Urban Bridal Portraits In Chicago Bucktown Neighborhood

May 7, 2019 Steve Vansak

Colorful street art featuring two eyes in Bucktown, Chicago.

A Bridal Portrait Session is a chance to do something out of the ordinary that can’t be pulled off on wedding day. It’s also for those who who are unable to do an engagement session or simply do not want one. It’s not a Trash the Dress session, but more like creating art featuring you and your dress unencumbered by the pressures and time restraints of the typical wedding day.

I recently did such a session in Chicago’s Bucktown / Wicker Park neighborhood famous for it’s colorful graffiti walls and various art galleries.

Bridal portraits featuring the colorful graffiti art of the Chicago Bucktown / Wicker park area.

This trendy neighborhood gave us the opportunity to casually stroll its grungy alleys looking for unique bridal portraits. This type of session is also a great opportunity to break out some funky shoes for an urban look.

The bride is illuminated by sunlight beneath the L train tracks on the north side of Chicago.

Bridal portrait in front of a grungy red door in Chicago.

Urban bridal portraits on the streets of Chicago.

Pink street art adorns the background in this bridal portrait in Chicago.

My previous bridal portrait session in Chicago showed off the skyscrapers, Chicago River and more. You can find that right here. This time around we were going for a very “rock and roll bride” kind of feel and wanted to emphasize the grunge of the city.

Bridal portraits on North Avenue in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood.

Bridal portrait using a colorful garage door as a backdrop.

We did take a number of “softer images” for this session utilizing some golden brick next to Knead pizza parlor. And yes, we did indulge in some Chicago slices after we were all done!

Bride leans against a golden brick wall for her Chicago bridal session in the Bucktown / Wicker Park area of the city.

If you want to try something different, please do Contact Me about your bridal portrait session. We can do these in your local area of Chicago. Let’s think outside the box!!

The 2018 Year In Review for Northwest Indiana and Chicago Weddings

December 31, 2018 Steve Vansak

Bride and groom steal a kiss on a hilltop at Briar Ridge Golf Course.

I’m typing this blog post on December 31, 2018 on what is supposed to be a slow day in the world of a wedding photographer. It’s not!! With several client meetings today and the final wedding of the year just this past weekend, one of my busiest years in Northwest Indiana and Chicago wedding photography is ending as it began with a very active schedule. No complaints here, but get ready because I have LOTS of images and wedding stories for the year down below. Let’s get to it…

Late winter 2018 weddings in Valparaiso, Indiana and Grant Park, Illinois.

After a busy December the previous year, I photographed Nicole and Luke’s wonderful church wedding in early March in Beecher, Illinois and followed shortly by Ashley and Adam at Aberdeen Manor.

Wedding Ceremony At Faith United Reform Church

In early Spring I found myself at Briar Ridge Country Club quite a few times starting off with Rachel and Matt with Sheri and Ryan the following Saturday. Both couples had some blazing sun for their golf course weddings.

Two Spring weddings at Briar Ridge Country Club in Dyer, Indiana.

The previous Fall I had done Ashley and Michael’s engagement session and they had such a wonderful chemistry together that I was eagerly anticipating their outdoor wedding at the spectacular Sandy Pines Pavilion with it’s beautiful bridal suite and perfectly landscaped scenery. It was a wonderful Sunday wedding.

I was also back for another golf course wedding with a touch of Disney with Abby and Sean at Sand Creek Country Club.

Bride and groom hold hands on the lake pier at Sandy Pines Golf Course.

Weddings at two golf courses - Sandy Pines and Sand Creek.

In mid May it was the first of two weddings at County Line Orchard with Jaime and Tom. The groom’s family came all the way from England for this exquisite barn wedding.

The bride and groom exit the County Line Orchard south barn after their ceremony.

Spring wedding photos at County Line Orchard.

