Cazenovia is a romantic little town.  Though I grew up near there, did theatre there, and even cleaned those big romantic houses as a teenager, I had yet to shoot a wedding right in the village. Cazenovia (or Caz) has this feeling of being hidden away from the rest of the world, stuck in time and yet still current. I feel like I’m writing a Dr. Who episode here, but it’s true. Cazenovia is unique in a very special way, as are my bride and groom! (YES! Perfect segway! Nailed it!)

Jocelyn & Bryan oh Jocelyn & Bryan! If you don’t know these two already, I really hope you get a chance to meet them at some point in your life! They’re incredible sweet, generous, and talented people. They’ll make you laugh until you cry and love you from the moment they meet you. I think it’s pretty evident in their pictures how compassionate and fun they are! The day wasn’t about them persè, yes they were the focus, but both of them took extra care to ensure that everyone was well taken care of.  Add on that they’re just as geeky and silly as I am, and you’ve got the dreamiest of couples!

Jocelyn & Bryan both got ready at the Lincklaen House and then ventured over to Lakeland Park for the ceremony. The light was soft and beautiful and I loved every minute of it! We then wandered back to the Lincklaen house where Ormond Entertainment threw a ROCKIN’ party! Oh how this crew loves to dance and oh how I love to capture it!

I have to say, this was a difficult wedding to blog because I had a really hard time narrowing down what photos to share. If I had my way, It would be 100 photos or more just because there were THAT MANY amazing moments!

Thank you so much Jocelyn & Bryan for allowing me to document your day. It was so incredible and I can’t wait to share everything else with you and maybe watch an episode or two of Dr. Who? 😉

XOXOXO,
Mabyn

 Jocelyn’s lace dress was incredible and the Lincklaen House has plenty of reflective surfaces to make me happy!

Bryan’s little sister was soaking up every moment of the wedding day. I could just see her imagining her own day in the future.

That moment when everything becomes real!

Gah! Look at how INCREDIBLE Jocelyn looks!

I love that we did the first look session right in front of the Lincklaen House! It added another element to their story.

I love for subtle sweet moments like this one between a father and his daughter before he gives her away.

Can every groom show his heart like Bryan did on his wedding day? It was so beautiful!

Emily Elizabeth Studios completely nailed this double exposure at Jocelyn & Bryan’s wedding! I’m so proud of my bestie!

Doesn’t it look like Jocelyn & Bryan are in a movie? There needs to be a sunset with epic music and the roll the credits!

Jocelyn’s book of poetry was a perfect spot for the wedding rings. Who knew that little book would get so much use!

I would expect nothing less from this goofy and wonderful couple!

IT’S REAL!

Get your groove on Gina!

This photo makes me laugh! There are so many elements going on at once!

I love you all so much!

– Tell me a bit about the planning process for your wedding:
The process as a whole was so overwhelming, to tell the truth!
Thankfully the venue presented itself at just the right time, I had been searching and contacting people only to hear that everything I liked was booked into the fall. Now, I go to a chiropractor in Caz, so I knew the Lincklaen was there, and on a whim I suggested to Bryan that we stop there for dinner… I immediately loved the character of the place! I’m a vintage/Parisian/chic kind of girl, so it pleased that side of me 🙂
After the venue, there were big things that fell into place easily, like photography, dj, ceremony venue, dress, suits, etc… The little things were the painful part! I went through and back through so many ideas until I just decided(with the help of my mom and Bryan), that whatever I put together would be beautiful, but wouldn’t matter as much as the day itself and being married! So, I stuck with my favorite color scheme(mints, corals, pinks and other pastels) and I’m so happy with how everything fell into place. God is good.

– What was the most memorable moment(s) of your day?
Without a doubt my favorite part of the day was our ceremony. My daddy walking me down the aisle to Bryan was surreal.
Our vows were very special to us, and just the crazy realization that we finally were husband and wife was so overwhelmingly wonderful! It was the most beautiful moment of my life.

– Funniest memory from your wedding day?
I don’t remember any one thing that was really funny… Probably just all the little things that went awry. I forgot my veil(which I didn’t want to wear anyway), Reika(3 yr old flower girl) walked down the aisle with the “Hear Comes the Bride” sign backwards, the best man didn’t think he had to make a speech til a few moments before, etc!

