My theme this year has to be tiny weddings and I’m a BIG fan of them! Jessica and Ray chose to have a very small & intimate day and it was overflowing with beautiful moments! Tiny weddings have a great way of slowing everything down. The normal stress of a wedding day has a lot to do with making sure all of your guests are having a good time. With a shorter guest list, it means having to please less people. Jessica and Ray are smart cookies! I also get the opportunity to really integrate myself into the day. By the end of it, I’m just another friendly guest who happens to have a camera in front of her face. I’m ok with that. 😉

Ray is in the Air force so they opted to have their ceremony on base at their sweet little chapel. I especially loved all of the stained glass! You wouldn’t think a military base would offer many spots to take epic formal pictures, but Seymour Johnson has plenty! We had a lot of fun discovering all of their great spots. We then headed up to SoCo my new favorite restaurant EVER! SoCo is a restaurant/bed & breakfast set on a gorgeous horse farm. The owners converted two buildings into dining areas and the top notch cuisine is FOOD HEAVEN! Seriously some of the best food ever. I’m still having day dreams about that food! The rest of the day consisted of lots of conversation, laughter, stories, and hugs. It could not have been a more perfect day! Thank you to Jessica & Ray for choosing me to be part of your truly special love story! It was amazing! XOXOXO, Mabyn

Sometimes the best moments are right after the family portraits are taken.

– Tell me a bit about the planning process for your wedding: We chose our colors based on a fabric collection I loved, Splendor 1920 designed by Bari J Ackerman. We used fabrics from that collection for little touches throughout the wedding, like the fabric on our invitation envelopes and for our guestbook quilt. – What was the most memorable moment(s) of your day? Honestly, most of the day was just a happy blur. – Funniest memory from your wedding day? It would have to be when Ruth, our wedding coordinator unexpectedly walked into the room where we were getting ready and discovered me pretending to do a striptease in my ugly, utilitarian girdle bra. – If you had to do it all over again would you change anything? Not a single thing. Ray and I couldn’t get over how perfectly the day went. – Any advice for future bride & grooms? Don’t stress about the tiny details – trust that everything will work out. We were too busy to spend a lot of time planning, so we basically told everyone we worked with – food, hair, makeup, florist – that we trusted their judgement. When I woke up on my wedding day, I had no idea what we were having to eat at the reception, what my hair and makeup would look like, or what my flowers were going to look like. Everything was just a wonderful surprise! – What, specifically, was your favorite part of working with Mabyn Ludke Photography and why? I loved how comfortable I was working with you right from the very beginning. The engagement session was not at all awkward, it was more like hanging out with my fiance and a dear friend. At the wedding, you and Ariana just fit in with all the guests, and it was like having a friend there with a good camera, and I hardly noticed you zipping around, getting shots of all the action.

Hair: Star Barwick, Panache Hair and Body Loft \\ Makeup Artist: Meghan Brannon, Panache Hair and Body Loft // Dress Designer & Store Location: Mori Lee // Bridals, purchased at Bridal Mart in Burlington, NC // Jewelry: Givenchy, purchased at Nordstrom // Veil or Hair accessories: Angela’s Bridal Boutique // Shoes: Nina // Bridesmaids Dresses: White House Black Market // Grooms Attire: United States Air Force // Ceremony Venue: Seymour Johnson Air Force Base Chapel // Reception // Venue: SoCo Farm And Food in Wilson, NC // Additional photo venue: Seymour Johnson Air Force Base // Florist: Pinewood Florist in Goldsboro, NC // Wedding Coordinator: Ruth Coles // Invitations & Stationary: Handmade