Winter Wedding At Maki Ballroom

December 7, 2020 Steve Vansak

Christmas tree lights surround the bride and groom outside the Old Lake County Courthouse.

Tori and Steve had originally planned to have a Spring wedding but this is the year 2020 and well, we all know that plans for this year had to be flexible to put it mildly.

So a winter wedding it ended up being and what a beautiful day it was.

I started off with bridal prep at the Old Lake County Courthouse inside the spacious Accessor’s Room on the third floor while Kay covered guy’s prep at the couple’s home.

Bridal details at the Old Crown Point Courthouse.

The bride and her bridesmaid’s get ready for the big day in Crown Point, Indiana.

In between taking details photos of fun moments, mementos and the flowers provided by Kathy’s Florist I also snuck down to the Maki Ballroom as was amazed at how Stacey and crew of The Grand CP had created a winter wonderland for the reception later that night. Stay tuned for those images down below.

Bridal prep at the Old Crown Point Courthouse

The ceremony took place just down the street at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Crown Point. Before we left the downtown Square to see Tori walk down the aisle, we had a first look with Dad and Kay took some portraits of the groom outside the venerable church while I shot the girls in the downtown area.

First look with Dad on the 3rd floor of the Old Crown Point Courthouse.

Portraits of the bride inside the Old Crown Point Courthouse.

Bride and bridesmaids outside the Old Crown Point Courthouse.

Groom and groomsmen prep at a Crown Point winter wedding.

Groom and groomsmen photos outside St. Mary’s Church in Crown Point, Indiana.

The bride escorted down the aisle by her parents.

Winter wedding ceremony at St. Mary’s Church in Crown Point.

After the ceremony we took family photos and bride and groom photos inside the church. Then we made our way to downtown Crown Point for some unique, night time bride and groom pictures outside and inside the Old Crown Point Courthouse.

Bride and groom portraits on the altar at St. Mary’s Church.

The bride and groom take a stroll down the center aisle of St. Mary’s Church in Crown Point, Indiana.

The newlyweds before they exit the church parking lot.

A nighttime wedding photo during the holiday season in front of the Old Crown Point Courthouse.

Under the veil wedding photo in downtown Crown Point during a December wedding.

Bride and groom on the stairs leading to the 3rd floor of the Old Crown Point Courthouse.

As I explained earlier, Maki Ballroom truly was a winter wonderland. Musician Denny B. entertained guest before and after dinner. Spotlight was on the bride and groom for the first dance and the father of the bride got a bit emotional during the dance with his daughter.

Winter wedding decorations at Maki Ballroom.

A winter themed wedding inside Maki Ballroom.

First dance for a winter themed wedding at Maki Ballroom.

Winter wedding reception at Maki Ballroom inside the old Crown Point Courthouse.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Tori and Steve’s winter wedding at Maki Ballroom inside the Old Crown Point Courthouse. Be sure to fill out the contact form to inquire about your big day right here. Stay tuned for more wedding photographer here and on the social media channels below.

Wedding At Tanglewood Hills Pavilion In Bettendorf, Iowa

October 23, 2020 Steve Vansak

Bride and groom portrait in the yellow brush outside Tanglewood Hills Pavilion.

It was simply a thrill to travel to the Davenport, Iowa area to capture Allison and Nathan’s big day. These two Valparaiso University graduates originally planned to have their wedding on campus, but moved it to their home state of Iowa.

This Fall wedding started with bridal prep in Davenport and then made it’s way to the Tanglewood Hills Pavilion chapel in nearby Bettendorf. Everybody chipped in on bridal prep, including Dad on the curling iron!!

We had two first looks for this Autumn wedding and both were outside the chapel doors at Tanglewood Hills with Dad and of course, the groom Nathan.

First look with Dad at Tanglewood Hills Pavilion.

First look with the groom at Tanglewood Hills Pavilion.

Fall color engulfs the bride and groom as they embrace during their wedding in Davenport, Iowa.

A romantic walk outside Tanglewood Hills Pavilion.

Of course, we had to sneak in some thumb wrestling, mean girl and cheerleader poses along with some obsessive texting and finger pointing for the wedding party group photos. And yes, we had some beautifully yellow Fall color while doing so.

Oh, and did I mention the 25MPH winds?!!

Wedding party photos at Tanglewood Hills Pavilion.

October wedding photos in Bettendorf, Iowa.

Bride and groom photos outside Tanglewood Hills Pavilion.

The chapel at Tanglewood Hills Pavilion is a non-denominational facility that is perfect for a church wedding. The balcony also houses a bridal suite and the Evergreen Reception room downstairs makes this a great all in one wedding venue for the Davenport, Iowa area.

After the ceremony we did family pictures along with a few more bride and groom images and then it was time for cake and dinner.

Wedding ceremony in the chapel at Tanglewood Hills Pavilion.

A view from the chapel balcony during a wedding at Tanglewood Hills Pavilion.

A sweet kiss down the center aisle of the chapel.

While the desserts and dinner were all terrific, the real highlight of the reception inside the Evergreen Room at Tanglewood Hills Pavilion was the emotional bond between the bride and groom and their families and friends.

Wedding reception decor inside the Evergreen Room.

Family and friends during a wedding reception in Bettendorf, Iowa.

First dance for the newlyweds at Tanglewood Hills Pavilion.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Allison and Nathan’s wedding at Tanglewood Hills Pavilion in the Davenport, Iowa area. Be sure to Contact Me on this website to inquire about your wedding photography.

