5 Unique Wedding Reception Ideas

January 20, 2020 Steve Vansak

Bride and groom sprint into the reception ballroom during introductions.

One of the most interesting things about being a wedding photographer is seeing the unique flavors clients tend to bring to their weddings and especially their receptions. I know after I publish this article another 5 memories from weddings I’ve shot will pop into my head. However, here are a few that come to mind based upon some recent Chicago and Northwest Indiana wedding receptions.

Caricature Artist

Image of caricature courtesy of Matthew Hutchinson. Drawing by Colm Campbell and Nuffinc.

Recently I’ve been seeing caricature artists at wedding receptions such as Lauren and Mark’s Chicago wedding at Signature Room on the 95th floor of the John Hancock building. Guests sat down for these drawings at cocktail hour and appeared to have a good time posing and quite a few laughs were had when they received one of these exaggerated drawings of themselves to take home.

A caricature artist sketches out drawings of wedding guests.

Check out the Instagram feed of Nathan Biancardi of Nate “Can Do” Caricatures and reach out to him for your reception fun.

Bride and groom take a stroll along State Street in Chicago.

Live Band / Karaoke

The bride rocks out some air guitar at her wedding reception.

This is a bit of a two for one as simply having a live band is quite unique for wedding entertainment. Although, I am seeing it more and more.

The Karaoke part does have the potential to go off kilter as guests grab the microphone. However, it can be quite successful if it is worked out with the band to be a small set of songs you know your guests will like or know and also limiting the time period for this. Perhaps when you are making the rounds to greet guests at their tables and pre-first dance would be the time to bring out the mic.

Live bands playing music at wedding receptions.

Cocktail hour music at wedding receptions.

Live music during cocktail hour with a DJ following later that night is another great option.

Some of the live acts in the area who perform at weddings are:

Final Say - My friend Robbie Celestin will entertain your crowd with dance music all night.

Angelo Cicco - My old music scene friend has been at many weddings I’ve shot.

The Crawpuppies - If guitar based, danceable classic rock is your bag, do check out my buddies in Crawpuppies.

Sky Lanterns / Open Air Venues

Sky lanterns head toward the night sky at a wedding reception celebration.

I occasionally go outside to photograph the bride and groom as well as guests let sky lanterns loose into the sky. This happens a lot at open air venues, but occasionally we step out of the building for this. Sometimes it’s only the newlyweds and is sentimental and other times it’s with guests to stir the celebration.

To send your sky lanterns into the sky without them careening off into a light pole you will need a fairly calm night wind wise, a long tool to light them and of course permission from your venue.

Themed Reception

A 1920’s era look for the bride and groom at the old Crown Point Courthouse.

Some do not want to carry on a theme for the entire wedding day so they simply reserve this for the reception. Kelly and Matt did a 1920’s themed wedding at the old Crown Point Courthouse and really got into character. Others have also gone retro at the reception only with period clothing and decorations as well as modern movie themes.

Vintage themed events in Indiana, Chicago and Michigan.

Blindfold The Groom Game

The groom gets blindfolded and has to guess which person is his bride.

I’m not sure what this wedding game is actually called, but it had to be one of the funniest I’ve ever seen. We know about the shoes game and that can definitely bring some good natured laughs, but after this Molly and Ahsan took it a step further.

The groom was blindfolded and experienced a soft kiss from various handpicked guest and also the bride. His job was to pick out his bride from the bunch. Well, he made his pick and the last image shows just who it was!! Oops…

I hope you have enjoyed my 5 Unique Wedding Reception Ideas article. To inquire about wedding photography for your day so I can capture your unique wedding fun, please fill out the Contact Form right here.

The bride dances with her father at an afternoon wedding reception at The Pavilion at Sandy Pines.

Weddings In Indiana, Chicago and Michigan - The 2019 Year In Review

December 30, 2019 Steve Vansak

Bride in Converse All Star shoes in front of a red door in Chicago.

It was another action packed year of wedding photography in Northwest Indiana, Chicago and southwest Michigan. There are a TON of images from February weddings all the way through November so let’s get started.

I had two winter weddings in 2019 with Sarah + Robert and Erin + Mason. Yep, we had some snow and even the Village People showed up to rock the reception.

Black and white winter wedding photo in the snow.

Early Spring saw torrential rain almost every single weekend. Like the postal service though, we deliver in ice, rain, sleet or snow. For Beth + Chad we had that all in one day!! Cherise + Thomas had some sunshine for their big day at Sand Creek Country Club and for a bridal portrait session in Chicago we had to dodge some puddles for sure.

Rain and wind and fog surround the bride and groom in a wedding photo at Sand Creek Country Club.

Bridal portraits on the streets of Chicago.

