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! 

Wedding Day Details: What to Include

This is a talk that I always have with my couples.  And include in my wedding guide that all my couples receive.  And I send a reminder email to my brides before the big day.  So, you know it's a super important topic! ;)  Wedding day details! 

I start my day off photographing the details.  I come in and say hi to the bride, give a big & excited hug, and then dive right into the details.  It's one of my very favorite parts of the wedding day, helps me warm up my creative side and get a feel for the entire day.  It really sets the stage for the look of the whole wedding.  I always love having the time to stylize and photograph everything from the dress, to the jewelry to grandma's special purse! 

One tip I give all of my brides is to collect all of your items before the wedding day and have them in one place! Assign the job to your Maid of Honor, or one of the bridesmaids to keep track of your box of details, so when I arrive, it's all put together and ready! 

What to gather: 

* Dress & pretty hanger 

*Veil and/or hair piexes

*Full set of invitations (envelopes, RSVP card, maps, etc.) 

*Shoes

*Jewelry

*Perfume

*Bouquets (Brides and Bridesmaids) 

*Your something borrowed and something blue 

*ALL THREE rings 

*Anything else that's special and meaningful to you. Including a Bible, gifts to each other, cufflinks, etc. 

 

The most common thing that is missing when I arrive are the rings.  Make sure you communicate with your wedding party, Mom, officiant and/or wedding planner, as they will always tell you to hand over your wedding bands to the best man before your day begins.  It's actually better to hand it over during the wedding party portraits so that I can shoot some ring shots! The less time I have to spend tracking down someone and something, the better! 

---

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 

Weekend Update || Smith Mountain Lake elopement & Charlottesville engagement session

Oh what a beautiful weekend! I cannot believe it's NOVEMBER and it's still warm enough to wear short sleeves and flip flops- and the leaves are just now hitting peak season! It's so amazing- can every year be like this? I know that the freezing cold is coming oh so soon, so I'm going to take advantage of this glorious sunshine for as long as possible!! 

This weekend was absolutely stunning.  The sunshine, the leaves, the sweet people!! I just loved every minute of it! 

It was such an honor to take some photos of Heidi Baker, the owner of The Trivium Estate in Forest, Virginia.  She is so gorgeous and we had so much fun catching up after a very busy wedding season! 

On Friday, I got to be a part of a super special elopement out at Smith Mountain Lake.  I cannot wait to share more from this special day!! 

Sunday, I met up with Andrew & Melissa out at the Ashlawn-Highlands in Charlottesville, Virginia. Goodness it is GORGEOUS there! I loved getting to know this couple and I am so excited for their Keswick Vineyards wedding next fall! 

So much more from these gorgeous sessions coming soon!! Yay! I can't wait to share!! 

---

Ashley Eiban is a wedding and portrait photographer based in Central Virginia.  Serving Charlottesville, Smith Mountain Lake, Lynchburg, Forest, Richmond, Roanoke, and surrounding areas.  Available for travel world-wide.  Currently booking a limited number of weddings for 2017.  Contact me today for more information!  

Craddock Terry Hotel Wedding || Downtown Lynchburg Wedding Photographer

This blog post is a little bittersweet, as this is my last Wedding Wednesday for the year! That's right guys... I shot my last wedding of 2016 this weekend! While I am sad that the season is over, I am very excited to be welcoming some down time for rest and family time! 

Macklin & Shannon's Craddock Terry wedding day was the perfect way to end my wedding season! These two are so perfect together, they are such a fun and sweet couple, I LOVED getting to know them both so so much over the last year! Shannon made such a gorgeous bride, and her colors and fall decorations were so perfect! Their day was filled with so many emotions, to their tear-filled no-peek, their hugs to parents, emotional vows, and the parent dances, these two had me wiping my eyes the entire day! 

A HUGE thank you to the amazing vendors that made this wedding so amazing!! 

Hair & Makeup: Kerry Chance

Venue: Craddock Terry Hotel and Event Center in Lynchburg, Virginia 

Dress Alterations: The Gilded Thimble

Flowers: Perfect Arrangement

Wedding Director: Vicki Itson with Simplicity

Video: Gracie Weikert

DJ: Official Entertainment

Cake: Angela Hudson Cakes

---

Ashley Eiban is a wedding and portrait photographer based in Central Virginia. Serving Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Richmond and surrounding areas.  Available for travel world-wide. Currently booking a limited number of weddings for 2017.  Contact me today for additional information! 

Staunton, Virginia Church Wedding || Central Virginia Wedding Photographer

It's difficult to even know where to start for this sweet wedding! Ryan & Rachel were seriously super sweet, and their gorgeous Fall wedding day was so perfect! The leaves were just starting to change colors, I was so excited to find a few spots perfect for photos with those golden yellows and oranges! All of their friends and family were so sweet, loving, and excited for these two! I love being at a wedding and feeling like a part of the family by the time I go home! 

Ryan and Rachel chose to do a "no peek" instead of a first look, and it was so sweet. They held hands around the corner and prayed together before walking down the aisle.  For our bride and groom portraits, these two walked through a field, through some trees, and even across the street to the rows of corn! I love when couples trust me and are up for anything and everything! And their photos turned out so well because of it! 

---

Ashley Eiban is a wedding and portrait photographer based in Central Virginia. Serving Staunton, Richmond, Charlottesville, Bedford, Lynchburg, Farmville, Roanoke, and surrounding areas.  Available for travel world-wide.  Currently booking a limited number of weddings for 2017.  Contact me today for additional information!