– If you had to do it all over again would you change anything?
I think Bryan and I would both say that we would have taken more time for everything and enjoyed our guests more.

– Any advice for future bride & grooms?
Just don’t over think the little things! The most important moment is standing up there and pledging your lives to each other, everything else will eventually be forgotten.

– What was your biggest fear before hiring me? Did it come true, and if not, what happened instead?
No fears, Mabyn! We knew you and we knew we could trust you to capture our memories! 🙂

– What, specifically, was your favorite part of working with Mabyn Ludke Photography and why?
The way Mabyn made us feel like we could totally be ourselves in front of the camera. Plus the geeky things we have in common with both Mabyn and Emily! Makes it all the more fun!

– If you were to recommend Mabyn Ludke Photography to your best friend, what would you say?
I would absolutely recommend Mabyn! I would say that she’s a creative and extremely talented artist. She captures the emotions with her lens, and that’s beautiful! I would also say how she is FUN and makes the whole experience stress-free and comfortable. We love her, and would hire her again in a heartbeat!

Hair: Dawn Snow – Shear Forte // Makeup Artist: Christina Samuels  // Dress Designer & Store Location: NY Bride & Groom, North Syracuse Nee York // Shoes: Crown Vintage // Bridesmaids Dresses: Etsy // Grooms Attire: JF Ferrar  // Ceremony Venue: Lakeland Park Cazenovia, NY // Reception Venue: The Lincklaen House // Additional photo venue: Cazenovia // Florist: Kayley Brim // DJ: Ormond Entertainment // Caterer: The Lincklaen House // Cake: Wegmans – decor by my Mother 🙂 

This is one of my most favorite times of year! It’s CANVAS GIVEAWAY TIME!!! WOOHOO!

Usually I do this right before Christmas, because I LOVE giving away presents! This year though, my schedule was a level of crazy that I was not prepared for. So here we are about a month after Christmas, but hey, belated presents are still presents and we love them ANY time of year!

This season we have 17 fantastic contestants! Here are the rules:

Vote once a day, every day, until midnight of January 26th. The couple with the most votes will win a free 16×24 canvas to feature in their home! Get your family, friends, coworkers, gym buddies, strangers on the street, etc…involved! The more people you can get to vote for you, the better your chances! Only votes on the actual poll at the bottom of this page will count. “Write in’s” on FB are not valid. I will announce the winner next Monday, January 27th.

Now I need to put in a disclaimer here, in past years there has been issues trying to vote from multiple devices. Sometimes you can, sometimes you can’t. I think it has to do with the ip address. If you have any issues voting, please contact me at MabynLudke@gmail.com. 

Rachel & Ben

Stephanie & Brian

Bethany & Chris

Nancy & Jason

Erin & Meaghan

Tirzah & PJ

Erin & Kyle

Liz & Tom

Katie & Tim

Jenna & Jon

Mariel & Jamie

Heidi & Matt

Kassie & Harley

Erin & Ben

Megan & Chris

Amber & Dave

Lesley & Russell

Sometimes wedding plans change. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had clients who have changed their minds completely. Weddings easily get overwhelming and can snowball into a huge event very quickly. Some of my clients have found it’s easier to shift gears and essentially elope! I’ve had the extreme honor of being invited along on these “elopements,” I say elopements because there isn’t really a better way to describe them other than SUPER tiny wedding. Most of the time my clients will run away to some exotic location (and take me with them! WOOHOO!) but this time around things were a little different.

I met Amber & Dave and we instantly hit it off chatting about our love for photography and everything geeky! As they went into detail about their wedding day I instantly fell in love with their ideas. Originally their wedding date was slated for 2014, I was sure they were going to book me and I couldn’t wait to capture their day.

A few weeks went by and I received an email from Amber apologizing about not getting the contract or retainer to me and explaining that they had changed their plans to an elopement. I’ve had this happen to me before, and typically I will send back an email of understanding & well wishes. I did this for Amber as well, but something in me just had to ask if they by any small chance wanted me to document their elopement.  I’m so glad I followed my gut, because the results were nothing short of epic! In stead of a real elopement, Amber & Dave had chosen to do a very small & quick ceremony in just a month at her grandparents farm. They knew that I was in the process of moving to North Carolina and didn’t think I would have their date free. Lucky for them I did and lucky for me I asked because I would have missed this amazing day.

