Wedding At Westminster Presbyterian Church In Munster, Indiana

November 7, 2016 Steve Vansak

Bride and groom at sunset on the pier at Lighthouse Restaurant in Cedar Lake, Indiana.

We had a wonderful day for Tiffany and Shane's Fall wedding at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Munster, Indiana. We started out in the morning with bridal prep in the loft of the groom's parent's home. These Chicago Cubs fans had their beloved Cubbies there in spirit and decor and Shane's mom served up apple pie to go along with the mimosa bar.

The bride has a quiet moment while getting ready for her big day.

Shane awaited Tiffany's arrival at the North end of the Centennial Park bridge. It was a sweet and dramatic moment as she walked along across the long bridge to his awaiting arms.

First look for the bride and groom on the Centennial Park bridge.

We went all around Centennial Park taking group shots as well as romantic couples photos. The guys showed off their socks while the girls revealed their red shoes.

The wedding party shows off their socks and shoes.

I'm happy to report that no injuries occurred as the wedding party launched into the air while the bride and groom kissed. Soon we would be off to the church for the ceremony at Westminster Presbyterian Church.

Wedding party photos at Centennial Park in Munster, Indiana.

Bride and groom portrait at Centennial Park in Munster, Indiana.

The bride and groom stroll around the lake at Centennial Park.

Westminster Presbyterian is a wonderful church nestled away on Columbia Avenue in Munster, Indiana. I loved the architecture there and capturing the wonderful moments that occurred during Tiffany and Shane's ceremony.

Westminster Presbyterian Church in Munster, Indiana.

Wedding ceremony at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Munster, Indiana.

I love it when we get some good sized bubbles filling the air as the bride and groom exit the church.

Bride and groom exit with bubbles at Westminster Presbyterian Church.

Our final stop of the day was Lighthouse Restaurant in Cedar Lake, Indiana for the reception. The lighting was "cubbie blue" as the Chicago Cubs World Series game played on the big screen as friends and family celebrated.

Wedding reception celebration at Lighthouse Restaurant in Cedar Lake, Indiana.

First dance for the bride and groom at Lighthouse Restaurant in Cedar Lake, Indiana.

This is merely a sneak peek with many more images to come. Please fill out the Contact Form for availability for your wedding date and stay tuned to the Region Weddings Instagram feed for more wedding pictures.

Wedding At St. Patrick Catholic Church In Chesterton, Indiana

October 17, 2016 Steve Vansak

The bride and groom take a break on some logs at Coffee Creek Nature Preserve.

Katie and Chad's Fall wedding at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Chesterton, Indiana began at Katie's parent's home. The kitchen became a make shift hair and beauty salon and I'm sure the resident bulldog was quite puzzled by all of the excitement.

Bridal prep for a Fall wedding in Chesterton, Indiana.

The bride's pet bulldog wears her veil on the morning of her wedding.

While I photographed the girls, second photographer Kerrie was at Coffee Creek Nature Preserve taking the groomsmen pictures. After the ceremony we'd all head back here for photos.

Bridesmaids and groomsmen at Coffee Creek Nature Preserve in Chesterton, Indiana.

The ceremony saw the priest hosting a version of the Anniversary dance as he had all married guests stand up and dismissed them by the length of their marriage. Soon it was time for the first kiss, family photos and then we took a visit to the quaint chapel located behind the main church.

Wedding ceremony at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Chesterton, Indiana.

Wedding photos at the chapel at St. Patrick's Catholic Church.

The mild temperatures made the surroundings at Coffee Creek Nature Preserve very serene as we strolled around using the wonderful bridge and the water itself for our backdrops. The wildflowers take on a very golden tone there in the Autumn and it is such a great scene for bride and groom pictures.

A bride and groom portrait in front of the golden wildflowers at Coffee Creek Park.

Wedding photos at Coffee Creek Nature Preserve in Chesterton, Indiana.

I loved capturing the silhouetted reflections of the wedding party on the water...

Wedding party photos at Coffee Creek Nature Preserve in Chesterton, Indiana.

I am never one to turn down a dramatic sky portrait of the bride and groom, so when I saw sunlight peaking through the clouds, we got into position and captured the moment.

Dramatic clouds descend upon Coffee Creek Nature Preserve during wedding pictures.

The reception at Trinity Hall which is part of St. Patrick's Catholic Church saw the room aglow in blue. A mini wedding cake was located on every table.

Wedding reception at Trinity Hall in Chesterton, Indiana.

Bouquet and garter toss at Trinity Hall in Chesterton, Indiana.

I hope you have enjoyed this Autumn wedding sneak peek from St. Patrick's Catholic Church and Coffee Creek Nature Preserve. Be sure to follow the social media channels and fill out the Contact Form for more info on wedding photography.

First dance at Trinity Hall in Chesterton, Indiana.

Wedding Ceremony At St. Casimir Church

August 8, 2016 Steve Vansak

The bride and groom embrace at the fountain of Centennial Park as the blue sky reflects off the water.

Karina and Abimael had a wonderful summer day for their Catholic wedding ceremony at St. Casimir Church in Hammond, Indiana. My morning was spent at the bride's Aunt's home for prep for the big day while second photographer Lauren was at the couple's home capturing the guys.

The groom had his best man deliver a box of flowers and a card for his bride to be and the happy tears flowed. Karina almost held it together for the sake of her make up, but not really. :)

Bridal prep for a summer wedding in Hammond, Indiana.

The early afternoon wedding at St. Casimir Church saw the groom getting a pep talk from his groomsmen and one of the flower girl's watched in awe as Karina came down the aisle with her father. The bride and groom carried on the tradition of the Spanish lasso rosary signifying the unifying of the couple together in marriage for their entire lives. They exited to bubbles and a BRIGHT summer sun.

Catholic wedding ceremony at St. Casimir Church in Hammond, Indiana.

The spectacular architecture of St. Casimir Church during a wedding ceremony.

One of the things I like to do on super bright sunny days is to utilize the sun to my advantage in different ways. At times I might create a sun star for a dramatic wedding photo with sun flare shooting toward the bride and groom. Other times, a more dreamy bride and groom wedding picture is in order. For Karina and Abimael's wedding photos, we went all around Centennial Park getting a little bit of both.

A sun star in the blue sky for this summer wedding photo of the bride and groom.

Summer wedding photos at Centennial Park in Munster, Indiana.

The wedding party just rocked it as we went all around the park in the heat and blistering sun. I can tell that these are really good friends of the bride and groom and their love for the happy couple really showed.

A big group hug for the wedding party on the bridge at Centennial Park.

The love-fest continued as we took the party to St. Elijah Serbian American Hall in Merrillville, Indiana. Sister of the bride shed a few tears as Karina danced with her Dad. The groomsmen celebrated with shots at the bar and the happy couple sliced up the biggest chunk of wedding cake I've seen yet!! The groom has good reflexes and didn't lose any of it. :)

Father and daughter dance at St. Elijah Serbian American Hall in Merrillville, Indiana.

Wedding reception fun at St. Elijah Hall.

We had a blast capturing Karina and Abimael's big day. This is merely a sneak peek so do tune in to the Region Weddings Instagram feed for more images. Don't forget to fill out the Contact Form to inquire about your big day.

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.