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.

June Wedding At St. Michael's Parish In Schererville, Indiana

June 19, 2017 Steve Vansak

In the Centennial Park Garden after their June wedding ceremony.

Josh and Amanda had a beautiful June wedding at St. Michael's Parish and I could not have been happier to be there. Six years ago I photographed her sister Jackie's wedding and Josh was the best man. Jackie's husband Brandon was the best man this time around. If you are lost now, no problem - let's just say it was great for me to see everyone again as well as the new additions to the family.

This summer wedding started with bridal prep at Amanda's mom's house. I joined Chop Shop who was doing hair along with Sta Glam on make up. The flower girls assisted me with their Instax cameras. We even re-created a fave photo of Amanda's that I did with her brother in 2011.

Bridal prep for a June wedding at St. Michael's Parish.

Flower girls hide underneath bride's veil.

Josh paid tribute to Amanda's father Greg before joining his groomsmen and arriving at St. Michael's Parish in Schererville.

St. Michael's Parish was filled with friends and family of Amanda and Josh. As Amanda walked down the aisle with her brother Jake and mom Mary, the smile on Josh's face grew wider. Soon they would be husband and wife and off to celebrate in the summer sun.

June wedding ceremony at St. Michael's Parish in Schererville, Indiana.

Bride comes down the aisle during a Catholic wedding ceremony at St. Michael's Parish.

Bride and groom listen to Father during mass of their Catholic wedding.

Bride and groom pray to the Virgin Mary in the sanctuary of St. Michael's Parish.

We immediately photographed family and wedding party after the ceremony with a few bride and groom photos inside the church. Then we were off to Centennial Park for some June wedding photos in the sun.

Wedding party photos at St. Michael's Parish in Schererville.

Bride and groom exit the darkened St. Michael's Church.

I photographed the wedding party groups pictures looking across the lake at Centennial Park and then second photographer Bridget took the guys for their images and I photographed the bridesmaids.

Wedding party group photos overlooking the lake fountain at Centennial Park.

The bride and her sisters at Centennial Park.

The groomsmen on the stage at Centennial Park in Munster, Indiana.

Amanda had an incredibly long veil and we had to make sure we took advantage of the wind and let it fly for a few portraits. She was gorgeous wearing it outside as well as when she walked down the aisle.

Image of a bride and her veil flying in the wind.

As I took Amanda and Josh around Centennial Park I was amazed at all of the leaves on the ground. We took some kissing shots with them and I also had the happy couple chill in the shade of the garden for awhile for some candid moments.

Kissing photos at the Centennial Park gardens.

The fashion forward bride and groom on the Centennial Park stage.

Josh and Amanda were quite anxious for a dipping shot and I obliged them in front of the lake fountains. They looked as though they had been practicing!!

Summer wedding photos at Centennial Park in Munster, Indiana.

During our last few photos, Josh lifted Amanda off of her feet and soon we were on our way to the party at Villa Cesare.

The groom lifts his bride off of her feet at their summer wedding.

The reception at Centennial Park had some raucous intros of the wedding party along with a roasting of the groom via best man Brandon. Summer sandals were handed out to all those who hit the dance floor and there were many!! DJ Shaun Kelly from Spinnin' Productions kept it live all night.

June wedding reception at Villa Cesare in Schererville, Indiana.

A crowded dance floor at Villa Cesare for a June wedding reception.

Summer wedding reception photos at Villa Cesare.

Bouquet toss at Villa Cesare during a June wedding reception.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, I could not have been more thrilled to photograph Amanda and Josh's big day and also get the chance to see Jackie and Brandon, Samantha and Dale and Rachel and Dustin - all former clients whose weddings I have shot. thanks! This is merely a sneak peek, so stay tuned for more images.

As always, please fill out the Contact Form to inquire about your big day!!

Literary Themed Wedding at Centennial Park

July 6, 2015 Steve Vansak

Shadow of a heart with a wedding ring placed inside a book.

Katie and Kurt are fans of the Harry Potter series of books and avid readers. It made perfect sense for them to have a literary themed wedding complete with books on every table at their reception at Centennial Park in Munster.

The day began at Hampton Inn where the girls got ready. It was there amongst all the laughter and hairspray that I first spotted the library due date cards that would be serving as table placards later in the night.

The bride puts on earrings as window light shines upon her.

Katie looked resplendent in her veil and we definitely showed it off in pictures. I took the girls into the hotel lobby for posed as well as goof off photos and I took Katie outside for a walk.

Bridesmaids wedding photos in Munster, Indiana.

The ceremony took place at Ridge United Methodist Church with Father Steve as officiant. The tall building gave me opportunity to get some nice wide shots of the altar and the center aisle was perfect for up close shots as Katie and Kurt were married.

Wedding ceremony at Ridge United Methodist Church.

We were concerned about storms as the couple exited the church with bubbles surrounding them. However, I put in a text to Mother Nature and the rain held off!!

Bubbles surround the newly married couple at Ridge United Methodist Church in Munster, IN.

Centennial Park was our last stop of the day for photos as well as the literary themed wedding reception. The newly married couple walked alone across the bridge while we loaned out a golf cart for a fun group wedding photo.

The bride and groom walk across the bridge at Centennial Park.

The literary themed wedding really showed at the reception with books adorning each table and the library due date cards for each guests. Boris from Precision Sound kept them dancing all night and handed the microphone off to the groom and the single guys who serenaded the bride just before the garter toss.

Literary themed wedding reception at Centennial Park.

Wedding season is in full swing and this is only a sneak peek look at Katie and Kurt's literary themed wedding at Centennial Park. Stay tuned for more at the social media links below!!

Wedding At United Methodist Church In Hebron, Indiana

July 3, 2015 Steve Vansak

Bride and groom kiss at United Methodist Church in Hebron.

To me, Lauren and Ryan are the perfect "early summer" couple - laid back, breezy, calm and cool. Their June wedding at United Methodist Church in Hebron was just that. The temperature was perfect and we we're able to go to the beautiful Ogden Gardens as well as the rip roaring, open air reception at the Valparaiso YMCA Pavilion.

The day started at His and Hers Salon with lots of laughter and continued to the church where Lauren got into her beautiful dress.

The bride's dress hangs in front of stained glass windows at the church.

The couple had a private first look inside the church before letting in friends and family for the ceremony. It was a great moment as Lauren came down the aisle and Ryan slowly turned to see her for the first time on their wedding day.

First look for the bride and groom at United Methodist Church in Hebron, Indiana.

The church was packed with well wishers as the couple were married. A crowd waited outside afterward to salute the newly married couple and send them off.

Wedding ceremony at United Methodist Church.

After family photos inside the church, we stopped by Ogden Garden in Valparaiso where we took fun wedding photos with the bridesmaids and groomsmen as well as romantic pictures of the bride and groom. Lauren and the girls showed off their "epic swag" while Ryan sheepishly showed the bridesmaids his "bling".

Fun wedding photos at Ogden Garden in Valparaiso, Indiana.

Romantic wedding photos at Ogden Garden in Valparaiso, Indiana.

The wedding reception was held at the open air venue of the YMCA Pavilion in Valparaiso. The couple danced in front of the Mr. and Mrs. sign that was handcrafted by the groom. As night approached, the dance floor heated up. The bride and groom even got in a quick corn toss.