Wedding At St. Anthony's Catholic Church In Chicago

May 25, 2018 Steve Vansak

Bride and groom portrait at Whiting Lakefront Park

Veronica and Adrian had a wonderful wedding ceremony at St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Chicago. The day started off at the couple's home and sister's neighborhood house complete with a band of horn players as family and friends dropped in to offer well wishes. The entire day featured three incredible bands altogether.

The bride with her dress and accessories.

Adrian Jr. was the star of many photos and I was glad to capture him in a high five with Dad just before Veronica walked down the aisle and a mariachi band provided the soundtrack.

Catholic wedding ceremony at St. Anthony's in Chicago.

Bride and groom light a candle together during their church wedding ceremony.

Spring wedding ceremony at St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Chicago, Illinois.

After the ceremony we took family photos and a few wedding party images and then we were off to Whiting Lakefront Park for photos of the newlyweds.

Whiting Lakefront Park is a scenic area overlooking Lake Michigan and it even has an open air pavilion where the reception was held.

Romantic walk along Lake michigan for the bride and groom.

Wedding photos at Whiting Lakefront Park.

The grey rocks that align the shore there are great for photos and the gazebo is often a spot for outdoor ceremonies.

Bride and groom smooch atop the rocks at Whiting Lake Front Park shoreline.

The groom escorts his bride along the pier.

The open air reception area featured some incredible desserts. Another horn band brought the funk onto the dance floor as friends and family spun around the room.

Delicious desserts at a wedding reception at the pavilion in Whiting, Indiana.

Open air wedding reception at Whiting Lakefront Park.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Veronica and Adrian's wedding at St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Chicago. Please do fill out the Contact Form to inquire about your big day.

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!!