I first met Katie on a rainy spring day in Syracuse. We had intended to shoot their You + Me session that day, but at 50 degrees and drizzle, we opted to meet for coffee instead. Katie told me all about her wedding plans and then graciously let me ramble on for who knows how long about all my travels and adventures planned for the upcoming season. It was so easy to talk with her and I knew that we’d be good friends by the time her wedding was over. Which by the way was suppose to be last weekend…but it wasn’t!

Their original plan was for a medium sized wedding here in CNY. During this planning process, Katie and Corey quickly realized that it wasn’t the wedding they truly wanted. I received an email from Katie not too long after our coffee date stating that they had changed their plans dramatically and were still hopeful that I could make it up for their day. Not only did they go from a medium size wedding to an extra small, but they moved the date up 2 months! In a normal wedding season, this may have been an issue. As I stated in my last blog post though, this season has been anything BUT normal and it just so happened that I was free on their new date. It took a little flight finagling, but I was able to fly straight from San Francisco to Syracuse and then drive up to Lake Placid. I’m crazy, I know, but it was totally worth it!

I worked a large portion of my college summers in the Adirondacks so I have a special place in my heart for their rolling hills and gorgeous foliage. Lake Placid is it’s own stunning little nook in the Adirondacks. Once you bypass the summer crowds, it’s really quite lovely. Make sure you stop by Big Mountain Deli & Crepery while you’re there, it’s delicious! Then head on over to Whiteface Lodge and check out how majestic the grounds are. So twist my arm having to document Katie & Corey’s beautiful wedding there.  😉    FYI, Whiteface Lodge owns a little bit of beachfront property called the Canoe Club, at which you can also be married! So that’s exactly what Katie & Corey chose to do and I’m so glad they did! Whiteface Mountain and Lake Placid were the most beautiful backdrop I could ever ask for and for their 10 guests!

So guess what we did AFTER their wedding ceremony? Yes, that’s right, we hopped a vintage style Hacker Craft with their wedding party and rocked a photo shoot on the water! I could have stayed out there all day long! The best part of having a extra small wedding is that the time is multiplied exponentially. You can really spend time with everyone and the day isn’t rushed. Pictures are an extra fun part of the day and you can just enjoy every single moment.

The night finished out with a super moon at the Kanu Dinning room with a delicious menu and some epic night shots! Thank you so much Katie & Corey for going the extra mile to get me to your incredible wedding day! I can’t wait to see you tomorrow!

XOXOXO,
Mabyn

Can’t you just see the longing in her eyes to wear makeup?

Luckily that’s makeup sealant…not hairspray.

Victory!

The light in their incredible Lodge room was perfect for elegant bridal portraits!

Katie looks like she belongs in one of those regal silent films. Just breathtaking!

You can’t go wrong in Lake Placid! I mean, really? Look at that view of Whiteface Mountain!

It just got real Corey!

Hacker crafts are great for photos….not so much for hair….

I could have posted 5 million of these Lake Placid photos. They’re so gorgeous!

Sparkly rings by Emily Elizabeth Studios

Apparently that night was a “super moon” that only happens once a summer. Of course we had to take advantage of that!

Aaaaand the pretty lights on all the trees!

Two Buyke brother’s, two AMAZING weddings! I LOVE my clients!

– Tell me a bit about the planning process for your wedding: Our wedding planning process started out by planning a large wedding in October. While planning this large wedding Corey and I decided it just was not for us. So we made some changes. We got married two months earlier, in one of our favorite locations. We were surrounded by our closest family and friends.

– What was the most memorable moment(s) of your day? The most memorable moment of our day was walking out to see Corey for our first look. Not seeing him all day and then getting ready I was a little stressed. Walking towards him and finally giving him a hug melted all my stress and jitters away. It’s a moment I will always remember 🙂

– Funniest memory from your wedding day? I would say the funniest memory of our wedding day was our pastor forgetting to tell everyone they could be seated, so they stood for most of our ceremony. Glad it was a short ceremony!

– If you had to do it all over again would you change anything? Honestly, there is not anything I would have changed about the day. It was absolutely perfect for my husband and I.

– Any advice for future bride & grooms? My biggest piece of advice is to challenge normalcy. It is your wedding day, the most important part of a wedding is promising your self to your spouse. Don’t let anything/anyone alter what you truly want for your day.

– What was your biggest fear before hiring me? Did it come true, and if not, what happened instead? Wasn’t scared a bit! Not only do Mabyn’s pictures speak for them selves, you can truly see how passionate she is about her job through her photos.

– What, specifically, was your favorite part of working with Mabyn Ludke Photography and why? My favorite part would have to be that Mabyn is awesome at keeping you calm and collected, she made us feel so comfortable and did not add any additional stress. She’s in your face all day and you don’t even notice! Which to me is a talent all in itself.

– If you were to recommend Mabyn Ludke Photography to your best friend, what would you say? I would tell them that she is worth the investment and hiring anyone else would be insanely wrong ;).

Hair: The Spa at the Whiteface Lodge // Makeup Artist: The Spa at the Whiteface Lodge // Dress Designer & Store Location: Alfred Angelo’s private collection, Syracuse New York // Jewelry: Mirror Mirror Bridal, Baldwinsville New York // Shoes: Adrianna Papell // Bridesmaids Dresses: The Limted // Grooms Attire: J. Ferrar // Ceremony Venue: The Canoe Club, Lake Placid New York // Reception Venue: The Whiteface Lodge, Lake Placid New York // Additional photo venue: The Hackercraft (did I get it right?!) tour on Lake Placid. // Florist: Price Chopper, Lake Placid New York // Caterer: Kanu at the Whiteface Lodge, Lake Placid New York // Cake: Kanu at the Whiteface Lodge, Lake Placid New York