Ceremony at Nativity of Our Savior Catholic Church in Portage

Ryan and Sara are so made for each other!!  I could just feel the warmth while photographing their wedding ceremony at Nativity of Our Savior Catholic Church in Portage, Indiana.  I'm posting this sneak peek of wedding photos on their one week anniversary!!  Hopefully they are still in town to enjoy.

Sara's parents looked extremely proud while walking their daughter down the aisle as the bright sun shown outside behind them...

The sun rays were so powerful that they shined through the roof pillars of the church onto the bride and groom throughout their wedding ceremony.

- click image to enlarge -

The father of the groom was one of the readers during the wedding at the Portage church as were many family and friends.

The sister and maid of honor to the bride was very helpful to my assistant and I throughout the day by tending to her dress as we eventually took outdoor photographs on this windy day.

Our first outdoor photo opportunity was right outside the Nativity of Our Savior Catholic Church next to the Virgin Mary sculpture.

Our next outdoor stop was the beach at Portage River Walk.  We battled with bright sun and wind, but prevailed.  thanks to the bride and groom for toughing it out.  Many more images from our beach session to come!!

- click image to enlarge -

The reception took place at The Chateau Banquet Hall in Merrillville, Indiana.  The wedding party got out of the hot sun underneath the gazebo for an informal wedding photo...

- click image to enlarge -

The mariachi band that kicked things off at the wedding reception was fantastic.  Many of them took turns serenading the bride and groom and entertaining the guests during dinner at The Chateau.

The bride and groom's family decorated the hall with some really unique decorations.  I will have photographs of the ice sculptures soon.  This wedding bell sits alone ready for guests to ring for the bride and groom to kiss.

Here Sara and Ryan toast each other just after the father of the bride gave an emotionally filled speech proclaiming great love and pride for his daughter.  One of the best reception speeches I have heard.  Great job Dad!!

Stay tuned and subscribe to this blog for more updates on Sara and Ryan's wedding at Nativity of Our Savior Catholic Church in Portage.  More updates will also appear on the SBV Photography Facebook Page as well.

 

The Shrine of Christ's Passion Wedding Photos

- click image to enlarge -

For Stacey and Steve's Spring wedding we took our formal wedding photos at The Shrine of Christ's Passion in St. John, Indiana.  This internationally known tourist attraction sits just in front of the new St. John the Evangelist Church.  It's a unique location for wedding photos and we were able to give the appearance of a mountainous area as seen in the photo of our bride facing the large duplicate of Jesus' cross.

- click image to enlarge -

One of the couple's favorite wedding photos was this casual stroll amongst the greenery of The Shrine of Christ's Passion walkway.

I knew that Stacey was a big fan of selective color shots from their engagement session the previous year.  The groom instinctively helped his bride hold onto the bouquet of flowers while they embraced closely together.

The wedding party patiently waited for our couple's session to end and we gathered them all around the circular drive of the spectacular new church.

- click image to enlarge -

Here is another one of my favorites with the bride and groom at the bottom of the hilltop with the church illuminated in the background.

- click image to enlarge -

Below is one of my designed wedding images.  This is one I call the Love Story Canvas Wrap.  It's 20x24 sized wall print that wraps around wood and comes with a saw tooth hanger for immediate hanging.  All of our packages are digital, but still nothing beats a spectacular looking wall print.

- click image to enlarge -

Finally we have the wonderful couple waving to all of their family and friends in this vintage looking wedding photo.  To see more of Stacey and Steve's Catholic wedding ceremony, visit this post from a couple of weeks ago.

 

Michigan City Wedding: Sneak Peek

Natalie and Greg were married just last week in Michigan City.  The above image is from Washington Park beach where the bride and groom huddles up to keep warm.  This is just a sneak peek with many more wedding photos to follow,

The day started out at Bullettes Hair Salon in Chesterton, Indiana with the bridesmaids toasting champagne as our bride Natalie was getting her hair styled.

Natalie's dress was waiting for her at her parent's home in Chesterton which was a flurry of activity with make up and dress and tux fittings, etc.  

The mother of the bride certainly looks happy as she assist her daughter with her wedding dress...

The Catholic wedding ceremony took place at Saint Stanislaus church in Michigan City.  This vintage church has a spectacular view from the balcony...

- click image to enlarge -

The Father of the bride beams with pride as he walks his daughter down the aisle...

We took family photos within the church and then went to Washington Park beach where the groom requested a shot of him and his new bride with the NIPSCO power plant in the background.  The billowing smoke and ominous clouds made for an edgy backdrop for the spiffed up groom and beautiful bride...

- click image to enlarge -

The reception took place at the Senior Center banquet hall within Washington Park.  the groom and his mother share a few laughs on the dance floor...

A little later in the night, the happy couple took to the dance floor surrounded by friends and family.

Be sure to subscribe to this Journal via RSS on the right side of this page and to like SBV Photography on Facebook for more updates and images from Natalie and Greg's wedding in Michigan City, Indiana.

Wedding Ceremony at St. John the Evangelist

- click image to enlarge -

Stacey and Steve were recenty married at Saint John the Evangelist Church in Saint John, Indiana.  This vintage, old church on Route 41 has some amazing architecture.  The bride and groom's family and friends filled the pews as the excited bride walked down the aisle with her parents on each arm.

Catholic ceremonies tend to give me enough time to take shots from all vantage points, like this photo of the wedding party all lined up off of the altar taken from the balcony of the church.

- click image to enlarge -

Although most Catholic churches have restrictions on where the photographer can shoot from and external lighting is prohibited, classic wedding photos can be obtained.  The area where the bride and groom were praying was cloaked in darkness, but by shooting a silhouette and then adding some toning and vignette in post production, I was able to produce one of my favorite ceremony picture below.

The same technique was applied to this image of the groom assisting his bride off of the pews and back to the altar.

The focus isn't always on the bride and groom as this selective color image of the bridesmaids illustrates.

The sleepy flower girl was too cute to pass up.  She and the groomsmen get the vintage treatment on this wedding photo.

The bride and groom smile as one of their readers says a few words at the podium...

- click image to enlarge -

The bride and groom made a fake getaway in the limousine before coming back in for formal family photos inside the beautiful church.  Check back soon for images from the formals of Stacey and Steve's Spring time wedding.

For more wedding images on the go, fire up the mobile browser on your iPhone, iPad or Android device and download the free Region Wedding Mobile App:

Download the free Region Weddings Mobile App:
http://moblalbum.com/124/gallery/1495