Spring Wedding at St. John the Evangelist: Sneak Peek

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Stephanie and Steve were married just last week at Saint John the Evangelist Church in St. Joh, Indiana.  This sneak peek will cover a few images from the Catholic ceremony as well as getting ready at Riah Hair Salon, formal shots near the Shrine of Christ's Passion as well as the party at Munster Center for the Performing Arts.

When I walked into Riah Hair Salon in St. John, the girls were already getting their hair done and chatting about the wedding day festivities.

The salon was for hair only and I took this image of the bride and her mom just before they all went over to St. John Evangelist to put on their dresses and make up.

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I put the bridesmaids to work by asking them to hold up the wedding dress in front of the altar while hiding behind it.  They did a great job and we ended up with this floating wedding dress photo.

Our bride Stacey was all joy as she walked down the aisle with her parents on the way to meet her groom Steve.  The catholic ceremony was held at the classic St. John Evangelist on 93rd Avenue and Wicker Ave. in St. John, Indiana.

Several friends and family members read during the hour long ceremony at the gorgeous church.

The choir balcony offered up a wonderful view of the packed church...

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After family photos inside the church, we drove down the road on Wicker Ave. and took formal shots near the Shrine of Christ's Passion.  Stacey looks resplendent in her wedding dress on the edge of the hilltop.

Dad took his daughter for several spins on the dance floor at The Munster Center for the Performing Arts on Ridge Rd. in Munster, Indiana.  This home to theater also seconds as an elegant wedding reception venue.

After dinner it was party time for the bride and groom and their guests...

Many more images to come for Stacey and Steve's wedding in St. John, IN.  This is merely a sneak peek.  Stay tuned to this Journal for more updates as well as the SBV Photography Facebook page.

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Allen and Jessica's New Years Wedding

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Allen and Jessica had a rocking good time ushering in the New Year of 2012.  You saw the sneak peek a couple of weeks ago, now let's take a deeper look at their New Years Eve wedding.

The day started off with Jessica being tended to by the flower girls inside the Bride's Room at Bethel Church in Crown Point.  Her mom helped her with the tying of the dress along with the garter placement...

I spent the day covering the events of their winter wedding - from their first look (behind a door) to the first kiss and fireworks enhanced exit after midnight - a wonderful way to spend New Years Eve.

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In this ceremony photo, the bridesmaids look on as the pastor enlightens the happy couple on the joys of marriage....

The groom places the ring upon his bride with the glowing cross of Bethel Church in the background...

Look up 'happy' in the dictionary and this photograph appears....

Uh oh, somebody isn't paying attention...

Allen and Jessica's first kiss as husband and wife...

We assembled family and close friends in the auditorium at Bethel and began formal wedding photos starting with this large family group shot...

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One of my favorite images inside the church is this one of the newly married couple with the bridesmaids at the piano and the Christmas tree in the background.

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Above is a set up formal photo of the bride and groom with some dramatic lighting effects to demonstrate the majesty of their marriage and beautiful church.

We braved the winter cold to do a few outside photos in front of the old courthouse in the Crown Point Square. Here, the bride and groom hold up gigantic thank you cards for their wedding guests, family and friends...

As the groom attempts to escape (just kidding), the bridesmaids hold him hostage with their ever deadly nerf guns!!

As guests entered Andorra Banquet Hall for the New Years Eve wedding reception they would see Christmas ornaments with their name and table number attached.  A very cool idea for seating guests!!

The newlyweds had a lovely first dance with the friends looking on...

When I do these highlight posts I almost always show off the father and daughter dance, but this time we turn the tables with a spotlight on mother and son...

The bride and groom taunt each other with the first bites of their wedding cake...

As the night progressed, the flower girls showed no signs of slowing down on the dance floor...

A packed New Years Eve dance floor at Andorra...

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At midnight the newlyweds exited into the cold night sky while friends and family serenaded them with sparklers and fireworks...

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Congratulations to Allen and Jessica on getting married New Years Eve 2011.  You'll never forget that anniversary date!!

Weddings at St. Michael's Church

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As a Northwest Indiana wedding photographer, I make images at many different venues and churches with many different faiths.  Today I'm showcasing Catholic wedding ceremonies and specifically those at St. Michael's Church in Schererville.  The priests at St. Michael's are very traditional and it's important as a photographer to respect that.  I always talk to the officiators to find out their boundaries before I shoot.  In a Catholic church this usually means no flash photography and being limited to certain areas of the room at certain times.

St. Michael's Church has very dramatic architecture so I definitely take a lot of wide shots to show this off....

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While my goal is to never be the center of attention at any wedding ceremony, it's especially important at Catholic churches.  So what's a photographer to do when he's limited to the outer reaches of the building and still want to capture expressions and emotion?  If the wide angle camera is on my right hip, the one with the zoom lens is on my left...

While most of my attention is given to the bride and groom and family, I will capture the priests as well.  The outpouring of their faith while delivering a mass to a wedding couple and their guests can be quite captivating...

Part of the tradition at a wedding ceremony at St. Michael's Church is having the bride and groom praying under the Virgin Mary while out of view of the congregation.  I'm always grateful to be allowed to capture this special moment...

While Catholic wedding ceremonies can be longer than most, this gives plenty of time for me to capture the wedding photos in a variety of styles and angles.  I try to always be aware and ready to focus on the first kiss...

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Keep in mind that after the ceremony, we will only have 30 minutes (if that) to take family formal pictures.  It would be best to have all family members aware and to not have a receiving line.  While I love to take different, creative and fun group photos, the rules of the church dictate that we keep it simple and traditional.

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No matter what your faith may be, let's discuss how to approach your wedding photography at your church. Chances are I will have already photographed there and will know the rules.  Nonetheless, I want to make sure I capture your wedding ceremony in all it's grandeur.  

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Wedding in Barrington, Illinois: Molly & Steve Sneak Peek

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Molly and Steve were married just last week at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church in Barrington, Illinois.  I caught up with the bride just before the ceremony for last minute powdering of her make up before walking down the aisle.  

It was a windy, but fairly warm winter day so we did a few family formals photos outside the church before guests arrived...

On Molly's shot list of requested photographs was the choir's bells which sounded fabulous as they played during parts of the church ceremony...

The children were great as they walked down the long aisle of the majestic looking church....

As our groom Steve awaited, Molly walked down the aisle with her brother giving her away...

After the ceremony we began taking family photos inside the church and eventually ended our session with the bride and groom alone and sharing a kiss in the darkened room...

The reception took place at Pine Crest Golf course which served a fantastic meal.  Here the maid of honor gives a speech to toast the newlyweds...

Soon the first dance was underway as my assistant and I put the happy couple in our spotlight...

This is just a sneek peak with many more images to come.  Subscibe to this Journal or the SBV Photography Facebook Page for updates and links to the entire photo gallery of Molly and Steve's wedding in Barrington, Illinois.  For now, as this family here might say - peace out!!