June Wedding At St. Michael's Parish

June 24, 2016 Steve Vansak

The bride and groom kiss at the statue of the Virgin Mary at St. Michael's Parish.

Stephanie and Craig's June wedding took place at St. Michael's Parish in Schererville, Indiana. It was only a few minutes from Stephanie's parent's home where we saw her and her bridesmaids taking over the living room for getting ready.

The bride and her bridesmaid's get ready at her parent's house in Schererville, Indiana.

Stephanie's mom was super sweet as she asked for a photo with her daughter in the living room before taking off for the church.

Mother of the bride and her daughter on wedding day.

St. Michael's Catholic Parish is very unique as it is a large oval and a very long church. It's gives ample room for very unique angles when covering the wedding ceremony.

Wedding ceremony at St. Michael's Parish in Schererville, Indiana.

After family pictures inside the church, off we went to Centennial Park for some fun shots with the wedding party and a romantic stroll for the newly married couple.

Fun wedding party photos at Centennial Park.

Bride and groom wedding photos at Centennial Park and St. Michael's Church.

The sun was still streaming in for this June wedding reception at Wicker Park Social Center. Guests hung out on the balcony and of course danced as the night took over.

Summer wedding reception at Wicker Park Social Center.

First dance at Wicker Park Social Center.

June is one of the busiest times of year for a professional wedding photographer, so please enjoy this sneak peek look at Stephanie and Craig's June wedding at St. Michael's Parish. Follow us on social media below for more images.

Spring Wedding At Dyer United Methodist Church

May 16, 2016 Steve Vansak

Newlyweds cuddle up on a bench at Centennial Park in Munster, Indiana

Brandi and Kent's Spring wedding at Dyer United Methodist Church was a fun one with lots of friends and family. It also featured a major surprise which we will get to a bit later.

The day started out with me covering the bridesmaids during getting ready. I got to know them a little bit and I knew we were in for a fun day. Brandi had elegant jewelry coupled with a stunning dress. Her wedding shoes matched the blue bridesmaid dresses, but soon her Harley Davidson boots took over. *** Click On Images To Enlarge ***

Getting ready on wedding day at Dyer United Methodist Church.

The older flower girl was shy at first, but soon she was commanding her very own portrait session complete with her stepping into the bride's wedding shoes!! Brandi will be giving this photo to her on her wedding day.

Flower girl steps into the bride's wedding shoes.

The bridesmaids in their blue robes during wedding day prep.

While I took Brandi into the church for photos of her and the bridesmaids, my second photographer was with the groom and his guys at Centennial Park. I mentioned that she looked stunning in her wedding dress and here is the proof...

The bride looks down at her bouquet with stained glass windows behind her.

The bride and her Spring themed sunflower bouquet.

The ceremony at Dyer United Methodist Church saw the doors open and Brandi and her Dad and son emerging in silhouette while Kent awaited. There were many joyful moments including a "placing of the rings malfunction" that saw the bride and groom laughing. The ceremonial pouring of the sand saw them alone at the altar just before the first kiss.

Wedding ceremony at Dyer United Methodist Church.

After family photos inside the church, it was time to put on the Harley boots and take some fun wedding photos over at Centennial Park in Munster, Indiana. We also took what I call the "generations wedding photo" with both sets of parents kissing behind the bride groom.

The bride and groom share kiss and their parents do the same behind them.

Bride shows off her Harley Davidson garter and boots.

Wedding photo collage at Centennial Park.

Brandi and Kent's wedding reception took place at Casa Maria Banquet Hall in Dyer, Indiana. The wedding cake was all decked out in sunflowers, the toasts saw many laughs and hugs and maid of honor Brittany collected the cash for the dollar dance. *** Click On Images To Enlarge ***

Wedding reception photos at Casa Maria Banquet Hall in Dyer, Indiana.

The surprise I alluded to earlier occurred during the bouquet toss. It was a surprise marriage proposal from groomsman to bridesmaid. Of course, I was in on it and knew the whole time, but I did not know who was getting the ring. Taylor was quite shocked when Brandi walked over and handed her the bouquet and she got turned around to an awaiting engagement ring. We were there to capture it all. Judging by the photos, I think we know that she said yes!!

*** Click On Images To Enlarge ***

Surprise marriage proposal during a wedding reception at Casa Maria Banquet Hall.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Brandi and Kent's Spring wedding at Dyer United Methodist Church. Stay tuned for more images on the social media channels below.

First dance for the bride and groom at Casa Maria Banquet Hall.

Church Weddings In Northwest Indiana and Chicago

April 18, 2016 Steve Vansak

The bride and groom stand center aisle at St. Peter's Catholic Church in Laporte, Indiana.

I love photographing in the outdoors and now that temperatures are rising here in the Midwest, I'm energized for all of the weddings coming up and engagement sessions as well. However, I equally enjoy shooting inside at churches. Often times the lighting can be challenging and movement can often be restricted, but it has it's photographic rewards. Let me take you through some church weddings done throughout Northwest Indiana, Chicago and Michigan. Here are some of the things I love about them and what can make them difficult to photograph as well.

Church wedding ceremonies in Northwest Indiana, Chicago and Michigan.

I usually position myself in the center aisle and cover the procession while one of my second photographers is usually assigned coverage of the "reactions" - groom anticipating his bride, parents, guests, loved ones, tears, laughter and more. I can feel the nervous tension in the room just before the bride comes down the aisle and I can only imagine what the couple must be feeling. Some churches have quite the long walkway too!!

