Central Virginia Wedding || An Avoca Museum Wedding

Guys. I swore I wasn't ready for Fall. I wanted to cling onto summer for as long as possible. Soak up every last sun ray and time in the pool. And then this weekend happened.  A weekend that hit us with cooler temps and a slight breeze and it was magical.  It was the exact taste of autumn that I needed.  To shoot a wedding and it not be sweltering, everyone wasn't sweating and dying- it was perfect.  

Jerry & Holly had a beautiful, intimate ceremony at The Avoca Museum in Central Virginia.  It's a beautiful museum, full of gorgeous, green gardens, intimate little spots, and history.  It was the perfect spot for their families to join- Holly's from this area, and Jerry's all the way from Texas.  They had the county touches added in with the gorgeous museum to make it a truly unique to them wedding! 

Holly did the sweetest first look with her Mom and her Dad! Totally made me tear up!! 

A special thanks to the vendors that helped make this day unique and special! 

Venue: Avoca Museum in Altavista, VA

Make Up: Cheri Lanier with Mary Kay

Hair: Mitchell's on 7th in Altavista, VA 

Florist: Cheryl's Secret Garden in Lynchburg, VA

Dj: DJ Stu and Party Patrol Productions in Hurt, VA

Cake: DIY by Groom's Step-Mom (Leisa) 

Catering: DIY and Cheryl Ragland

Groom & Groomsmen Vests: Men's Warehouse in Lynchburg, VA

Photobooth: O'Snap Photobooth  in Lynchburg, VA 

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Ashley Eiban is a wedding and portrait photographer based in Central Virginia.  Serving Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Richmond, Roanoke, Farmville, and surrounding areas.  

Available for travel world-wide.  Currently accepting a limited number of sessions for 2016 and 2017.  Contact us today for additional information! 

Greensboro, NC Wedding Photographer: Jared & Tyler Gail

Sometimes, this job has the craziest outcomes... like you get hired to second shoot for a wedding in Greensboro, North Carolina- 2 hours from home- and show up to find out the groom is the little brother of some of your best friends from high school! 

I had such a great time second shooting for  SMM Photography, based out of Charleston, SC  for Jared & Tyler Gail's Wedding Day! They had such a beautiful, southern, and classy ceremony at the First Baptist Church of Greensboro! Their reception was at a beautiful barn venue called the Steele Crest, just outside of Greensboro! I loved this relaxed venue! 

Working with Stefanie was so much fun- so glad I was able to make the short trip and travel down for this stunning wedding!! 

Thanks again to Stefanie Morris for having me around to second shoot for this beautiful & romantic Greensboro, NC wedding!! Congratulations to Jared & Tyler Gail! Thanks so much for letting me be a part of your special day! 

Ashley Eiban is a Wedding & Portrait Photographer based in Lynchburg, Virginia- but available for travel to all surrounding areas- including Greensboro, Sunset Beach, Holden Beach, Ocean Isle, North Carolina and surrounding areas! Contact me today for information about our wedding packages! 

why an engagement session is SO important! // Lynchburg, Virginia Wedding Photographer

The engagement session- my brides hear me talk about it ALL the time- and it's easily the most asked about from prospective clients.  I just wanted to take a moment to share why they are so important! And not just taking them in general- but with your wedding photographer! I am so passionate about this- I actually include a complimentary engagement session with each of my wedding packages.  

Close your eyes for a minute and imagine you are at your wedding day! Your Mom just finished zipping up your dress (you look STUNNING in that beautiful white dress BTW!) and you are surrounded by all of your best girl friends... and... your photographer! Now, imagine you're at your first-look! It's just you, and your soon-to-be husband... and... your photographer! (you catching the theme here?) You will be with ME more than your fiancé on your wedding day! I will be helping you walk down the stairs, with you and your family, and I'll be out on the dance floor with you as well! I've been known to give my shoes to brides, help with tying your bow, fix your shoes, and in some cases even hold up your dress while you pee! You better REALLY know and like your wedding photographer if you're going to be spending the entire day with them! 

An engagement session is THE perfect way for us to really start to connect and gain that relationship! I get to find out how you two interact as a couple- if you need a little more help with posing and feeling comfortable, if you like to kiss or cuddle, laugh, or are more serious.  Do you have a preferred good-side, or is your fiancé a blinker? These are all things we find out together at an engagement session! 

Think back to the last time you got your pictures professionally taken... you are in the majority if that was your high-school senior photos! For most of us, it is not a common thing to have a camera on you all the time.  Honestly, the beginning of every session can be a little, how do I put this, awkward.  I'm trying to learn you- you're trying to figure out if you're screwing up every picture and what to do with your hand! Don't worry- I've been there! And we work together to figure out the exact style of coaching you need for your photos! Usually, 15 minutes into the session, we are laughing and having a blast, and you aren't even thinking about that initial awkwardness! 15 minutes on a wedding day however can be CRUCIAL to our timeline! 

And i know this is getting lengthy (see, I told you I was passionate about this!!) so I'm going to end with this.  Engagement sessions are SO MUCH FUN! We laugh together and really build the beginning of our friendship with our engagement session! Plus- after our session we grab a quick bite for dinner together and start the wedding discussions! We will start working on your wedding day timeline, creating your family formals list, and hearing all about your vision and plans for your wedding day! It's such a crucial time for us to really start planning and working together! 

I don't want you to only take my word for it- here are some testimonials from previous clients that weren't fully convinced about getting their engagement photos taken: 

    "I have to admit, my fiancé was hesitant about engagement pictures... but he did agree to engagement photos because he knew it was important to me.  He was apprehensive when we first started our engagement session with Ashley- but it didn't take long before we were all laughing through the process.  One of Ashley's instructions was for us to touch noses in some of the shots, and he still jokes all the time for us to 'touch noses.'  Our favorite picture is one where we are touching noses, and I'm so thankful that we have such a positive memory that makes me smile every time I look at it.  Phillip was not looking forward to the pictures on the wedding day, but ever since our engagement session with Ashley, he has nothing but positive comments and actually has suggestions for things he would like pictures of! Talk about a change of heart! We are both looking forward to the pictures that we are going to get on our big day- and that was because our engagement session was such a success!"  -Phillip & Julie

     "I was a little skeptical about engagement photos. I felt that they were an unnecessary expense that could be avoided. However, we took our engagement photos a few weeks ago and I couldn't be more pleased with the results. Even though Jonathan, my fiancé, and I are pretty good in front of cameras, Ashley's guidance was really helpful. She told us how to pose in a variety of ways and so we didn't look so stiff (Jonathan had to do some lunges to loosen up- haha!) Also, she watched out for good locations as we walked through downtown Winchester, which will also be where we are talking pictures on our wedding. Ultimately, I think it was a great trial run to prep for the big day. I have spent countless hours trying to perfect details of the wedding and I am thankful to have peace of mind about the photography due to the wonderful engagement session. I can't wait to see the pictures from our wedding!" -Jonathan & Elyse

I could continue on this topic- but I hope that gives you some clarification about engagement sessions and why I love them!