Weekend Update || Lynchburg Wedding Photographer

Y'all have to know I am loving this warm, sunny weather here in Virginia in FEBRUARY! This has been the warmest winter I can remember, and goodness, that makes me so happy!! Usually, I give my winter brides a warning, that even if it snows I'll be taking them outside for photos, but this weekend, I didn't have to worry about snow at all! It was the perfect kind of weekend for me- a wedding on Saturday and a family day on Sunday! 

Aaron & Lauren got married at The Trivium Estate on Saturday afternoon- it was such a beautiful day! They chose a casual & rustic theme for their day! 

Sunday, we enjoyed something that can be a little rare around here- a quiet, slow morning and an afternoon of family time! Hanging out in our pajamas, snuggling, and drinking coffee (and hot chocolate) for a majority of our morning is something I could get used to! Once we got dressed and out the door, we took Emerson to the movies and saw Moana! Such a cute movie! 

I can't wait to share these photos from Lauren's bridal portraits later this week- and of course, more from their gorgeous wedding is coming soon too!  Hooray! 

---

Ashley Eiban is a wedding and portrait photographer based 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! 

Happy Valentine's Day! || Central Virginia Wedding Photographer

Happy Valentine's Day sweet friends! We're so excited to settle in for some family fun between school parties, and cooking dinner together & of course some chocolate covered strawberries- my favorite!  I hope you enjoy your day with the ones you love! 

---

Ashley Eiban is a wedding and portrait photographer based 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! 

2017 Goal Planning || Lynchburg, Virginia Wedding Photographer

Sharing my goals is always so intimidating- I hope I'm not the only one that gets overwhelmed with sharing my successes and failures from the past year, and my big goals for the future.  I absolutely love taking the time and filling out my power sheets for the year, as well as filling out the monthly goals and breaking them down into manageable pieces to actually accomplish things, bit by bit.  Before I go into my Power Sheet work and goals for 2017, let's chat about what worked in 2016 and what didn't.  

My 2016 word for the year was INTENTIONAL.  I choose this because 2015 was rough. I traveled often and worked way too much. I was going through all the motions of hustle without taking the time for my family, relationships, friendships, or wise business decisions.  So for 2016, I knew I wanted to handle the year very intentionally- by taking time off, limiting my travel, taking time off, creating a workflow and plan for the year, and being okay with saying no.  And let me tell you, 2016 was a HUGE improvement for me. Here's what worked: 

I cut off my bookings at 25 weddings for the year, which means a minimum of 50 shoots just from my weddings alone.  I am so thankful I cut off bookings, and that most of my weddings were spread out throughout the year, with the exception of fall, which is always crazy.  Limiting my bookings meant I was able to give 100% to each and every bride. I also started outsourcing in 2016- best. decision. ever.  Shout out to Ashley Sue for doing an amazing job and giving me my life back! I rebranded in 2016, which helped me in narrowing down the exact clients I love working with, and brought my passions to life.  

What didn't work as well was scheduling consistent time off. I had the best intentions and penciled in time off for each month, but usually ended up booking those days anyways.  This was one of my biggest mishaps for the year, as I ended the year totally burnt out after working 15 weekends in a row, and shooting 3-4 other sessions each week.  There are always going to be slower and busier seasons, and there's nothing wrong with hustling during those busy busy seasons, but taking time off for myself during those busy seasons is crucial.  

For 2017, I'm excited to be bringing in new perspective and goals that are a little different. This part brings me slight anxiety because so many others are aiming to accomplish gigantic goals for the year, but this is just another reminder that I cannot compare me, my family, or my business to anyone else.  

My word for 2017 is TENDING.  I want to use this word throughout the year to remind me that things never happen overnight, and take a lot of slow, work tending to them over time to see results.  Tending means to pay attention to and apply oneself to something, which is exactly what I want to do with my goals this year!

