Plan Your Next Date with

The Ave Box!


If you don't follow my Facebook (@melaniehphotography) or Instagram (@melanie_h_photography), you may be missing out on some great chances to win a free session! I love the fun and excitement a giveaway brings, and I like to jam pack these sessions with some creative ideas that I may not be able to do in my traditional sessions. I tend to do them every few months, so be sure to stay tuned!


My most recent giveaway focused on locally owned businesses.

A beachside dining setup with drinks and appetizers being prepared on a portable table.

Why locally owned businesses? Because I truly appreciate and admire all the hard work that a small business owner puts into the entity that they created. Often, these small business owners start with a passion for something and then realize that doing what they love can fill a vacancy in their community. They work tirelessly and selflessly on their projects to create great quality products or services with unparalleled customer care.


One such business was the winner of this giveaway - The Ave Box!

A beach dining setup being arranged with plates and decor on a folding table in the sand.
Someone preparing food and drinks at a casual beach picnic setup with cushioned seating.

Vene - pictured here - started The Ave Box in the beginning of 2020. Through trial and error, she and her daughters (which the initials of her daughters and herself create AVE - hence The Ave Box!) found a wonderfully unique idea to focus their business on -

personal popup picnics!


This came right in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, and Vene hopes that this wonderful service will help people to reconnect with friends and family that they haven't been able to see for so long.

Friends enjoying a casual beach picnic with food and drinks at sunset.
An elegant beach picnic table setting with hydrangeas and glassware at sunset.

So we met early one morning at Yorktown Beach and with the help of another locally owned business, we made this photo session happen!

A tiered serving tray with fresh fruits and pastries for an outdoor gathering.
Refreshing drinks chilling in a galvanized metal bucket on the beach.
Cozy beach picnic setup with cushions and table settings arranged on white sand at sunset.
Friends enjoying snacks and drinks on a beach picnic blanket with decorative place settings.
Fresh donut and green grapes arranged on a white polka dot plate in sunlight.
White hydrangea flower in vase with lemons and honey jar on polka dot tablecloth.
Hand reaching for pastries on tiered serving tray with fresh fruit and grapes.
Beach picnic setup with beverages in ice bucket and elegant table settings near water.
Low tables and cushions arranged on beach sand with coastal bridge in background.
Wooden box filled with colorful game cards and books on outdoor table setting.

And a picnic is great no matter the circumstance! Having a picnic with those you hold dear, unplugging from our high-demand lives, and just soaking in beautiful scenery with games and delicious food is something that I'm sure we all need - especially nowadays!


And even better - all you have to do is show up and enjoy!


So check out The Ave Box today! and follow my social media for your own chance to win future giveaways.


And above all - Support Local!!


Coastal picnic setup with low tables and cushions against bridge backdrop.