The wet Spring continued for Breana + Kevin’s Chicago wedding and Sarah + Billy’s hometown wedding in Crown Point, Indiana. Both had wonderful church ceremonies.

Bride and groom walk back down the aisle after their wedding ceremony at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church.

May weddings in Chicago and Crown Point, Indiana.

The month of May was very busy with Northwest Indiana weddings of Tessa + Luis as well as Dan + Tea.

Vintage bridal portraits in Northwest Indiana.

June saw Gabby + Matt at Briar Ridge Country Club and Becky + Chuck along with the summer weddings of Rachel + Brandon at County Line Orchard and back to the Crown Point Courthouse with Robyn and Stacey.

First dance at Briar Ridge Country Club.

June wedding photos at Briar Ridge Country Club and Centennial Park.

Weddings in late June in Crown Point and County Line Orchard.

July saw me at the height of summer and back at County Line Orchard for an outdoor wedding with Emily + Tyler and Whiting Lakefront Park for the beach wedding of Maureen + Carlos.

July summer weddings at County Line Orchard and Whiting Lakefront Park.

Newlyweds kiss between two Golden Delicious sign in the apple orchards.

July also saw me heading east to Heston Hill wedding venue for Maggie + Eric and staying close to home for Cynthia + Zachary at Avalon Manor wedding venue.

Summer weddings at Heston Hills and Avalon Manor.

Bride and groom share a moment at Heston Hills wedding venue in Laporte, Indiana.

August began with a themed wedding from Isela + Thomas and Jackie + Kevin for the first time a bride has ever arrived via boat at Lighthouse Restaurant in Cedar Lake, Indiana.

Early August weddings in Northwest Indiana.

Wedding photo with a sunset over the lake.

Mid to late August saw the 4 day Indian wedding of Molly + Ahsan in Chicago and the church wedding of Brie + Ryan at St. Michael’s Parish and reception at Sand Creek golf course.

Mid to late August weddings in Chicago and Northwest Indiana.

A candid moment underneath the willow tree at Sand Creek Country Club.

Early September saw the first of two weddings at Four Corners Winery with Holly + Ethan and then it was onto The Allure in Laporte, Indiana with Mary + Jeff.

Wedding photos at Four Corners Winery and The Allure.

Photo at the rustic wedding venue Four Corners Winery in Valparaiso, Indiana.

I’d always wanted to photograph at the Naperville Riverwalk in Illinois for a wedding and did just that with Vilda + Brandon and weddings at Aberdeen Manor are some of the most elegant and the nuptials of Kristen and Zach did not disappoint.

September weddings in Naperville, Illinois Riverwalk and Aberdeen Manor.

Wedding photo on the staircase at Renaissance Hotel in Schaumburg, Illinois.

Candid wedding moment at a lake in Aberdeen neighborhood in Valparaiso, Indiana.

A photo at night in front of the chapel at Aberdeen Manor.

September is still the most popular month for weddings and I was back at Avalon Manor for Violet + Jeremiah and an epic wedding with Jordan + Matt at Centennial Park where it snowed on the dance floor.

Late September weddings in Northwest Indiana.

It snows on the dance floor at the Centennial Park clubhouse for a wedding reception.

October is football season and we celebrated that with Francesca + Zane at Wicker Park and also wine tasting season at Four Corners Winery with Ammie + Matt.

Reema + Corey donned two wedding dresses and two suits at their Meyer’s Castle wedding in Dyer, Indiana and Mary + Ben braved the rain at the Center for Visual and Performing Arts in Munster, Indiana for their late Fall weddings.

Late Fall weddings in Northwest Indiana.

Rain falls at night in this wedding photo at Center for Visual and Performing Arts.

I certainly can’t forget about Annie + Michael at Aberdeen Manor as well as the 2019 wedding season finale of Kim + Dustin at Fair Oaks Farmhouse.

Late November weddings in Northwest Indiana.

I’m looking forward to next year’s weddings in Northwest Indiana, Chicago and Michigan. To inquire about wedding photography for your big day, please do fill out the Contact Form on this website and set up a meeting so I can show you more of my work. Happy New Year to all!!

A bride in front of graffiti art in the Bucktown area of Chicago, Illinois.

Decorating Ideas for the Wedding Reception

December 26, 2013 Steve Vansak

A table of green apple martinis greet guests at a winter wedding reception at The Patrician in Schererville, Indiana.

I very often go back to the same Northwest Indiana and Illinois reception halls over and over again. People ask me if I get bored by visiting the same banquet halls. The answer is no. This is because every couple brings their own little bit of flavor to the mix. I'm always excited to see what my clients are going to do in terms of table decorations, cake toppers and more.

