I’ve been very blessed in my business that both family & friends have approached me to document their special days. It’s more fulfilling for me than just attending. The very few weddings I’ve attended as a guest I haven’t known what to do with myself, like a fish out of water!

This one is extra special to me. Not only are Chris & Megan dear friends, but I consider Chris one of my brothers. He was one of my first friends in Syracuse and is one of the most genuine people you will ever meet. I couldn’t imagine a better bride for him than Megan. She matches him beat for beat. Her bubbly laugh & energy fits perfectly with Chris and his sense of humor. I told them prior to their engagement that if they didn’t contact me when it happened I would “proceed to beat them both! ” So….maybe I muscled them into booking me….just a little. 😉

On top of being spectacular people, Chris & Megan know how to throw a classy event! The Dibbles Inn was the perfect location for their love of vintage elegance and every detail coordinated beautifully! Add in the perfect sunny day and VOILA! The perfect Chris & Megan wedding. I just used the word perfect an awful lot, but there’s just no better way to describe their day. IT WAS PERFECT!!
The ceremony was spectacular, but lets not forget about the reception. It doesn’t take much for us crazy friends to get on the dance floor and on the dance floor we were! I don’t remember the last time I danced THAT much and I savored every moment! Thank you so much Chris & Megan. Words are not enough to describe how happy I am for you both. I can’t wait to see you again in a week! AH!

XOXOXO,
Mabyn

Chris might hate me for this one, but to me it depicts his personality PERFECTLY! 😉

How did your fiance propose?
-Chris basically tried to reenact our first date. (for our first date, he took me to dinner at The Retreat and then on a walk at the Onondaga Parkway – it was late August at the time.) So the weekend he proposed to me was in mid-January and the days are much shorter…and colder, so he had to break it up into two days. So he brought me to dinner at The Retreat Restaurant on Saturday night, and on Sunday morning, after church we had lunch with some friends and then he brought me over to the Onondaga Parkway for a walk. That particular Sunday, the weather was oddly warm (around 45 degrees) so it worked out perfectly! When we were dating, whenever we would go to the Parkway for a walk, there was this one particular bench that we would always sit on and talk for hours. Anyways, he kept trying to get me over to that bench to sit down, but I was so full from lunch that I just wanted to keep walking…he ended up having to pretend like he was sick to get me to finally sit down on a bench and that’s where it happened. It was on January 13th.
Tell me a bit about the planning process for your wedding:
-Chris and I did most of the planning ourselves. We wanted to stay within a reasonable budget and didn’t want to spend a ridiculous amount of money. We chose The Dibbles Inn because it has a very vintage, antique look and feel to it that is very us. It was also reasonably priced and the food was amazing, which was very important to us!
What was the most memorable moment(s) of your day?
-The best part of the day for me was when my dad was walking me down the aisle to Chris. It was an absolutely priceless moment.
Funniest memory from your wedding day?
-Definately our first dance. One of my bridesmaids and closest friends, Danielle, is an amazing ballroom dancer. She gave us some simple steps for our first dance so that we didn’t look like we were at a high school dance just swaying back and forth. Regardless of our several practice sessions, we ended up totally messing up in the beginning, but Chris is super silly and hilarious and of course made it really funny and we got a lot of laughs from everyone. We even ended up recovering pretty well towards the end though!
If you had to do it all over again would you change anything?
-Not a thing…it was really so perfect. God really just blessed us that day!
Any advice for future bride & grooms?
-Just go with the flow, it’s an amazing time that you’ll never get back so whatever happens on the big day, just go with it!
What was your favorite part about working with Mabyn Ludke Photography?
-Mabyn is so personable, sweet and creative and knows exactly what to do at all times. She has a rare and genuine gift for what she does. I didn’t have to worry about figuring out where to have the pictures taken or how to pose or what to do because I knew that she would have it all covered, and she did! She makes every part of the day fun and light hearted. She is also a good friend of ours and knows our personalities and was able to bring that out into the pictures as well. I couldn’t be happier or more grateful that she was able to capture our special day!!

Hair: The Fringe Salon in Fayetteville, NY – Stylist’s name was Donna//Makeup Artist: My bff, Lauren Howe//Dress Designer & Store Location: David’s Bridal, Syracuse, NY//Jewelry: Pearl set from my mom//Veil or Hair accessories: Veil and flower hairpiece from Etsy//Shoes: Nine West//Bridesmaids Dresses: NYBride, Syracuse, NY//Grooms Attire: Men’s Warehouse, Syracuse, NY//Ceremony Venue: The Ceremony Garden at The Dibbles Inn//Reception Venue: The Oak Room at The Dibbles Inn//Florist: Lotts O’Flowers, Cicero, NY//DJ: Rick from 93Q//Caterer: The Dibbles Inn//Cake: Kerwin’s Cupcakes//Lighting: The Dibbles Inn//Invitations & Stationary: Etsy