and ordered clear umbrellas for all of their guests.  Tori slipped off her shoes and had the most romantic first look in the sprinkles.  

Another fantastic example is from Mike & Emilee's wedding, where a huge snow storm hit Virginia the day before their wedding.  Our little town wasn't able to clear the roads fast enough and the venue wasn't able to open.  Instead of freaking out, they borrowed some 4WD vehicles, drove to the pastors house & eloped in the middle of the storm! Then, they were able to celebrate with all their friends and family the next morning.  

Don't let a little bit of rain ruin your day! Make the most of it, bring some fun umbrellas, rain boots, and have fun! Pictures will still be awesome, we'll have fun, and best of all- you'll be married!! 

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! 

Elizabeth's Bridal Portraits: Lynchburg, Virginia Wedding Photographer

I totally have a love/hate thing going on with bridal portraits! I seriously LOOOOOOOVE so many things about them, like the bride getting another chance to get all dolled up, getting a trial run with hair and make-up, and the fact that they are so much fun. But then after the fact I have to keep them top-secret and that is just straight up torture!! haha! 

Coleton & Elizabeth got married on Saturday and oh my gooooooodness it was such a beautiful day! Elizabeth is the sweetest and made the most beautiful bride!! And that means I finally get to share photos from her bridal portraits!!  Thanks to The Trivium Estates in Forest for allowing the perfect spot for these!!