Ceremony - Bellevue Country Club

Reception - Bellevue Country Club

Rehearsal & Rehearsal Dinner

Summer

Our Wedding

Our Story

Our story began like so many classic love stories; with a match on the Hinge dating app. We began by sending the occasional message and slowly getting to know each other. After a couple weeks, we exchanged phone numbers and began texting continuously. We first met in person at Coleman’s Irish Pub on October 12, 2021. The plan was to grab a quick drink, but before we knew it, four hours of great conversation and lots of laughs had passed in the blink of an eye.&nbsp;&nbsp;Things moved quickly after our first meeting and it wasn’t long before we were officially a couple.&nbsp; Much like that first date, the past three plus years have flown by. Over that period, Lauren graduated law school and passed the bar exam, we moved in together, we’ve celebrated Lauren’s 30th and Ryan’s 40th birthdays, we’ve progressed in our careers, made several trips to Europe, gone through the ups and downs of Buffalo Bills and Syracuse Orange football, got engaged(!), and most importantly, we have continued to laugh and enjoy each other’s company every step of the way.&nbsp; We’ve had so many amazing adventures together, but the biggest adventure of them all begins on September 13, 2025 and we are very excited to celebrate with you all.&nbsp;

Photos

Neal Kieffer

Matthew Gonio

Nicholas Garofalo

Cory Della Stua

Sean Miskell

Jenny Bodine

Dominique Kerwan

Nicole Fleming

Natalie Condon

Melissa Aycock

Wedding Party

Q + A

Syracuse's Hancock Airport is the nearest airport for our out of state guests. The airport is less than a 15 minute drive to the hotel and less than 20 minutes to to our venue, Bellevue Country Club. Ubers are a great option but the airport has several rental car options.

Syracuse Hancock International Airport

For your convenience, a block of rooms has been reserved at at a discount rate. Please use the link above to make your reservation or mention the McDonald-Della Stua wedding when reserving over the phone. Please note, the last day to reserve a room is July 29th, 2025.

Courtyard Syracuse Downtown at Armory Square

Best Western Syracuse Downtown Hotel and Suites

Travel

The 3 day event, in downtown Syracuse, with tons of local food, drinks, and music!

Festa Italiana 

Rosamond Gifford Zoo

Green Lakes State Park is a beautiful spot and one of our favorites for hiking, golfing, and of course eating.

Green Lakes State Park

Francesca's Cucina

Right near the hotel, Kitty Hoyne's is a great stop to pop in for a drink - and if you do, have a Magners for us!

Kitty Hoyne's Irish Pub

For the best beer around, stop in to Meier's Creek. For our guests looking to venture a little bit outside of Syracuse, the Cazenovia location is a great spot to sneak off to.

Meier’s Creek Brewing - Inner Harbor

Beak &amp; Skiff is a charming apple orchard and distillery located about 25 minutes from downtown Syracuse. Known for its award-winning spirits, apple picking, and picturesque views, it’s a must-visit spot for cider tastings, live music, and seasonal activities.

Beak & Skiff Apple Hill Campus / 1911 Tasting Room

Friday night, Syracuse plays Colgate at the Dome. If you are interested, please let us know! We are more than happy to help with tickets. (Ryan and I are season ticket holders and have a sneaky suspicion we won't be making it to this game!)

Lauren & Ryan