Wedding At St. George Greek Orthodox Church

October 12, 2020 Steve Vansak

Wedding ceremony at St. George Greek Orthodox Church

Maggie and Ben had a lovely day for their Fall wedding at St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Schererville, Indiana. We started the day at the home of the bride’s parents where in addition to hair and make up by Melissa Marshall - on location shoulder massages were being given courtesy of the father of the bride.

A swarm of bees attacked the flower girl and “please turn on the blue tooth” means the sister of the bride and maid of honor can and will break into dance.

Oh, and another photographer showed up to try and upstage me!! :)

Getting ready for a Fall wedding in October.

I photographed some at home portraits of the bride while second photographer Jaime captured the guys who were right next door. Then it was off to the church for the ceremony.

Bridal portraits at the bride’s parent’s home.

Let it be known that if it wasn’t for You Tube, no groomsmen’s ties in all of America would be properly placed and secured.

The groom and his guys get ready for the big day.

The bride walked down the aisle escorted by her Dad as friends and family looked on. St. George Greek Orthodox Church has some incredible architecture so I made sure to take some wide shots to show it off along with getting in close to see the happy expressions of these newlyweds.

Scenes of a wedding ceremony at St. George Greek Orthodox Church.

St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Schererville, Indiana.

Exchanging vows at St. George Greek Orthodox Church.

The celebration begins outside St. George Greek Orthodox Church.

After family photos at the altar it was time for wedding party and bride and groom pictures. A few in the church and then we went to Lake Hills Park in St. John to capture some Fall color.

Wedding party on the altar of St. George Greek Orthodox Church.

Bride and groom on the altar at St. George Church in Schererville, Indiana.

The newlyweds with Fall leaves behind them.

Fall color surrounds the bride and groom as they kiss.

Chillin’ at the pier at Lake Hills Park in St. John, Indiana.

Fall wedding photos in Northwest Indiana.

Clouds fill the sky after a Fall wedding ceremony.

We met up with the wedding party for group photos and then it was off to the reception at The Patrician.

Bridesmaids group photos at Lake Hills Park.

The bridesmaids battle with the bride on her big day.

Groom and groomsmen photos at a Fall wedding.

Wedding reception guests at The Patrician Banquets were treated to some sweet treats and lovely decorations when they arrived. The bride and groom were introduced and immediately went into their first dance and cake cutting. After dinner it was parent dances and then the dance floor opened up.

Decorations and sweet treats at a Fall wedding reception at The Patrician.

If dancing wasn’t your thing, you could always grab your coloring books for entertainment. And yes, that is REAL MONEY all over the dance floor!

Wedding reception fun at The Patrician Banquets in Schererville, Indiana.

The Father of the bride dances with his daughter.

This is merely a sneak peek look at Maggie and Ben’s wedding at St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Schererville, Indiana with many more images to come. Please follow the social media channels below for more from this and other weddings. Also, fill out the Contact Form right here to schedule a meeting about your wedding photography.

Wedding At Village Church In Dyer, Indiana

May 25, 2020 Steve Vansak

Bride and groom in silhouette on the altar at Village Church in Dyer, Indiana.

It felt great to be out shooting weddings again and capturing people’s memories. I could not have asked for a better group of folks to do so with than Amanda and Taylor and their families.

This post will be different than what you you usually see here as there was no reception and there were no guests due to the current health emergency in the world. That celebration will come at a different time.

We did have a cake cutting though!! And really, it’s all about the cake… ;)

Home is where this wedding story begins.

As the sign says, “home is where the story begins” with Amanda’s bridesmaids getting hair and makeup done. Everyone was in great spirits and I had fun telling stories with them and photographing the decor for the day.

Bridal prep for a Spring wedding at Village Church.

The wedding ceremony at Village Church in Dyer, Indiana was preceded by a first look with Dad before he brought her down the aisle to the awaiting groom, Taylor.

As their pastor stated, “things happen for a reason” and although many seats may have been empty because of this health crisis, hearts were very full. The groom’s mom was very excited for her son and his bride and it showed when they exited the church.

A Spring wedding ceremony at Village Church.

Bridesmaids on the altar at Village Church.

Groom and his groomsmen at Village Church in Dyer, Indiana.

A romantic kiss in church after the ceremony.

After family photos and wedding party pictures at church, we all took off for Centennial Park where a “cake ceremony” and “bubble send off” was planned for the newlyweds.

A candid moment between bride and groom during photos at Centennial Park.

While family set up for the cake ceremony, the wedding party and the happy couple wandered Centennial Park with me taking pictures and enjoying the beautiful Spring day we had.

The bridesmaids having fun with the bride at Centennial Park.

Wedding party group photo at the lake at Centennial Park.

Spring wedding photos at Centennial Park.

So this was my very first outdoor “cake ceremony” at Centennial Park. It was a great idea! I didn’t know it was happening until the day of but I’m really glad this sweet moment took place.

The bride and groom cut their cake and then exited down the walkway as family and wedding party blew bubbles. They all then grabbed an undercover picnic area and ate some delicious cake.

The official reception will take place later when friends and family can party on the dance floor.

Cake cutting and bubble exit at Centennial Park in Munster, Indiana.

This is merely a sneak peek of Amanda and Taylor’s wedding at Village Church in Dyer, Indiana. Be sure to follow the Region Weddings instagram channel for more images from this wedding and others.

To inquire about wedding photography for your big day, please fill out the Contact Form right here.