I could probably spotlight every wedding I've shot in 2013, but for space I will showcase three different weddings at two different halls. The prominent trends I saw throughout the year were candy buffets along with an emphasis on family photographs throughout the years. As I was photographing all this decor, I often found myself studying these snapshots and admiring the strong family ties that were now coming together on this big day.

Greg and Kristen recently had their reception at The Patrician in Schererville, Indiana. It was a rocking good time at the reception and a glorious ceremony that was recently feature here, so go check out that article too. When guests arrived at the hall, tables of decor that featured family photos greeted the guests. Among the usual guest book were wish cards to be filled out for the couple to read later. The inside was awash in the newlywed's colors of green, black and silver. The candy buffet from How Sweet It Is Events was a big hit and featured the initials of the couple in big, green candy coated letter blocks - very cool.

Green, silver and black wedding decorations at The Patrician banquet hall.

This past summer I photographed Evan and Stephanie's reception at Aberdeen Manor in Valparaiso, Indiana. They also had a candy buffet, but hot pink was the color of choice. I have featured their cake here a number of times as it looked fantastic set against the gorgeous uplighting of the room.

A gorgeous wedding cake with a pink topper sits inside the ballroom at Aberdeen Manor in Valparaiso, Indiana.

The couple adopted another popular trend I saw this year - the signature drink. Here is a great article with recipes for you to develop your very own drink that you can then ask your reception hall vendor to serve for you, complete with your own custom name of course. Cigars in decorative packaging were also spotted quite often this past year.

A collection of wedding reception decorations featuring the color pink.

Fall weddings often get extra emphasis on decor. One of the most impressive items on display at Ryan and Jamie's Fall wedding at The Patrician were the table cards made by the bride's father. The hand carved flat logs of tree bark were decorated with burnt orange with an attached guest name. It was very impressive and one of my favorites of the year. The retro film camera on every table is a classic and the owl kept an eye on guests as they filled out cards to attach to the wishing tree.

A collection of rustic wedding decorations in Autumn colors.

As you plan your 2014 and 2015 wedding, take some of these ideas with you and add your own flavor as well. I can't wait to see what you come up with so I can capture if forever with my camera. Have fun!!

Wedding cake decorated with Autumn leaves and and Fall colors.

Rocking Wedding Receptions in Northwest Indiana

August 11, 2013 Steve Vansak

The bride whoops it up to her guests while the groom happily eats the delicious wedding cake at Centennial Park.

The wedding reception is the time when the bride and groom can typically relax a little, get a bit messy and have fun. I love to cover the receptions along with all of the fun moments, fabulous decor and the action shots on the dance floor.

I'm going to take you through a few recent and rocking wedding receptions I photographed here in Northwest Indiana to give you an idea of how we cover these fun events. These are three different weddings this past summer at three different venues - Aberdeen Manor in Valparaiso, Centennial Park Clubhouse in Munster and the Halls of St. George in Schererville.

The wedding cake glows in the middle of the dance floor at Aberdeen Manor.

My assistant and I typically start taking wedding reception detail photos as soon as we enter the hall. The wedding cake is high on our list of course, as are the various table decorations, guest book and more. I love seeing what type of flavor each couple brings to the mix. I could photograph the same hall weeks in a row and it will be always be fresh due to the wonderful decorations I see and the diverse groups of people I meet and photograph.

Wedding reception decoration collage at the Halls of St. George in Schererville, Indiana.

A message card for wedding reception guests to write on for the bride and groom to open on their anniversary.

During this time we will take wedding ring shots while the bride and groom freshen up or meet up with friends. My favorite way of taking ring shot photos is to place the ring into a scene such as this with one with the rings placed atop the bride's bouquet.

Wedding ring photograph featuring the bride's bouquet of flowers.

Some couple's have simple entrances while other's take an elaborate walk with props or a choreographed dance or two. In this photo the groom dips his bride on the dance floor at the Halls of St. George while the wedding party forms a tunnel for them to walk through. Usually, the cake cutting comes next.

A groom dips his bride on the dance floor at the Halls of St. George during their introduction.

The bride and groom cut their cake at Aberdeen Manor in Valparaiso with stunning uplighting in the background.

The wedding party speeches from the maid of honor and the best man are a great time to capture candid photos from the bride and groom, the wedding party and their guests.

The Maid of Honor gives a speech at a wedding reception at the Halls of St. George.

Guests at a wedding reception react to a funny moment in this candid wedding photo.

The bride and groom act embarrased at a funny moment during a toast at their wedding reception at Centennial Park.

The best man raises his glass in tribute to the bride and groom.

First dances, including the mother and son and father and daughter dances can run the gamut from slow and emotional filled to fast and furious. Lately, the trend has been to get together with the DJ and plan a little bit of both.