Maddie and Ryan had quite the journey of long-distance dating that finally brought them to their wedding day at Mulberry Lane Farm. Upon arrival, guests boarded a hayride, which took them to the ceremony and Maddie and her dad made their grand entrance via horse and buggy. During cocktail hour guests could walk around the farm and enjoy the many animals onsite - cows, pigs, ponies, chickens, sheep, and goats. I think the biggest hit was their milk and cookie bar after dinner. Family members made four different types of cookies and they sure didn’t last long!
From the Bride:
Tell us about your love story.
Let’s just say this; Dibs was called. The second Maddie walked through the door of the party, a cute boy across the room caught her eye. Ry was too shy to approach her, thinking a girl like her would never say yes to a guy a like him; but he was wrong. She immediately leaned over to her best friend and said, “I call dibs on the tall, dark and handsome in the corner,” and so it began! They weren’t sure if they wanted to make it official as Maddie was going to nursing school in Minnesota, 4.5 hours away from where Ryan had been living, and still had 3 more years to go. Neither one of them truly wanted to end it though, and so they gave it a shot and said if it works, then it must be meant to be. Needless to say almost 6 years later, they’re still going strong despite the strains of long distance. Ryan continued to be her biggest supporter; cheering her on through every study session, skills lab, and examination along the way. In return, Maddie continued to share her love and devotion to him every single day, making sure he never had an ounce of doubt about her love for him. The day Maddie graduated from nursing school and expected to live out her next days side by side with Ryan, she received a call from her dream job in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, 2 hours away from their homes. She looked at Ryan with tears of joy and his only response was, “You’ve got to take it!!” Ryan put Maddie’s dreams and hard work in front of his own, showing her that day how much he truly loved her. Once again, he supported her through some of the toughest experiences working in such a critical and heart wrenching field, but it shaped her into the woman he would one day call his wife. He stated, “seeing the joy and happiness her patients bring to her, and she brings to them, only confirmed that she is exactly the person I wish to spend the rest of my days with.” Ryan then came up with a clever proposal idea, asking only a few days prior to a planned trip to Aruba and Maddie’s birthday. He dressed their 3 month old nephew up in a onesie that he had ironed the phrase “uncle Ryan has a question,” onto. She then turned around to him down on one knee, choking the word yes out through the uncontrollable excitement and joy! Ryan then had to add that he knew she couldn’t say no to a baby!! And so their love story only continues here, today, devoting the rest of their lives to one another in the presence of friends, family, and God; the lifelong dibs has been called.
How would you describe the style of your wedding?
Rustic Elegance
What did you find most surprising about planning your wedding?
How expense everything adds up to be!
What did you find the most challenging about planning your wedding?
Balancing your wants vs. family wants.
Were there any unique details at your wedding?
Both of us really don’t like cake, so we said screw it and didn’t have one! Instead, our loved ones baked us four of our favorite kinds of cookies and we had a milk and cookie bar! Instead of feeding each other bites of cake, we dunked our cookies arm in arm!
What’s the number one piece of advice you have for couples just starting to plan their wedding?
Do what YOU two want to do! Make it your own, don’t feel like you have to do it how it’s always been done, or how everyone else is doing it. It’s your day, make it special to you!
Which moment of your wedding was the most memorable for you?
The most memorable part of the day was our hand written vows. We were so present in this moment that I could recite parts in my head over and over again. As scared as we were to write and read them in front of everyone, they were the most moving, truthful and spiritual part of our special day!
Would you recommend a wedding planner to other couples?
I would definitely recommend a planner! Even if you think you have everything all figured out, reality is, you’re going to forget something! It’s just life! But it was an amazing feeling knowing I had a group of ladies that were cool, calm, and collected thinking of everything I couldn’t and didn’t want to think about on our big day! I felt so much more present and free to just enjoy the day with my Weddings With A Twist crew by our side! There’s still things to this day that I have no idea how they happened or got done, but they did and I am forever grateful!