Dusty & Heidi: Trivium Estate Wedding in Forest, Virginia

TRIVIUM ESTATE WEDDING- FOREST, VA

Y’all! I am so excited to share Dusty & Heidi’s wedding!! Heidi owns The Trivium Estate, and has become a good friend over the years! When she reached out asking me to shoot their wedding, I was so honored!

Dusty & Heidi got married on the 4th of July, and carried the Patriotic red, white & blue theme throughout the day- in the most classy way! It was so fun to see her dusty blue dress and sparkly shoes, with the red bouquet! Just so stunning! And wait until you see the stunning cake!! Heidi made THE most stunning bride!

This was my first big wedding back after a pause from COVID, and I could not have had a better wedding welcoming me back into it! Their guests were all so happy for them, and had the best time at the reception! You could really tell how much these two are LOVED!

Thank you so much Dusty & Heidi for letting me and Mike be a part of your special day! We love you guys so much!!

A HUGE THANK YOU to the amazing vendors we worked with to make this day so beautiful! Seriously- everyone knocked it out of the park!!

PHOTOGRAPHY: Ashley Eiban Photo in Lynchburg, Virginia

VENUE: The Trivium Estate in Forest, Virginia

COORDINATOR: Victoria Hunt with The Trivium Estate in Forest, Virginia

HAIR: Jessica CoMiskey Hair Design in Forest, Virginia

MAKEUP: Makeup by Ashley in Lynchburg, Virginia

DRESS: Celebration Bridal in Lynchburg, Virginia

ALTERATIONS: The Gilded Thimble in Bedford, Virginia

FLOWERS: Foraged & Cut in Lynchburg, Virginia

CATERING: Benjamin’s Restaurant in Forest, Virginia

BARTENDERS: Kelsey DeLong and Ariel Berry

VIDEO: Golden Hour Visuals in Lynchburg, Virginia

CAKE: La Bella Torta in Forest, Virginia

DJ: DJ Showtime in Lynchburg, Virginia

My Favorite Things || 5 things I cannot live without!

Taking a break from sharing photo sessions and sharing 5 things I cannot live without! I always love hearing about what other people are loving, and I have some things I seriously loved the heck out of in 2019, so why not share! I use these each at least every single day!

Disclaimer: A few of these have discounts with my links, and others are just things I legit love!

1- Rothy’s

Oh my gosh- I freaking am obsessed with my Rothy’s. What started out as a single pair of shoes to help my poor feet at weddings has now turned into multiple pairs, different styles, and colors, and I am still just as in love with them! They are a sustainable shoe made from recycled plastic water bottles. I know- it sounds bizarre and no way they can be comfortable… but they’re magic and super comfortable- plus- THEY ARE WASHABLE. No more stinky flats after a long, hot summer wedding!

A few tips… I size up half a size, make sure to NEVER dry them, and prepare to be obsessed! (I love the loafer style the very best!)!

For $20 off, you can use my link here: https://share.rothys.com/x/ck0mYr

2- Ice Roller

I know, I know, this is so ridiculous. But I love using my ice roller! Every morning, after I make my cup of coffee, I pull it out of the freezer and it feels sooooo good! Plus, I can use as much help as possible to try to depuff my face and look less tired! ;) I got mine on Amazon, and bought one for all the people I love this year for Christmas!

The link for the one I use: https://www.amazon.com/Teenitor-Muti-Purpose-Preventing-Migraine-Puffiness/dp/B07PFG7GNJ/ref=sr_1_14?keywords=ice+roller&qid=1578363952&sr=8-14

3- Chat Books

My family LOVES these little books so much! They print automatically from your camera roll, your instagram account, or you can manually upload and have them printed! They’re super affordable, have a replacement policy if your crazy kids accidentally destroy them, and are a great way to look through your memories and photos! I’m such a fan of printing your photos and love that the kids can look through them over and over again and I don’t have to worry about them!

To get started & get $10 off, you can use my link here: http://invite.chatbooks.com/ashleyeiban21k

4- Honeybook

I’ve talked about Honeybook before, but it’s worth bringing up again and again! It’s the program I use to keep track of my current clients and projects, invoices, payment reminders, contracts, calendar, and more! It’s helped streamline my booking and contract process SO MUCH! If you are dealing with client projects, this is a must have!!

Use my link here for 50% off! http://share.honeybook.com/gNBpM

5- Ninja Foodi

Guys. This is probably my most favorite purchase of 2019. I am not exaggerating when I say that this has completely changed our dinner game. The Foodi is an instant pot, air fryer, crock pot, steamer, and more in one! I have wanted an instant pot and an air fryer, but do not want all the machines. This is AMAZING! I cook in this at least once a day, even usually every meal! We love brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes, pork chops with green beans, soups and chilis. Literally. EVERY single meal!