Late in May saw me heading to Chicago for Veronica and Adrian’s church wedding and then it was time for another trip to Valparaiso University and The Chapel of the Resurrection where Lauren and Edward declared victory.

May weddings in Chicago and Northwest Indiana.

The groom rings the victory bell at Valparaiso University.

Bride and groom at the bottom of the spiral staircase at Valparaiso University.

The groom and his guys at Valparaiso University.

Also in late May, I made it back to the beach for Nicole and Chad’s Memorial Day weekend wedding at Marquette Park Pavilion. Then it was back to Briar Ridge Country Club for Patty and Stephen’s outdoor nuptials.

Late Spring weddings at Marquette Park Pavilion and Briar Ridge Country Club.

June saw another golf course wedding reception with Jennifer and Carl and a stop by Meyer’s Castle two weekends in a row for Valerie and Anthony and then Mallory and Ryan.

June weddings at Briar Ridge and Meyer’s Castle.

The bride is soaked by sunlight at Meyer’s Castle during a summer wedding.

June wedding at Meyer’s Castle in Dyer, Indiana.

Summer rolled on with another County Line Orchard wedding where Ashley and Zach had their un-plugged wedding ceremony.

Bride and groom smooch in the farm fields behind County Line Orchard.

Gang of bridesmaids stalk the open fields of County Line Orchard.

July saw another Chicago wedding with Lauren and Mark at The Signature Room on the 95th floor of the John Hancock Building and Katie and Patrick’s church wedding at St. Michael’s Parish in Schererville, Indiana with reception at The Munster Center for the Performing Arts.

July weddings in Chicago and Schererville, Indiana.

The groom kisses the bride at the edge of the Centennial Park Lake.

The summer weddings rolled on with Kim and Tim at St. Maria Goretti Church as well as Patti and David and their wonderful backyard wedding in Crown Point.

Summer weddings in Northwest Indiana during August of 2018.

Summer is the height of baseball season of course, so super fans Kaitlyn and Ryan took to the field after their wedding at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Griffith, Indiana. I also shot at the brand new Allure on the Lake for Katie and Arnie’s wedding reception.

August weddings at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, St. Paul’s Catholic Church and Allure on The Lake.

Labor Day weekend brought an end to summer but the beginning of busy season with Josie and Victor’s bohemian outdoor wedding at Friendship Garden in Michigan City with a stop at The Market for the reception. It also saw another stop at Briar Ridge Country Club with Molly and Chris.

Kissing bridge at Friendship Garden in Michigan City, Indiana.

Outdoor weddings at Friendship Garden and Briar Ridge Country Club.

Boho bride from above during bridal prep for her big day.

A couple in love gazes romantically at each other.

It was my first “wedding selfie” shot at Tracey and Chris’ outdoor wedding at Peck Farm Park in Geneva, Illinois. The grain silo is just massive and I was so glad to take some images showcasing the bride and groom next to it. Early September also saw a stop at Centennial Park for an outdoor wedding with Julie and Jason.

September weddings in Illinois and Indiana.

The grain silo at Peck Farm Park towers over the bride and groom.

As September drifted into October, we saw the absolutely fun wedding of Emma and Kyle at Croation Center and then it was Nikki and Johnny’s wedding with a church ceremony at St. Michael’s Church in Schererville, Indiana and a rocking reception at St. Elijah Banquet Center in Merrillville.

The bride and groom sport a take no prisoners look for their wedding photo.

Bridal portrait at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.

October also saw Captain America and SpiderWoman (Jess and Josh) get married at Lighthouse Restaurant as well as Erika and Mitch with a Great Gatsby themed wedding at The Allure in Laporte, Indiana.

Captain America marries SpiderWoman at Lighthouse Restaurant in Cedar Lake.

A wedding picture during a hailstorm in Laporte, Indiana.

The bride and groom get mischievous at The Allure.

Karen and Jason had their hometown wedding in Crown point with a St. Mary’s Church ceremony with stops at the fairgrounds and a reception at the old Lake County Courthouse Maki Ballroom.