We never use flash during the ceremony as it is distracting and often prohibited. If we have access, we always try to capture closeups of the emotions from family and even the bride and groom themselves. As the lead photographer, I tend to focus more on the couple getting married and the architecture shots while my second photographer (and myself too) looks for emotional moments. Oh, and I love capturing images that show off the church and the significance of the various religious symbolism. I've photographed really large churches such as St. Andrew in Calumet City, St. Stanislaus in Michigan City and St. Josephat in Chicago as well as tiny little chapels.

Wonderful moments at various church weddings.

Family photographs usually occur right after the ceremony. Sometimes a bubble send off occurs and then it's right back inside for pictures. If you have a limited amount of time ( most weddings do) I'd encourage you to skip the traditional receiving line at the church. Family pictures usually take awhile to organize, plus we have wedding party and couple's photos as well. Most couples go table to table for a meet and greet at the reception.

I bring professional, studio quality lighting for the church family photos and couple's photos. The ceremony is now over and the pastor or priest will now allow us to use our lighting. We follow along on the shot list that you filled out. I love to take artistic photos inside the church, but simple pictures with grandma and parents, etc. are equally important. They and you will cherish these.

Family and wedding party photos inside a church.

The bride on the altar at St. Mary's Church in Crown Point.

Often times people have been attending their church for years and often don't realize the beauty that is there. After some shots of the happy couple in their church, it's usually off to the park, beach or wherever for fun shots and romantic photos.

Artistic church wedding photos in Northwest Indiana and Chicago.

I hope you have enjoyed this look at church weddings in Northwest Indiana, Chicago and Michigan. To inquire about your wedding date - church or otherwise - please fill out the Contact Form and I will get back with you shortly.

Military guard salute at St. Mary's Church in Griffith, Indiana.

Wedding At Holy Spirit Catholic Church In Crown Point, Indiana

April 4, 2016 Steve Vansak

The bride and groom walk down the aisle of Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Crown Point, Indiana

I would not be exaggerating if I were to say that Dustin and Melissa had an EPIC wedding at Holy Spirit Catholic Church. During the ceremony classic movie themes played and you could imagine the orchestra in the room. Everything about the day was done in a big and glorious way. Let me take you through hair and make up, a "shaving of the groom", complete with medieval tools and outdoor formals that experienced three seasons within 30 minutes time. Oh, and there was a pig and bread dance at the reception as well. I will never forget the emotional first look, one of my favorites that I have photographed. Let's go...

The bridesmaids prepare for the day at His and Hers Salon in Hebron, Indiana.

The morning began with me at His and Hers Salon with Melissa and her bridesmaids while second photographer Kerrie was with the groomsmen at their breakfast at George's Restaurant in Lowell. We all peered out the window at the snowflakes falling in April. Our weather apps told us "flurries ending soon". :)

Mother and bride on the morning of the big day.

As hair and make up was winding down, Kerrie and I flip flopped and I went to photograph the traditional Macedonian "shaving of the groom". This particular shaving had a bit of a twist though. It was more of a trimming and the instruments kept getting larger and larger...

The groom undergoes the traditional Macedonian "shaving of the groom" ritual.

Groomsmen and the father of the groom drink a shot after the shaving of the groom.

Soon we were back at the church where the wedding party got dressed. Our wonderful first look / reveal would be coming up soon.

The mother of the groom secures the boutonniere.

After some coaching from me and a brief false start, our first look was underway. I could see the nervous excitement start to build for the groom as his beautiful bride walked down the aisle toward him.

First look for the bride and groom at Holy Spirit Catholic Church.

Emotion overcomes the bride and groom during their reveal.

Melissa looked stunning in her wedding dress. We took this time to photograph her and Dustin together and alone in the glorious architecture of their church.

The bride shows off her dress at Holy Spirit Catholic Church.

The bride gazes out while holding her bouquet of spring flowers.

The ceremony saw the mothers of Dustin and Melissa as featured singers. The newlyweds are movie buffs and theme songs from films played throughout. Even the flower girl approved with a big thumbs up!!

Wedding ceremony at Holy Spirit Catholic Church.

Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Crown Point, Indiana.

We did family wedding photos at the church along with the wedding party at the altar. Then it was off to the downtown Crown Point Square.

The weather had been like a faucet all day long - snow, sleet, rain, you name it. We made a game time decision to stay with our plan of outdoor photos in downtown Crown Point. The joke in Northwest Indiana is that if you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes and it will change. Well, that could not have been more true as we visited the Old Courthouse. In the end though, we had a lot of fun...

The bridesmaids muscle their way into the groomsmen coats in exchange for flowers.

Fun wedding photos at the downtown Crown Point Square.

The bride's veil flies in the wind as the newlyweds take a stroll in downtown Crown Point.

So where is this ever changing Northwest Indiana weather that I speak of? Here you go...

A sudden snow blizzard engulfs the bride and groom during their wedding photos.

The wedding reception took place at Signature Banquets in Lowell, Indiana. The non stop party featured popcorn and a movie soundtrack picked by the couple. We also saw a few more Macedonian wedding traditions such as the pig dance and bread dance.

Wedding reception fun at Signature Banquets in Lowell, Indiana.

The mother of the groom and father of the bride dance with their children.

First dance for the bride and groom at Signature Banquets in Lowell, Indiana.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Dustin and Melissa's epic wedding at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Crown Point, Indiana. Stay tuned to the social media sites below for more images.