So, without further ado, my goals for 2017:

1- Relationships.  The phrase, 'wherever you are, be all there' hits me here. I don't want to be blurring the boundaries of Emmie time by answering emails on my laptop, or my work hours by just cleaning the kitchen real fast.  I'm going to be taking more days off, unplugging more at night, and making sure I plan some dates with Michael.  

2- Making my house a Home. I'm such a planner and can't function well with a mess, so I want to take the time to get my office and home in order.  I did the KonMarie process about 2 years ago, and am aiming to complete another round this year!

3- Wellness.  I need to take better care of myself. Start working out again, swimming with Emerson, eating better as a family, going to sleep on time, and taking care of my mental health as well.  This is always really difficult in the busy season, but implementing healthy habits now to carry through the rest of the year.  

4-  Planning, systems and workflows.  A dream for a type-A personality! ;) 2016 was the first time I really had a plan, block scheduling, and workflows. I want and need to take a look over what didn't work and make the changes.  I love blocking out time in my day to make sure priorities are getting done.  Planning blogging and social media posts to really set myself up for success without working all the time.  

5- Be Intentional. Here's this word popping up again, but how can it not.  I want to cut off wedding bookings at 20 this year. Be intentional about taking time off, taking time for me, etc.  

Phew! That was a super long and personal blog post, but I'm so excited to get these goals out there! SO now, tell me... what are your goals for 2017?! What's your word for the year?  

---

---

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! 

2016 In Review : Thank YOU!!!

I've been sorting through all these photos from over the past year and I am seriously so blown away by the AMAZING couples I had the privilege to photograph in 2016.  This was my busiest year yet, I cut off my booking at 25 weddings, which was the best decision for the year.  My goal starting out 2016 was to be intentional with taking time off, spending time with my family, friendships, and being able to give my time 100% to my clients.  I have plans to go through my 2016 goals and what that looks like for my 2017 goals later this week.  

I was really blessed with a year of weddings very spread out! This is an industry that has natural booking cycles of spring and fall for weddings, so being able to shoot weddings through January, February, July, etc. was a huge blessing to be busy throughout the year and spread out my time away on the weekends.  

I loved finding 1-2 of my favorite images from the weddings I shot over the year! Each and every one of these couples has become friends with me and I am truly so blessed and have learned so much from each of them! We shot at some amazing venues this year- new ones, like Pharsalia and Keswick Vineyards in Charlottesville, Virginia

At the risk of sounding cheesy, I just wanted to thank each and everyone of these couples and their families.  It is always such an honor to be to be chosen to document the biggest most exciting day of your life- to be giving you the photos that you and your future generations will look at and enjoy for years and years down the road.  I love being a part of your wedding day, getting to know your families, and becoming friends with each and every one of you! Thank you so much for trusting me and supporting me and my family and my dreams! 

I am so excited for 2017- Cheers to another amazing year!! 

---

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! 

Happy New Year! || Lynchburg, VA Wedding Photographer

It's been a little quiet around here, but for good reason! I've been taking some time off- completely off- to recharge and enjoy this down time with my family! 

We had such a great break- we headed to visit family in Virginia Beach for Christmas, and then came back to Lynchburg for some quality down time! As a small business owner, it's so difficult to truly unplug, but the longer I do this full-time, the more important I realize this time is! 

2016 was a hard year for many, but for us, it truly was a fantastic year! My word for 2016 was 'intentional' as I wanted to be super intentional about my time with my family, my clients, and my friends.  I rebranded my business in 2016- something that was a lot of work, stress, and brain power, but it was worth every little bit of the struggle.  Having my heart written out for my clients has allowed me to connect more with my brides and grooms, and truly have had the best quality and sweetest couples ever this year! 

We're super excited for 2017- I've been working on my word and goals for the year and I think I've finally got them nailed down! I'm excited to share later this week! I've got some amazing blog posts planned for the month, and I am so excited to share them over the next few days and weeks! If there's a topic that you'd love to hear about- feel free to shoot me an email and let me know! 

Happy New Year friends! I am so thankful for each of you and so excited for this upcoming year! 

---

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!