The 2017 Northwest Indiana Wedding Photography Year In Review

December 26, 2017 Steve Vansak

Bride applies lipstick at Barker Mansion in Michigan City, Indiana.

Welcome once again to the Region Weddings Year In Review for wedding photography in Northwest Indiana, Chicago and southern Michigan. Settle in as it was another full year of weddings and this my longest article of the year with lots of images. To see a video slideshow of this post, check out The 2017 Year In Review video.

The 2017 wedding season saw me photograph for the first time at the historic Barker Mansion in Michigan City. My goal with this series of bridal portraits was to showcase the vintage history of the iconic building with a very modern bride. This resulted in some glorious color right next to sepia tones.

Bride on red staircase at Barker Mansion in Michigan City, IN.

There were quite a few winter wedding this year starting with Annie and Paul at Fair Oaks Farmhouse and then Lynne and Dale with a church ceremony at a stop at One Trick Pony brewery. Samantha and Dale were married at Saint Maria Goretti Church with a very chilly stop by Centennial Park.

As winter gave way to Spring (very begrudgingly), Sam and Alex and Amanda and Mike were on board for a pair of church weddings along with stops at Buckley Homestead.

Spring wedding photos in Northwest Indiana.

Bride and groom strike a magazine style pose at Centennial Park.

Late summer and early Spring saw Emily and Zach with an outdoor ceremony at Villa Cesare and Amanda and Josh at St. Michael's Church.

High fives, neon love, sisters / bridesmaids and church wedding ceremonies.

Summer weddings saw the flowers of Northwest Indiana in full bloom at Hans and Karla's outdoor ceremony at The Inn At Aberdeen with lakeside photos for Jill and Johnny.

July wedding photos in Northwest Indiana.

Bride and groom kiss in front of the old Crown Point Courthouse.

Ashlee and Ryan took a tour of downtown Crown Point for their wedding photos while Samantha and Tyler stayed in Valparaiso for their Aberdeen Chapel ceremony with pictures at Taltree Arboretum and a reception at The Market.

August weddings in Crown Point and Valparaiso.

Post ceremony kiss at The Chapel at Aberdeen Manor.

The groom spins his bride near the cornfields of Indiana.

Late summer say another new venue, Meadow Springs Manor with Karlie and Corey and a spectacular day at The Pavilion At Sandy Pines with Bethany and Keenin and their classic Mustang.

Late summer weddings at Meadow Springs Manor and Sandy Pines.

Bride and groom ride away in a classic Mustang.

September and October were definitely the busiest for weddings as well as engagement sessions. This part of the season saw Christina and Melvin at the incredible Uptown Center and Emily and Todd who were married at the final event at the bride's (soon to be torn down) childhood church next to her parent's home.

Bride on stage at The Uptown Center in Michigan City.

Bride and groom kiss in front an old chapel in Hebron, Indiana.

Romantic wedding photo in downtown Michigan City.

I photographed two Serbian weddings in 2017 with Jessica and Marinko at St. Simeon Church in Chicago and Tanja and Kevin at St. George in Schererville. The circle dances never stopped on either day.

Serbian weddings in Chicago and Schererville, Indiana.

The sun sets as the bride and groom gaze at each other beneath the tall trees in the forest.

As Fall kicked in, I photographed two weddings on opposite ends of the region both in style and geography - Katie and Mike at Lighthouse Restaurant with it's nautical vibe and The Allure in South Bend with Morganne and Chris.

Fall weddings at Lighthouse Restaurant and The Allure.

Bride and groom on the pier at Lighthouse Restaurant.

Bride and groom on a leaf filled bridge near Coffee Creek in Chesterton, Indiana.

The Autumn weddings also saw stops at Sand Creek Country Club with Jessica and Mitchell and The Spa in Porter, Indiana with Julia and Evan. Both weddings featured a deluge of leaves and Fall color.

Autumn leaves at wedding venues Sand Creek Country Club and The Spa.