More October weddings at The Allure and in downtown Crown Point.

Late October and November Fall weddings saw me back at Sand Creek Country Club for Marz and Tom’s big day as well as Krueger Memorial Hall in Michigan City for Ashley and Terry’s beautiful Fall wedding with Autumn leaves everywhere.

Fall weddings at Sand Creek Country Club and Krueger Memorial Hall.

Leaves fall upon the bride and groom for their Autumn wedding.

As winter finally arrived, The Uptown Center got all lit up for Kristen and Patrick’s wedding and last, but certainly not least the grand finale, last wedding of 2018 was Sarah and Nick’s snow filled day at Sand Creek Country Club.

Winter weddings at Uptown Center and Sand Creek Country Club.

Whew, thanks for making it all the way though this long review of weddings in Northwest Indiana and Chicago in 2018. Please contact me here on the website to set up a meeting to discuss the photography for your wedding day. I service Northwest Indiana, Chicago and southern Michigan but I’m also available for travel. 2018 brought me to a few new venues as well as old favorites. I’m looking forward to seeing where you take me next year and beyond. A special Thank You to Kerrie, Bridget, Schylar, Michelle, Lauren, Doug and Jaime for their help in Wedding Season 2018. Happy New Year!!

Bridal Portrait Session In Chicago

November 26, 2018 Steve Vansak

Black and white portrait on the Dearborn Street bridge in Chicago, Illinois.

The most popular pre-wedding sessions are definitely engagement sessions in casual clothes with your fiancé. However, back in the day Bridal Portrait Sessions were all the rage. They are still popular in the southern region of the USA. They used to be done entirely in a studio. Today they are done on location with the following in mind:

a solo fashion shoot with the wedding dress
classic, artful and fashion forward posing
a chance to display these images next to your mother or grandmother who also had these done
an opportunity for more locations / times of day and being able to work around weather and take your time
can be done as a replacement or an addition to an engagement session
a great trial run for your makeup
usually done about 6 to 8 weeks before the wedding, but not a rule.

I recently did a modern take on the Bridal Portrait Session in Chicago with Michelle. I am now offering these session and you will find a link to them down below. Here are some images from the session along with more info from this America’s Top Model like photo shoot.

Bride underneath the honeycomb grid at the Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo.

Michelle wanted a Runaway Bride theme much like Sarah Jessica Parker in Sex and the City. This involved hailing a few taxis and having her walk downtown alone. Ordering an Uber or Lyft would be more modern, but we were going for the classic city feel.

A bride hails herself a taxi on the streets of Chicago.

A bride walks alone on the streets of downtown Chicago during a bridal portrait session.

Earlier in the day, Michelle’s styling of hair and make up was done by Genell Banks from Beauty by Genell. She is a highly skilled artist in the greater Chicago area. Definitely hop over to her website if you are in need of styling for your bridal portrait session or wedding.

Black and white portraits of a bride in Chicago, Illinois.

We also wanted to incorporate the grandness of the skyscrapers along the city skyline, so we hit North Avenue Beach for a stroll along Lake Michigan.

A view of the skyscrapers in Chicago from North Avenue Beach during a bridal portrait session.

Images from a bridal portrait session in Chicago on North Avenue Beach.

If you have an idea or theme in mind for your own bridal portrait session, let’s chat about it. Here are some other ideas / locations for you to think about.

Go to Chicago with it’s endless opportunities for locations.
Consider a day / night session for some unique city at night pictures.
Go local and do the session in nature.
Have the session at your wedding venue.
Incorporate a mini boudoir session with intimate portraits indoors or out.

I’m so glad Michelle and I did this bridal portrait session in Chicago so we could show off this new / retro bridal photo shoot that is now live in the Region Weddings Shop for booking. You can also fill out the Contact Form for questions. To see a local version, please check out this Bridal Portrait Session At Barker Mansion.