Beyond the Lens: Lauren McQuillan from Max & Dexter Event Design

I am SO excited to be sharing with you a new series while I'm out on maternity leave! I've asked some friends in the wedding and creative industry to write about a topic they're passionate about- whether that be tips helping brides while planning a wedding, what they've learned in their business, balancing life and owning a small business, plus so much more! Let me tell you- there's some amazing stuff coming up and I can't wait to share! 

Photo by Lindsey Hinkley

Guys! This is a GOOD one today! Lauren McQuillan, with Max & Dexter Event Design is speaking to Brides (and photographers, really!) about why you should consider hiring an event designer for your big day! I'll be honest, when I first heard about event designers, I totally thought this was something that only Brides with super big budgets did- but I'll be the first to admit I was SUPER wrong!

Lauren is amazing at what she does- she works hand-in-hand with her clients to create a unique vision and gorgeous day! I'm so excited to have her sharing with us today!! 

Why Hire an Event Designer?

As an event designer I assist my brides in so many ways that it's difficult to condense it into just a few paragraphs.  A consultation is usually the most efficient way to identify needs, wants, and dreams and determine how I can make these things a reality for my clients.  If you find yourself dreaming about a beautiful, branded, budget friendly event that celebrates your love but don't know how to make it a reality I'd love to take you out for coffee and help you bring that vision to life!  Otherwise, here are just a few ways that a designer can help you on your big day...

Photo by Katie Nesbitt Photography

Photo by Katie Nesbitt Photography

1. Conceptualization

Do you have a Pinterest board full of disjointed elements that you love with no idea how to bring them all together to be uniquely yours?  I can help!  I love to walk alongside a client in curating a wedding brand that feels so intimately theirs.  Detail photos should reflect the quirks and qualities that make you and your fiancé two of a kind.  Even if I do not participate in the wedding day at all, I am thrilled to help brides organize their thoughts into achievable, budget friendly concepts that they will cherish via their photo albums for decades to come. I am passionate about investing in home goods that play a roll in your day and then live in your house forever.  I love to shop for my brides and find practical, beautiful treasures that highlight a couple's love. 

Photo by Katie Barfield Photography

Photo by Sam Stroud

2. Set Up

Often DIY venues allow for set up early on the day of your wedding.  This can induce serious anxiety as you must then either do work or recruit others to work on your big day.  If you'd prefer to be sipping a mimosa in hair and makeup just before you walk down the aisle, then a designer can be incredibly valuable in ensuring that your set up is achieved to your aesthetic standards. Instead, use that time to get physically and mentally ready for the some of the most important moments of your life.  

Photo by Sam Stroud

Photo by Katie Barfield Photography

3. Tear Down

If you prefer that your family and friends have the freedom to celebrate the evening with you to the fullest, then outsource the responsibility of breakdown and hire a professional.  So many Mothers of the Bride are left to clean up and remove personal items and as a result, can't fully decompress throughout their daughter's wedding.  I love to assist a family by creating a detailed inventory, securing all items after your event, and delivering them to your door so that all you have to handle is your purse on the way out the door.  Wedding days are exhausting both physically and emotionally and the kindness of hiring out the late night clean up will allow your family and friends to truly enjoy you and your day.  

Photo by Katie Nesbitt Photography

Thank you for taking the time to read about how I can be of service to you.  I wish you the best of luck in your future planning and health and happiness in your marriage!  Cheers!

Lauren McQuillan

Max & Dexter Event Design

maxanddexter.com

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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 built on mutual understanding, trust and lasting friendship.  

Currently booking a limited number of wedding and portrait sessions for 2018 and 2019.  Contact Ashley today for additional information!

Favorite Wedding Details || Lynchburg, VA Wedding Photographer

It was SO much fun looking through my 2017 weddings last week when I shared some of my favorite photos from the season, I wanted to continue the fun and share some of my favorite details from those weddings! I've been so incredibly blessed with the best couples ranging from Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Richmond, Roanoke, and Virginia Beach! I love photographing the details that my Bride's pick out! These details do set the tone for the entire wedding- and it's just There are so many special details from wearing your Grandma's wedding rings, your invitations, or a special family Bible, sparkly Kate Spades, or sewing something into your dress. 

How to have FUN at your wedding! || Lynchburg, VA Wedding Photographer

It’s SO important to me that my wedding couples are able to let go of the planning stress on the day of their wedding and actually enjoy the moments- big and small- and have FUN on their wedding day! It sounds like common sense, but sometimes it really can be difficult to let go after you’ve been planning for so long. Your wedding day should be so much more than a pretty event- but something that you look back on forever!

1- Have a wedding day timeline. This is not something that only Type-A Brides should have- but every single couple!! Your wedding party, vendors, and the bride and groom should know ahead of time where and when they need to be somewhere! We have to make sure we don't miss that gorgeous Lynchburg, Virginia sunset! Make sure you send this timeline out to everyone that needs it about 2 weeks before your wedding and again the week of the wedding- especially if you’ve made any changes to them!  (ps: I love that this is a service I provide with each and every couple because I know how important it is!)

2- Hire tried-and-true vendors that have great recommendations from other Bride’s you know that have gotten married and from other vendors as well! By hiring vendors that you trust, you can let go of the stress and know that they are going to get their job done! Especially in the Lynchburg, VA Wedding Market- vendors work with each other often and can give you some amazing recommendations! I even have a list of vendors that I've loved working with over the last 6+ years, so feel free to reach out and ask me for it! 