The bride and groom share a kiss surrounded by Fall color at The Inn At Aberdeen.

November saw a pair of church weddings with Gina and Marcus at The Chapel At Avalon Manor and Emily and Jeff at Holy Name Catholic Church and reception at The Center For Performing Arts. Both had an abundance of unique Fall colors.

Bride in mirror before walking down the aisle.

I certainly can't forget Jeremiah and Kevin with their big Christmas wedding at The Uptown Center or Whinchester and Whinchester (aka Jennifer and David) - my first ever bride and groom with the same last name.

Christmas red and a bride and groom in blue.

Thank you so much for a terrific 2017 in weddings!! I have one more on December 30th so be sure to stay tuned here for the final wedding of 2017. To inquire about your big day, as always please complete the Contact Form. I hope you have a terrific New Year and let's hope for a 2018 filled with love.

Bride inside the "red room" at Barker Mansion.

Fall Wedding At Holy Name Catholic Church

November 17, 2017 Steve Vansak

Red leaves illuminate at Lourde's Friary for a Fall wedding.

Autumn colors were still with us in mid November for Emily and Jeff's Fall wedding at Holy Name Catholic Church in Cedar Lake, Indiana. Our day started out with breakfast cocktails at Emily's parent's house. The bride looked elegant in her wedding dress as we took portraits in the mirror at home.

Bridal prep for a Fall wedding at Holy Name Catholic Church.

Second photographer Kerrie was with Jeff and the guys and soon we would be arriving for the mid afternoon wedding ceremony at church.

Holy Name Catholic Church was decorated with red as Emily came down the aisle in the arms of her parents. I love the balcony there as it makes for great photos, especially with the long train of the bride's dress.

Fall wedding ceremony at Holy Name Catholic Church.

The bride walks down the aisle at Holy Name Catholic Church.

After family photos, we took church wedding pictures with the wedding party and bride and groom. Then we quickly headed out the door to Lourde's Friary for some Fall color as it gets dark pretty early this time of year.

Bride and groom walk down the aisle at Holy Name Catholic Church in Cedar Lake, Indiana.

Lourdes Friary is an area close to the church where nuns live and it is a wonderfully unique spot for photographs, complete with a lake and at this time of year, lots of Autumn leaves.

Bride and groom walk along the leaves at Lourde's Friary.

Nightfall was approaching and the blue hour was upon us for the wedding party photos.

Fall wedding party photos in Cedar Lake, Indiana.

Fall color at Lourde's Friary for the bride and groom.

Emily's grandmother Rose had recently fallen and injured her hip. Sadly she was confined to a rehab center in Crown Point. We decided to give her a surprise visit with the bride, groom, MOH and best man. She was on the phone getting audio updates about the wedding and when she turned around, there was her granddaughter. She was SO HAPPY!!

Grandma gets a visit on wedding day from the bride and groom.

The red colors really popped for the reception at Center For The Performing Arts in Munster, Indiana. From the centerpieces to the cake decor to the party favors, the sea of red was spectacular in the darkened room.

Red wedding decorations at The Center For Performing Arts.

Wedding reception fun at The Center For Performing Arts in Munster, Indiana.

This is merely a sneak peek look at Emily and Jeff's Fall wedding at Holy Name Catholic Church in Cedar Lake, Indiana. Please follow the social media channels for many more images to come. To inquire about your big day, please fill out the Contact Form.

Fall Wedding At Aberdeen Manor In Valparaiso, Indiana

November 8, 2017 Steve Vansak

Bride and groom kiss in front of the gazebo at inn of Aberdeen.

At Gina and Marcus' Fall wedding at Aberdeen Manor we saw IU and Notre Dame come together. We also saw a storm and loss of power, but just like in football the game got played and both teams got cheered on.

In all seriousness, although the above is true, Gina and Marcus' big day was very romantic and filled with lots of emotion - happy tears, lol's and genuine love.

