10 Years Of Wedding Photography

August 6, 2018 Steve Vansak

Modern bride portrait in a vintage tone.

In 2007 I began my portrait photography business that still exists today. I photographed my friends, their kids, their events and more. Late that year I received a phone call from a father of the bride who saw one of my portraits hanging at a local car repair shop. He wanted me to photograph his daughter's wedding based upon these images. I promptly said no.

Weddings are too important and frankly too difficult a task for newbies with only a year of experience in portraits. I told him this again and again and it was all true. He recognized my voice. It turns out I had worked for him in the past and based upon these images in the store and the fact that I "always showed up on time and worked hard" he was going to hire me, case closed. He would not take no for an answer. Oh, and his daughter liked the portraits too. I had 10 months to prepare and in August 2008 I shot my first wedding. It took a number of years, but it soon became my full time job and this is what I do today. Oh, and Teresa and Jimmy (my first clients) are doing well and I ran into them a few years ago here in Crown Point. You can see them at the 47 second mark of the video below.

If I write anymore, this could become my LONGEST POST EVER, so I'll just simply say that I love the job and I'm very much looking forward to all of the upcoming weddings here in 2018, my Anniversary Year and the 2019 weddings already on the calendar and beyond. To all of my clients - THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

Now, and if I start posting images from the past 10 years into this article, your computer may very well blow up. So..... how about we press play on the video slideshow below for a condensed version of the past 10 years of weddings in Northwest Indiana, Chicago and Southwest Michigan. Enjoy!!

A collection of images from 10 years of wedding photography in Northwest Indiana, Chicago and southwest Michigan from Steve Vansak, lead photographer at Region Weddings.

As always, to inquire about wedding photography for your big day, simply fill out the Contact Form. I can't wait to hear from you.

Did you know I started this blog in 2010? Yep, keep clicking on older post and eventually you will get there. The Region Weddings Instagram feed is another place to see my latest work and once in awhile I post some throwback images.

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 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.

Fall Wedding At The Spa

November 6, 2017 Steve Vansak

Bride and groom surrounded by Fall leaves in Porter, Indiana.

Julia and Evan were surrounded by Fall color at their wedding at The Spa in Porter, Indiana. This wedding reception venue is nestled in the woods off of Rt. 20 next to The Spring House Inn.

As guests arrived for the ceremony glasses of cocktails awaited them and the flower girl practiced her dance moves as "ring security" looked on.

Guests arrive for a wedding at The Spa in Porter, Indiana.

This was truly an International wedding as the bride is from England as were a number of the bridesmaids. Julia's family made the trek over as well. After the ceremony we took family photos and then I took the newlyweds around the picturesque area where Autumn leaves were strewn everywhere.

Indoor wedding ceremony at The Spa wedding venue.

While first kisses are required wedding photos, my favorite is the moment right after the kiss and this jubilant couple did not disappoint.

The temperature was chilly but the leaves were golden and the sky was blue.

Fall wedding photo at The Spa in Porter, Indiana.

The reception saw the bride wielding a knife, lots of laughter during the toasts and happy tears as well. Oh, and delicious cupcakes too!!

Wedding reception at The Spa in Porter, Indiana.

The reception was a rocking good time with plenty of line dancing and some special moments with father and duaghter and mother and son.

Dance floor fun during a wedding reception at The Spa.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Julia and Evan's Fall wedding at The Spa. To inquire about your wedding photography please visit the Contact page. Happy Fall!!