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!!

The 2017 Northwest Indiana Wedding Photography Year In Review

December 26, 2017 Steve Vansak

Bride applies lipstick at Barker Mansion in Michigan City, Indiana.

Welcome once again to the Region Weddings Year In Review for wedding photography in Northwest Indiana, Chicago and southern Michigan. Settle in as it was another full year of weddings and this my longest article of the year with lots of images. To see a video slideshow of this post, check out The 2017 Year In Review video.

The 2017 wedding season saw me photograph for the first time at the historic Barker Mansion in Michigan City. My goal with this series of bridal portraits was to showcase the vintage history of the iconic building with a very modern bride. This resulted in some glorious color right next to sepia tones.

Bride on red staircase at Barker Mansion in Michigan City, IN.

There were quite a few winter wedding this year starting with Annie and Paul at Fair Oaks Farmhouse and then Lynne and Dale with a church ceremony at a stop at One Trick Pony brewery. Samantha and Dale were married at Saint Maria Goretti Church with a very chilly stop by Centennial Park.

As winter gave way to Spring (very begrudgingly), Sam and Alex and Amanda and Mike were on board for a pair of church weddings along with stops at Buckley Homestead.

Spring wedding photos in Northwest Indiana.

Bride and groom strike a magazine style pose at Centennial Park.

Late summer and early Spring saw Emily and Zach with an outdoor ceremony at Villa Cesare and Amanda and Josh at St. Michael's Church.

High fives, neon love, sisters / bridesmaids and church wedding ceremonies.

Summer weddings saw the flowers of Northwest Indiana in full bloom at Hans and Karla's outdoor ceremony at The Inn At Aberdeen with lakeside photos for Jill and Johnny.

July wedding photos in Northwest Indiana.

Bride and groom kiss in front of the old Crown Point Courthouse.

Ashlee and Ryan took a tour of downtown Crown Point for their wedding photos while Samantha and Tyler stayed in Valparaiso for their Aberdeen Chapel ceremony with pictures at Taltree Arboretum and a reception at The Market.

August weddings in Crown Point and Valparaiso.

Post ceremony kiss at The Chapel at Aberdeen Manor.

The groom spins his bride near the cornfields of Indiana.

Late summer say another new venue, Meadow Springs Manor with Karlie and Corey and a spectacular day at The Pavilion At Sandy Pines with Bethany and Keenin and their classic Mustang.

Late summer weddings at Meadow Springs Manor and Sandy Pines.

Bride and groom ride away in a classic Mustang.

September and October were definitely the busiest for weddings as well as engagement sessions. This part of the season saw Christina and Melvin at the incredible Uptown Center and Emily and Todd who were married at the final event at the bride's (soon to be torn down) childhood church next to her parent's home.

Bride on stage at The Uptown Center in Michigan City.

Bride and groom kiss in front an old chapel in Hebron, Indiana.

Romantic wedding photo in downtown Michigan City.

I photographed two Serbian weddings in 2017 with Jessica and Marinko at St. Simeon Church in Chicago and Tanja and Kevin at St. George in Schererville. The circle dances never stopped on either day.

Serbian weddings in Chicago and Schererville, Indiana.

The sun sets as the bride and groom gaze at each other beneath the tall trees in the forest.

As Fall kicked in, I photographed two weddings on opposite ends of the region both in style and geography - Katie and Mike at Lighthouse Restaurant with it's nautical vibe and The Allure in South Bend with Morganne and Chris.

Fall weddings at Lighthouse Restaurant and The Allure.

Bride and groom on the pier at Lighthouse Restaurant.

Bride and groom on a leaf filled bridge near Coffee Creek in Chesterton, Indiana.

The Autumn weddings also saw stops at Sand Creek Country Club with Jessica and Mitchell and The Spa in Porter, Indiana with Julia and Evan. Both weddings featured a deluge of leaves and Fall color.

Autumn leaves at wedding venues Sand Creek Country Club and The Spa.

The bride and groom share a kiss surrounded by Fall color at The Inn At Aberdeen.

November saw a pair of church weddings with Gina and Marcus at The Chapel At Avalon Manor and Emily and Jeff at Holy Name Catholic Church and reception at The Center For Performing Arts. Both had an abundance of unique Fall colors.

Bride in mirror before walking down the aisle.

I certainly can't forget Jeremiah and Kevin with their big Christmas wedding at The Uptown Center or Whinchester and Whinchester (aka Jennifer and David) - my first ever bride and groom with the same last name.

Christmas red and a bride and groom in blue.

Thank you so much for a terrific 2017 in weddings!! I have one more on December 30th so be sure to stay tuned here for the final wedding of 2017. To inquire about your big day, as always please complete the Contact Form. I hope you have a terrific New Year and let's hope for a 2018 filled with love.

Bride inside the "red room" at Barker Mansion.

Wedding At The Uptown Center In Michigan City

September 14, 2017 Steve Vansak

The bride on the stage at the Uptown Center ballroom.

The Uptown Center in Michigan City is one of the most unique wedding venues in the area. Christina and Melvin brought their own bit of unique flavor to their wedding day at this prestigious building off of Franklin Street. From the bride's elegant dress to the groom's super stylish paisley shirt to the back and forth of gifts to the heart tugging first look of bride and son, I had plenty to photograph and I loved every minute of it.

Bride and groom on stage inside Uptown Center ballroom.

As you can see from the images above, the ballroom at The Uptown Center is simply spectacular. Let me take you through the entire venue and then some as we relive Christina and Mel's emotion packed wedding day.