I knew I had a fun bunch the moment I walked in and the sea of red flannel shirts greeted me. The beauty crew included MUA's Brittany Hennings, Emily Dupre and Katlean Mae on hair.

Bridesmaids in flannel shirts having fun on wedding day.

Gina had lots of details to photograph which I love to do. Her and Marcus exchanged gifts separately and then it was time for our first look. At this point it had just stormed and the ground was quite wet so we chose the staircase at the inn for the big reveal.

The groom shows off his Notre Dame heritage.

First look on the staircase at The Inn at Aberdeen.

One of the benefits of rain on your wedding day is the saturation of colors, a big plus at Fall weddings and really anytime of year. So don't worry too much about your day if weather gets a bit rough.

Romantic embrace for the bride and groom at Aberdeen.

Red leaves in the garden at Aberdeen Manor.

Romantic wedding photos at Aberdeen Manor in Valparaiso, Indiana.

We had a lot of fun with the wedding party and the fountain area near Aberdeen was a great spot for this large group.

Bridesmaids and groomsmen at Aberdeen Manor in Valparaiso.

The wedding party at Aberdeen Manor and Ballroom.

Next up was family photos as guests arrived for the ceremony in the Aberdeen Chapel. We had a wedding first with Straight Outta Compton being quoted by the minister during the ceremony. The leave exit celebration was a blast. It was now night time and the dance floor was waiting.

Wedding ceremony inside Aberdeen Chapel.

Emotions abound inside Aberdeen Chapel for a Fall wedding ceremony.

As guests filed into the Aberdeen Manor Ballroom, they were greeted by the wedding cake suspended in air. It is one of the more unique wedding cake displays in the area.

A wedding cake is suspended from the ceiling at Aberdeen Manor.

Wedding reception fun at Aberdeen Manor.

Bride and groom first dance on the beautiful Aberdeen Manor ballroom.

The packed dance floor during a wedding reception at Aberdeen Manor in Valparaiso, Indiana.

This is merely a sneak peek at Gina and Marcus' Fall wedding at Aberdeen Manor in Valparaiso, Indiana. Stay tuned to social media below for more images. To inquire about your big day, as always please fill out the Contact Form.

Serbian Wedding At St. George's Church In Schererville, Indiana

October 2, 2017 Steve Vansak

Bride and groom illuminated by the sun outside St. George's Church

When I arrived for Tanja's bridal preparation / getting ready photos I did indeed photograph her dress, jewelry and bridesmaid camaraderie. However, it didn't take long for me to be in full "reception mode" as the band started playing at 11am and the dancing was on. Oh, and delicious food was in abundance along with a little moonshine!!

Pre-ceremony celebration at a Serbian wedding.

After the introduction of the bride, a circle of life dance broke out in the street across from their home. Soon we would be off to St. George's Church in Schererville, Indiana for the traditional ceremony.

Circle of life celebration dance at a Serbian wedding.

Wedding ceremony at Saint George's Church.

Once all of the rituals were completed, the ceremony ended and then it was outside into the sun for more celebrations in dance.

Post ceremony celebration at a Serbian wedding.

We then went inside the church for family photos and then I took the bride and groom outside in the wooded area between the church and the hall for some bride and groom wedding photos.

Family pictures inside of St. George's Church.

Bride at the altar at St. George's Church in Schererville, Indiana.

Golden sun flare surrounds the bride and groom.

The bride and groom on their wedding day.

Bride and groom Fall wedding photos at St. George's Church.

We finished up with some wedding party photos at Halls of St. George and then it was back inside for introductions, a meal and non stop dancing.

The Dollar Band kept the music going for first dances as well as a whole bunch of circle dances.

First dances at Halls of St. George in Schererville, Indiana.

Serbian wedding reception celebration at Halls of St. George.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Tanja and Kevin's Fall wedding at St. George's Church in Schererville, Indiana. Please fill out the Contact Form to inquire about your day and stay tuned to social media below for more images.