No, I didn’t shoot for 8 hours like I normally do, there wasn’t getting ready pictures, cake cuttings, or first dances. But, there was a beautiful couple madly in love, family & friends to witness and support them, and a shooting location that will take your breath away! That’s all I need to make it worth it! Amber & Dave’s ceremony was simple & heartfelt, you can just see the elation on their faces! After the ceremony we spent 2 hours exploring their grandparents farm. Can all of my weddings have a 2 hour couples session? Pretty please?!
I left that day not only with gorgeous photographs and a smile on my face, but with 2 new friends whom I adore! Thank you to Amber & Dave for not just choosing me, but for KEEPING me. It means so much!

XOXOXO,
Mabyn

How did your fiance propose?
I woke up one sweet May day to my hubby’s embrace and him telling me how “today is the first day of the rest of our lives”…So I was a bit confused (but also smitten) by these words. I clearly remember him shuffling around in his pants pocket and asking him “what do you got in there?” and him just brushing it off. We had been enjoying a beautiful afternoon on our porch and he asked me to come inside for a moment so he could show me something. I then came inside and he took my hand and got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! We both cried in happiness. It was very sweet and a moment to remember!
Tell me a bit about the planning process for your wedding:
The planning process changed a few times for us. At first we thought we would invite both our families & closest friends which would count for around 100 people. All of the venues I had wanted to book were already booked (a year in advance!) so I was a bit stressed out. Then I would be on pinterest for HOURS trying to organize decor & little details and what not. This is when I became overwhelmed and came to the realization that our special day didn’t need to be a hugely expensive and extravagant event. So we decided to have a very small, intimate ceremony with just our immediate family. About 20 people. We planned the entire thing in a month! I was delighted that I could have an October wedding like I had always wanted! We both just love to be surrounded by nature and autumn does this wonderfully. It turned out perfect, exactly what we had hoped for, small & intimate.
What was the most memorable moment(s) of your day?
We both agree that seeing each other at the altar, in that moment when we knew our entire lives were just beginning was the most memorable moment.
Funniest memory from your wedding day?
I had to go commando due to lack of proper undergarments! Every pair I tried on were totally visible!! No WAY was I going to have my undies show in pictures hahaha.
If you had to do it all over again would you change anything?
Not a thing. Our wedding was unconventional but the only thing that mattered to us was the fact that we were committing to one another for life in front of the Lord and our closest family.
Any advice for future bride & grooms?
If you want a small wedding, always keep in the front of your mind that a wedding is about the commitment. It’s certainly not about pleasing other people. Do exactly what it is that makes YOU happy.
What was your favorite part about working with Mabyn Ludke Photography?
Mabyn is a gem. The whole time we were shooting it felt like we were just hanging out with a good friend. We were both comfortable and relaxed with her, and we went away feeling like we really did make a friend that day! She’s just an awesome person. Did we mention that she is awesome?

Hair: Bride//Makeup Artist: Bride//Dress Designer & Store Location: Vintage bought from Daughters of Simone on Etsy//Jewelry: Bride’s grandmother’s pearls//Veil or Hair accessories: Handmade flower crown by the bride//Shoes: BAREFOOT!//Ceremony Venue: Temperance Hill Farm, Cazenovia, NY//Reception Venue: Temperance Hill Farm, Cazenovia, NY//Florist: Whistlestop Florist in East Syracuse//Cake: Baked by Bride’s dad

 

My last week in NY has been spectacular! It’s been filled with so many heart felt hugs and smiles! My photoshoots have been a mix of family, old friends, and new friends. The weather was picture perfect and so were my subjects! There just aren’t the words to express how thankful I am for CNY and all that comes with it. My heart is overflowing!

This morning I’ve finished up pretty much all of the little tid bits of photo work that I can and now I’m getting ready to pack. I’ve been putting it off as long as I possibly can,  although I’m so excited to be back in NC, I can’t stand packing and moving. Uhg…I have too much stuff!

Tuesday I’m spending one last day with my family and then Wednesday I travel 11 hours to NC to my new home! Here are some sneaks from my last week here in NY. Thank you again to everyone in my life here in CNY. I love you all dearly!

XOXOXO,
Mabyn

My brother and his beautiful family

Chris & Megan’s Love Story

Amber & Dave’s Love Story