Summer Wedding At St. Maria Goretti Church

August 14, 2018 Steve Vansak

A celebratory dip for the bride and groom after their church wedding at St. Maria Goretti.

Wow - I had a lot of fun capturing Kim and Tim's summer wedding at St. Maria Goretti Church with photos afterward at Centennial Park and the reception at Halls of St. George. From the welcoming hospitality of each of their families to the "singing bridesmaids", it was an inspirational day for sure.

We started the day with myself capturing bridal prep and Bridget with the guys.

Wedding day bridal prep for Kim and her bridesmaids.

Getting ready at the bride's parent's home.

Groom prep for a church wedding at St. Maria Goretti.

Bride and groom dressed and ready for their summer wedding.

Kim's Dad escorted her to the church in his vintage car and in his arms down the aisle of St. Maria Goretti Church in Dyer, Indiana as Tim looked on.

The bride and her father at a catholic wedding ceremony at St. Maria Goretti Church.

Wedding ceremony at St. Maria Goretti Church in Dyer, Indiana.

Bubble exit at St. Maria Goretti Church.

After the exit we went inside for family pictures and I also took the couple around the church for photos. Kim wanted to show off the stained glass behind the altar and we did just that with them in a classic kiss down below. Then we were off to Centennial Park.

Bride and groom at the altar of St. Maria Goretti Church.

Stained glass windows overlook the bride and groom for their church wedding photos.

Showing off the bride's wonderful dress at church.

At Centennial Park, once again I went off with the girls while Bridget photographed the guys. And then we let the girls goof off with Tim and the same with Kim and the guys.

Bridesmaids and groomsmen photos at Centennial Park in Dyer, Indiana.

Bride with groomsmen and groom with bridesmaids.

Summer wedding photos at Centennial Park.

Centennial Park is a popular destination for wedding pictures in Northwest Indiana and we utilized all of the wonderful backgrounds there including the lake and greenery as we walked the perimeter of the park.

Bride and groom walk along the greenery at Centennial Park.

Bride and groom at the edge of the Centennial lake.

It had been awhile since a wedding party had attempted a jumping shot, but Kim and Tim's group were up for it with shoes flying. Soon it would be time to celebrate indoors at the Halls of St. George.

Ninja masters and shoe throwers in the summer sun of Centennial Park.

The fun continued at the reception at Halls of St. George with intros, speeches and cake cutting. A special appearance was make via cardboard cutout of "a guy named Mike" and then it was time to hit the dance floor.

Fun times at Halls of St. George for a summer wedding reception.

“It’s gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
There’s nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do
I bless the rains down in Africa
Gonna take some time to do the things we never had
Hurry boy, she’s waiting there for you”

— Africa by Toto - Songwriters: David Paich / Jeff Porcaro

It appears the "singing bridesmaids" only know the chorus of the song Africa, but they did a fine job of it!!

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Kim and Tim's summer wedding at St. Maria Goretti Church. Be sure to tune in to the social media channels below for more images. As always, to inquire about wedding photography for your big day, please use the Contact Form to set up a meeting. I'd love to chat with you about your wedding.

Winter Wedding Ceremony At St. Maria Goretti Church

February 27, 2017 Steve Vansak

The bride and groom share a moment at St. Maria Goretti Church.

Samantha and Dale's February wedding at St. Maria Goretti Church in Dyer, Indiana was full of great moments - lots of laughs and mimosas during getting ready, to nervous giggles during the exchange of rings all the way to the emotional speeches and first dances. Let me take you through the story of their big day...

When I arrived, the Mimosa Bar was open for business and everyone was in great spirits, including the dog!! Krissy V. tended to make up while Katelyn Pruitt styled hair.

The Pink Pajama Crew (aka Sam's bridesmaids) actually laughed at whatever joke I happened to say and soon it was time for Samantha to get into her dress.

The bridesmaids have a pajama party on the morning of the wedding.

Samantha looked stunning in the backlit room as her MOH helped her with the veil.

The MOH assists the bride with her veil.

Second photographer Bridget was with Dale and the groomsmen during this time as they put down a little "robitussin" to help out with the cold temperatures!!

The groom and groomsmen toast to the big day ahead.

Friends and family filled the pews at St. Maria Goretti Church as Sam and her father made their way down the aisle with Dale anxiously looking on. All the candles glistened as they exchanged vows.

Winter wedding ceremony at St. Maria Goretti Church.

A reader speaks at a wedding ceremony at St. Maria Goretti.

After the ceremony, we did family photos in the church and then set out to Centennial Park in Munster, Indiana.

Wedding party photo at St. Maria Goretti.

Parents and couples photos at St. Maria Goretti Church in Dyer, Indiana.

I remember walking out of the church and saying "these temperatures don't seem too bad". Famous last words!! When we arrived at Centennial Park the 18mph winds kicked in with a drop in temps to somewhere in the mid 20's. Much respect to the wedding party for enduring the madness. And of course, a shout out to our bride Samantha and her lovely veil that took a beating!!

Winter wedding photos at Centennial Park.

The wind carries the bride's veil on the bridge at Centennial Park.

Villa Cesare looked spectacular with the muted gold tones of Samantha and Dale's decor. The cake table was epic and I loved the Fuji Instax film cameras for guests to use.

Wedding decorations at Villa Cesare in Schererville, Indiana.

The wedding party intros were a lot of fun and we scanned the room to capture the great moments - from the flower girl practicing to be the next Ronda Rowsey to Sam's emotional dance with her Dad while the ring bearer looked on.

Fun and emotional moments at a Villa Cesare wedding reception.

First dances at Villa Cesare in Schererville, Indiana.