When I arrived the nervous bride (yes, she was shaking) was getting hair done and I got to photograph all of her wonderful details. Her dress fit in perfectly at The Uptown Center's elegant bridal suite. As I was there and she was getting ready the gifts kept going back and forth between groom and her.

Bridal details at the Uptown Center bridal suite.

The bride and her bridesmaids at The Uptown Center bridal suite.

The bride prepares for her wedding day at The Uptown Center in Michigan City.

The bride opens a gift from her husband to be.

The bride reflected in the mirror illuminated by window light.

I love mirror shots and the window light combined with Christina's beauty and elegance seemed the perfect combination for a classic, sepia toned vintage bride portrait. Much like the Uptown Center - modern meets classic.

We had time for a quick hug with mom and then it was time for bride and bridesmaid photos followed by the groom.

Bride on the staircase at The Uptown Center in Michigan City.

I was glad I was able to take Christina into the ballroom before any guests had arrived. The room looked spectacular for the ceremony and we put it to use for some portraits as well.

The bride smiles in the center aisle at The Uptown Center.

The bride glances out at the courtyard of The Uptown Center in Michigan City.

Second photographer Lauren took the guy's shots in the adjacent room to the bridal suite. Melvin received a gift from his son Aiden who would soon be on the way to the courtyard for a first look / reveal with his mom.

First look / reveal for the bride and her son.

The staff at The Uptown Center do an amazing jog of setting up the ballroom for wedding ceremonies and then quickly and precisely turning the room over during cocktail hour in the bar area for the reception and a totally different look.

The Uptown Center set up for a wedding ceremony.

A September wedding ceremony at Uptown Center in Michigan City, Indiana.

After the ceremony ended and the staff was working their magic inside, I took family photos, wedding party photos and then took the newly married couple around the venue and outside for bride and groom pictures.

Wedding party photos in the courtyard at Uptown Center.

The bride and groom along an Ivy wall in Michigan City.

The bride's veil flies into the air as she kisses the groom on the city street.

This area around the venue in Michigan City has a real urban flavor to it and we wanted to capture some of that along with some classic bride and groom pictures.

Wedding photos in downtown Michigan City.

The bride and groom show off their happiness as they walk the city streets.

Mr. and Mrs. Collazo had a rocking reception as the room they had been married in morphed into a colorful scene of partygoers, dancers and delicous deserts.

Wedding reception photos at The Uptown Center.

A view from the balcony at a wedding reception at The Uptown Center in Michigan City, Indiana.

Bride and groom first dance at the spectacular ballroom in Michigan City.

Bouquet and garter toss at The Uptown Center.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Christina and Melvin's big day. Be sure to fill out the Contact Form to inquire about your wedding day and stay tuned to Instagram for more images from this wedding and others.

Spring Wedding at The Allure in Laporte, Indiana

April 7, 2013 Steve Vansak

A groom tears up as he reads how vows to his bride during their wedding ceremony at The Allure in Laporte, Indiana.

Kevin and Rachel had a wonderful Spring wedding at The Allure in Laporte, Indiana. This grand old ballroom is well known for it's decorative floor and uplighting. When I arrived I immediately went up to the balcony for a photograph of the untouched, fully decorated reception hall.

- click on images to enlarge -

A photograph of The Allure ballroom taken from the balcony of the classic wedding reception hall in Laporte, Indiana.

The day began with some tender getting ready moments between our bride Rachel and her daughter Lindsay. The flower girl was a little bewildered by what was going on, let alone a photographer in the room. She clung to mom for awhile until finally seeing Dad, the groom, when she entered the ballroom of The Allure.

A bride has a tender moment with her daughter the flower girl just before her wedding ceremony at The Allure in Laporte, Indiana.

A flower girl gets excited as she greet her dad, the groom in this candid wedding photo taken at The Allure.

The Allure has a fantastic bridal room for the girls to get ready in. The natural light from the large windows can make for wonderful detail images of the wedding dress and more.

A wedding dress hangs alone in the bridal room of The Allure in Laporte, Indiana.

The indoor wedding ceremony took place in The Allure's downstairs facility where guests can mingle right after the ceremony while family photos are taken in the main ballroom. As Kevin became emotional while reading his vows to his new bride, I scanned the room to see parents and family having their own emotional moments.

A bride and groom hold hands during their indoor wedding ceremony at The Allure.

Parents of the bride get emotional in this candid wedding ceremony photo from Northwest Indiana wedding photographer Steve Vansak.

While ceremony guests mingled and drank cocktails, I took the wedding party along with family to the grand ballroom of The Allure for photos. Finally, our flower girl Lindsay could be united with mom and dad again in a tender family moment.

A family wedding photo captures a tender moment between bride, groom and daughter.

During the reading of his vows, Kevin mentioned Rachel's great smile. He could not have been more correct as she flat out glowed for her wedding portraits on the Allure's ballroom stage.

A bride displays her glowing smile soon after her Spring wedding at The Allure in Laporte, Indiana.

The wedding reception had so many fun moments. From the speeches delivered by the wedding party to the first dance to the bouquet toss, a spectacularly fun time was had by everyone.

A candid picture of the bride and groom laughing during a speech from the maiden of honor.

A bride tosses her bouquet at The Allure ballroom in Laporte, Indiana as beautiful purple uplighting fills the room.

This is merely a sneak peek at this fun Spring wedding at The Allure. Stay tuned here for more images and the Facebook Pages listed below will also have updates.