Also, If your venue doesn’t include a wedding coordinator or planner, see if you can make it work in your budget. Even if it’s just a day-of coordinator, this will be so helpful so you don’t have to worry about answering everyone’s questions!

3-Have all your important wedding day details, your dress, shoes, etc. already packed together and see if your venue will let you drop that box off at your rehearsal the night before.  I always recommend that my brides have their getting ready details in the getting ready room and set aside for me as soon as I arrive so we aren’t searching for anything while you’re trying to get ready!

4-Bring an extra change of shoes! A comfy pair of flats or even flip flops so you can kick off the heels and change for dancing at the reception! (I also recommend rain boots for if it’s raining & snow boots and socks for if it’s snowing!) I warn my couples that sometimes we do a bit of walking around for their portraits- and you don’t want your fancy shoes to get muddy or anything! You never know what the weather is going to do in Central Virginia, so making sure you're prepared with your shoes will help a ton!! 

5- Only allow your best friends and people that you want and do not stress you out in your getting ready room. Sometimes, that includes Mom or your future Mother-in-Law and sometimes that’s just your wedding party.  Be sure to communicate that with your Maid of Honor and your Coordinator and they can help make sure your room is shut down and you don’t have tons of people coming in and out stressing you out.  

6- Finally, take a step back on the wedding day and allow yourself to relax and have fun! When your wedding party, friends, families and guests see you guys having fun, they are going to be able to have fun as well!

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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 built on mutual understanding, trust and lasting friendship.  

Currently booking a limited number of wedding and portrait sessions for 2018 and 2019.  Contact Ashley today for additional information!

Defining your own success || Lynchburg, VA Wedding Photographer

Oh man, this is a hard one for me to write. I don’t want to come across as “preachy” as I’m talking straight to myself in this one, but I know as much as I need it, there has to be others that do as well! Especially this year as I'm only booking a limited number of weddings with baby on the way.  

In this industry, and paired with social media, it is SO easy to look at what everyone else is doing and compare it to what I am doing. To see that other photographer posting wedding images from what seems like being booked every single weekend. To see their gorgeous home, that never seems to get dirty and have piles of unfolded laundry in the corner and stacked up on the living room couch. It’s so easy to constantly be comparing how many shoots another photographer shoots compared to how many you shoot. We compare what other people are charging, trips they go on, social media followers and comments. It is exhausting. And not accurate.

It’s extremely difficult not to get wrapped up in how everyone else seems to be doing better and booking more weddings than you. Then it can seriously spiral from there, that you must not be as good and talented as they are. But really it needs to come down to your own personal definition of success. Your definition of success shouldn’t be the same as anyone else’s- it should be what is success for you and your family specifically.  Everyone’s journey is different and unique.  

There was a time in my life where shooting a wedding every single Saturday (or most of them, anyways) was what I genuinely wanted to do. There was a time when I was working full-time and trying to build my business and my definition of success would have been to shoot more than 10 weddings a year.

It’s so important when running your own business to take everyone else out of the equation and ask yourself- what is success to you? What makes you happy at the end of the day- that says, I feel fulfilled, content and am doing what I need to do for my family.

For me, my definition of success always focuses on my family. I am able to do what I love to do, but also be available for my family. When Michael has a Friday off, we can go on a lunch date (always El Jefe downtown for tacos and margaritas! Can’t wait to go after this baby is born- I’ve missed those margaritas!!) or I can go on field trips and volunteer in Emmie’s classroom.  I love that I’m doing something I am so passionate about, can love on my couples and have my family stay a priority as well! I haven’t always been able to balance everything well- especially when I was first full-time with my business, or balancing both working full time and trying to build my business up. It takes some work and learning to adjust, but you can get there!

Keep your eyes on your own paper. Be encouraged by looking back at what you have accomplished and how far you’ve come- not how far you feel that other people are in relation to where you are. It’s totally okay to grow at your own pace, and be as busy as you want to be!

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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 built on mutual understanding, trust and lasting friendship.  

Currently booking a limited number of wedding and portrait sessions for 2018 and 2019.  Contact Ashley today for additional information!

Weekend Update || And that's a wrap for my 2016 Wedding Season!

Guys. This weekend wrapped up my 2016 Wedding Season! My 12th wedding in a row through the Fall weekends, and wedding #25 for 2016! I am so thankful I had a cut off at 25 this year, it really helped me ensure each of my brides got the full wedding experience and my full attention!  This weekend was so much fun and the epitome of balance between family and work balance! I was so thankful to be able to join Emmie and her class for a "play date at the park" on Saturday morning, and spend Sunday with my family talking about our dreams and the future! 

Saturday's wedding was so gorgeous! The temps last week ranged from 86 degrees and dropped down to the 40s over the weekend! We've been waiting for these Fall temps all year, so having them for my last wedding was amazing! We bundled up and enjoyed the day at The Craddock Terry Hotel & Event Center! This couple was so sweet, had such a special no-peek moment before the wedding, cried through their vows, and the reception dances! So basically, this couple made ME cry all day!! 

I cannot wait to share more from their big day this week!!! 

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