We saw quite the contrast with the single women vying for the bouquet and the look of terror on the men during the garter toss...

The bouquet toss at Villa Cesare in Schererville, Indiana.

The dance floor was alive all night as Operation Get Down provided the soundtrack...

A full dance floor at Villa Cesare during a winter wedding reception.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek at Samantha and Dale's wedding ceremony at St. Maria Goretti Church in Dyer, Indiana. To inquire about your big day, be sure to fill out the Contact Form. More images to follow at social media channels below.

Summer Wedding At St. Maria Goretti Church

August 1, 2016 Steve Vansak

Storm clouds surround the bride and groom at Centennial Park in Munster, Indiana.

Akiko and Mike were married in a church wedding ceremony at St. Maria Goretti in Dyer, Indiana with photos and reception at Centennial Park in Munster, Indiana. The happy couple flew all the way from Japan where they work and live. Akiko had a visit from her mom and a friend as she prepped just before walking down the aisle.

Bridal prep at St. Maria Goretti Church in Dyer, Indiana.

Akiko's mom walked her down the aisle and the groom and her exchanged a traditional Japanese bow as family and the priest looked on.

Wedding ceremony at St. Maria Goretti Church.

The ceremony was definitely NOT a solemn affair as bride and groom had many laughs throughout and were showered with bubbles when exiting the church.

Summer wedding ceremony inside Saint Maria Goretti Church.

Storms and rain were on and off before and during the ceremony so we weren't sure how many outside pictures we would have. After family photos inside the church it was off to Centennial Park to sneak in wedding photos in between patches of rain.

Bride and groom walk down the center aisle at St. Maria Goretti Church in Dyer, Indiana.

Bride and groom photos at St. Maria Goretti Church.

It drizzled down on us a little bit while visiting the bride at Centennial Park, but our biggest hurdle was avoiding Pokemon Go players!!

The bride and groom visit the bridges overlooking the lake at Centennial Park.

Mike proudly held up a sign proclaiming himself as a very lucky man while Akiko cheered him on and they posed in the photo booth. The Star Wars cake topper looked on as the bride and groom spread frosting on each other's noses. Akiko was a little bit shy during the first dance with the spotlight upon her, but she appeared to have a lot of fun as Mike swayed her back and forth.

Star Wars cake topper at a wedding reception at Centennial Park.

A big thank you to Akiko and Mike and their families for having me photograph their International wedding at St. Maria Goretti. Please remember to fill out the Contact Form to inquire about your wedding date whether it is an church wedding, outside ceremony, barn wedding or reception hall.

Summer Wedding At Saint Maria Goretti Church

May 30, 2016 Steve Vansak

Bride and groom walk among the beautiful scenery of Wicker Park in Munster, Indiana.

Sometimes I go into a wedding and I just know... I can tell right away that the couple is tailor made for each other and that they come from loving families. This was certainly the case with Megan and Garrett. From the groom's love letter that Megan read during getting ready to the bride singing to her new husband on the altar later that afternoon, the proof just kept on coming.

I arrived at Megan's childhood home to a very welcoming group. If there was any doubt I was at the correct house, it was erased by the outside wedding decor and gigantic 'I do' sign. I noticed that the computer was playing a Wedding Playlist of songs. Song #9 on the list would come into play a bit later.

Bride and her bridesmaids get ready for the summer wedding.

Wedding day getting ready at the bride's parent's home.

After getting into her wedding dress, Megan descended down the stairs as I'm sure she did many times in her childhood. This time however, she was "going to the chapel" as the song of the same played in the other room.

The bride descends from the staircase at her childhood home.

Before we left for St. Maria Goretti in Dyer, Indiana, we took a few fun bridesmaids photos in the front yard. Second photographer Bridget did the same with the guys at the church.

Fun bridesmaids photos before the ceremony.

Fun groomsmen photos before the ceremony.

Now, I've photographed many weddings and I'm "on the job" so to speak so I'm not supposed to get emotional. However, when the bride sings "Grow Old Along With Me", written by John Lennon and does it beautifully at that and on the altar to her groom in front of friends and family... well, you get a lump in your throat. It was a wonderful wedding ceremony at Saint Maria Goretti capped off by the bride and groom exiting with bubbles surrounding them.

Bride and groom exit St. Maria Goretti Church in Dyer to friends blowing bubbles.

Immediately after the ceremony we began family pictures inside the church as well as a few with the newlyweds, including a silhouette in front of the stained glass windows.

Family wedding photo at St. Maria Goretti Church.

A silhouette of the bride and groom in front of stained glass windows at Saint Maria Goretti Church in Dyer, Indiana.

Bride and groom on the altar as light streams in through stained glass windows.

The whole gang then took off to the reception site - Wicker Park Social Center. After a quick lunch of Jimmy John's subs, it was outside for photos of the wedding party and the newly married Megan and Garrett.

The wedding party having fun at Wicker Park.

Bride and groom portrait at Wicker Park on a bright, sun drenched summer day.

Sun was bouncing off the lake and the gazebo as we went around Wicker Park taking photos. We had to take a few featuring the wedding sunglasses as well as megan's spectacular train and veil!! Then it was back inside for the party...

Wedding photos at Wicker Park in Munster, Indiana.

The cake topper said Best Day Ever and I believe it was. Garrett was handcuffed, but he still managed to get the garter. The crowd was with the couple the entire way and the dance floor was filled at all times.

Wedding reception at Wicker Park Social Center.

First dance for the bride and groom at their reception at Wicker Park.

This is merely a sneak peek look at Megan and Garrett's summer wedding at Saint Maria Goretti Church and Wicker park. Stay tuned here and on various social media for more!!