Wedding At Faith United Reform Church in Beecher, Illinois

March 6, 2018 Steve Vansak

Bride and groom take a romantic walk after their wedding at Faith United Reform Church.

There were so many wonderful moments at Nicole and Luke's March wedding at Faith United Reform Church in Beecher, Illinois - from the exciting first look of the bride and groom to the flower girl being escorted down the aisle in a red wagon courtesy of the ring bearer. So much to show..

Our morning started with myself documenting the girls getting ready while second photographer Kerrie was with the guys. The first thing I noticed was Nicole's wonderfully long veil and beautiful dress. Make Up by Krissy V. made sure everyone was looking their best. After details I photographed all of the laughter going on and soon we would be arriving at church for the reveal and pictures.

The sun was bright on this fairly balmy March day and it was pouring into the church as Nicole entered the sanctuary and Luke waited. Myself and Kerrie had our cameras ready as Chicago Wedding Films captured the action on video.

Sunlight streams though the church for the bride and groom's big reveal.

First look for the bride and groom at Faith United Reform Church.

We began taking bride and groom and wedding party pictures inside the church and then onto family photos before guests' arrived for the ceremony. Of course I was going to show off Nicole's spectacular veil...

The bride's long veil is draped in front of the altar at church.

Groomsmen show off their socks while the bridesmaids rock their pretty flowers.

The church was full of family and friends as a red wagon carried the flower girl and minutes later Nicole entered with her Dad.

Wedding ceremony at Faith United Reform Church.

The bride and groom exchange vows at Faith United Reform Church in Beecher, Illinois.

Bride and groom share a kiss during portraits inside church.

Our next stop was Lourde's Friary for outdoor pictures of the newlyweds and all of their wedding party.

Bride and groom on the outdoor staircase at Lourde's Friary.

The bride and her bridesmaids celebrate the big day.

The wedding party gathered around the outdoor staircase in Cedar Lake, Indiana.

Bridesmaid and groomsmen photos in the sun at a March wedding.

Bride and groom cozy up within the rock formations at Lourde's Friary.

When we arrived at Halls of St. George for the reception, I was not surprised to see greenery as part of the decor seeing as Nicole's family runs Woldhuis Farms Sunrise Greenhouse. The donut cake was colorful (and smelled great) and we even caught some munching on the dance floor going on.

Wedding reception fun at Halls of St. George banquet center.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Nicole and Luke's March wedding at Faith United Reform Church in Beecher, Illinois. Be sure to fill out the Contact Form to inquire about your big day!!

Church Weddings In Northwest Indiana, Chicago and Michigan

February 26, 2018 Steve Vansak

Newlyweds walk down the aisle at Immaculate Heart Of Mary Church

I have photographed at many different churches of many different faiths in many different towns and cities. Some have been quaint chapels and others have been around a hundred years and are the size of a city block. The wedding of Maria and Seth who are pictured above was two hours in length and performed entirely in Latin. While I approach them all uniquely (because they are), I do have certain common things in mind when I photograph a church wedding.

Balcony photos of church weddings at St. Andrew's and St. Stanislaus.

Wide architecture wedding photos come to mind right away for church weddings. This is certainly at the forefront for the large sanctuaries like St. Stanislaus in Michigan City or St. Andrew in Calumet City. One of the largest I've photographed at is St. Josaphat Roman Catholic Church in Chicago, Illinois.

Wedding ceremony at St. Josaphat Roman Catholic Church in Chicago.

Wedding from the balcony at St. Josaphat Church in Chicago.

During the ceremonies themselves I'm looking to capture the same emotions I would anywhere. I love to get a reaction shot of the groom if possible and if the flower girl gives a sudden thumbs up in the middle of the proceedings, myself or one of the second photographers are always at the ready. Details of religious symbols or mementos that mark the day are also important.

Moments at various church wedding ceremonies in Northwest Indiana and Chicago.

Church weddings do have their challenges with often dim lighting and reflections that throw color off and more. I pride myself in being able to deliver high quality church wedding photos from 10 years of experience.

The church is also a great time to show off the bride's dress with some bridal portraits that also show off the architecture and stained glass.

Bride at the center of Holy Spirit Catholic Church.

Bride and groom church wedding portraits.

Beautiful married couples at their wonderful churches.

An article about church weddings would not be complete without mentioning the church exit. Whether the happy couple is showered by bubbles or paper airplanes or greeted by a live band, this is always a joyous portion of the day.

The bride and groom walk through bubbles at Oak Glen United Reform Church in Lansing.

To inquire about your wedding date, church wedding or not - please fill out the Contact Form to set up a meeting.

Winter Wedding At Bethel Church In Crown Point, Indiana

January 2, 2018 Steve Vansak

Bride and groom as photographed through a Christmas tree at Bethel Church.

Kelli and Franz's winter wedding at Bethel Church in Crown Point, Indiana took place after Christmas and just before New Years, with festive tree lights everywhere. I knew I had to use them for some photos and in a wedding first, I actually stuck myself (mostly my camera lens) inside a Christmas tree. The newlyweds were all too happy to gaze at each other, but probably wondering what in the world I was doing. :)

The morning ceremony took place at 9am so we got an early start with bridal prep and the groom snuck in some basketball in the game room before a group prayer and emerging for a peekaboo picture with his bride to be.

Bridemaids getting ready at Bethel Church in Crown Point, Indiana.

Groomsmen wedding prep at Bethel Church.

As guests awaited, Franz snuck down a hallway of the church where he and his bride to be said a prayer together on opposite sides of a wall as sunlight streamed in.

A pre ceremony photo of the bride and groom on opposite sides of a wall.

The bride and groom at their December wedding.

The morning ceremony began with Kelli being walked down the aisle by her Dad. She was greeted at the front of the stage by her future husband as grandma gave her well wishes.

The bride walks down the aisle at Bethel Church.

Wedding ceremony at Bethel Church in Crown Point, Indiana.

As the wedding party and guests looked on, vows were exchanged and the happy couple celebrated.

Exchanging wedding vows at Bethel Church.

Bride and groom kiss on the stage at Bethel Church.

During family photos, the brother of the bride paid back his sister with a faux sock to the jaw like she did at his wedding last year. After family pictures, wedding party and couple's photos inside Bethel, it was time for us to step outside into the frozen tundra for some winter wedding photos in the snow.

Wedding pictures with parents and the best man and MOH.

Wedding party group photos at Bethel Church and Ministries.

Wedding pictures using the holiday lights at Bethel Church.

A walk in the snow for the bride and groom at their winter wedding in Crown Point, Indiana.

The reception decor on display at Avalon Manor showcased the couple's faith with a highlight of bible verses as well as the always fun Fuji Instamatic Camera. The afternoon reception also featured the bread dance, a staple of Macedonian weddings. An Anniversary dance was also played with the longest married couple celebrating their big win.

Wedding reception decor at Avalon Manor.

The first dances saw the couple dancing with father and mother respectively before their own dance as the afternoon light streamed through the windows at Avalon manor.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Kelli and Franz's winter wedding at Bethel Church. Please follow the social media channels below to see more. Also, be sure to check out the 2017 Year In Weddings with highlights from an entire year of weddings. To inquire about your own big day, please fill out the Contact Form. Happy Holidays!!

The bride and groom next to Christmas tree lights at Bethel Church.

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.