We got ours at Target on Black Friday, because #redcard for an extra % off! https://www.target.com/p/ninja-foodi-tendercrisp-pressure-cooker-op301/-/A-53653982

The Wedding Day Timeline || Lynchburg, VA Wedding Photographer

There’s a lot of big decisions you’ll have to make for your wedding day- from caterers and bakers, to what dress you’re wearing, and who you want in your wedding party, etc. Yet, one of the most important decisions you’ll have to make is your wedding day timeline. You want to make sure you have enough time to ensure that you have the time set aside to get those wedding day photographs, to be able to capture the memories of your Dad seeing his little girl in her wedding dress, your Grandparents dancing together, or your groom seeing you for the first time!

Here are a few tips when prepping your wedding day time:

1- Remember, everything always takes longer than you expect. You may be expecting your ceremony to be 10-15 minutes, but also counting in the time it takes for everyone to say hi to each other, and walk over to the cocktail hour, it will most likely be closer to 30 minutes.

2- Check the time of sunset! Especially if you aren’t planning on doing a first look! I recommend scheduling the end time of your ceremony an hour before sunset so you have time for family portraits, photos with your wedding party, and of course time for pictures with your new hubby!

3- Make a list for family photos. Talk with your Mom, and your future mother-in-law so everyone is on the same page, and create a list of about 10 groupings for family photos. I recommend immediate family, grandparents, parents, siblings, etc! Then anything else can be captured at the reception!

4- Build in extra time. I usually recommend 30-45 minutes before the ceremony of “extra” time in case your hair or makeup is running late, a groomsmen forgets his tie and has to run back out to get it, etc!

5- Make sure you prioritize Bride and Groom portrait time! The day goes by in a blink and it’s easy to rush through these, but these are the photos that you’ll want to remember the day by!

Hope these tips helped you! I believe creating a great timeline is crucial to a successful wedding day that is stress free! Because of this, I include a custom timeline creation meeting with each and everyone of my couples!

Getting Ready Rooms || What to look for in your getting ready room for your photos!

I think you would be surprised to hear that one of the most overlooked, but important aspects of a wedding day, is the getting ready time. This time with your closest friends and family is something to truly cherish, and most likely, important moments that you want to have documented. But, often times, the getting ready room is not the perfect place for taking priceless photos!

As you are touring venues, keep a special eye out for the Bridal Getting Ready Space! Aim for a space that has at least one window, as well as plenty of room for you and your bridesmaids to not only hang out, but also to get ready! These rooms can fill up pretty quickly when everyone has their clothes, makeup, hair, snacks, etc!

Know that I will ask your bridesmaids to do a quick clean up before getting you in your dress- you don’t want to see reminders of old water bottles or snack bags in the background of you getting zipped up in your dress by your Mom, but a teeny tiny room can make that very difficult.

So, what happens if you fall in love with a venue, but the getting ready room isn’t anything to be excited about? It’s okay- I’ll just ask you to be a little flexible! Often times, especially for church weddings, the bridal room is a preschool classroom, filled with bight colors and plastic toys, so for this, I will actually have you do those final getting ready moments outside. I often look for a porch, a pretty doorway, or space outside that will help us get those gorgeous photos without the clutter and distraction!

Have questions about your getting ready space? Let me know & I’d love to help you get those dreamy photos you’re dying for!

Happy New Year! A look over 2019! || Lynchburg Wedding & Portrait Photographer

Happy New Year Friends!

If you’re starting out this new year with me, know that I am just so thankful!

2019 was overall a great year for us in the Eiban house! I took a few steps back from my photography business to be able to focus on a growing baby, who is now a full fledged toddler, and our daughter who is practically a teenager now at 8! ;) I will never understand how fast the years fly and how much they grow in a year!!

To think we’re at the end of a decade and how much our lives have truly changed in the last 10 years! We have bought a house, shot my first wedding, had our first baby girl, changed jobs, renovated a house, started preschool, changed jobs again, found our favorite beach location, sold a house, bought a new house, gone full time with my photography business, started & completed kindergarten, joined a swim team, had a baby boy, made some amazing friends that have turned into family, traveled, grown, and so much more! It’s so fun, and crazy, to look back over the last 10 years and see where we are now. I am just so thankful for where life has gone!

As an enneagram 1, you know I’m always a fan of the New Year. I love the Fresh Start- the brand new planner pages, goals, and the motivation and organization that January brings with it! (As I’m typing this, I’m also writing out a list on how to organize the kids toys better! ha!)

I usually think through a “word for the year” but haven’t this year, and I’m going to give myself some grace this year, with the craziness of the holidays, burn out being SO real, and balancing family and work and house and friends- you get it! But, I want to know, do you have a word for this year? What are your main goals for this year?!