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.

10 Wedding Images, 10 Wedding Stories

February 5, 2018 Steve Vansak

If you scroll to past articles on this blog, you will see that I love to tell the stories of each wedding that I photograph. Sure, the pictures themselves tell a story and a little intrigue is great, but sometimes we are thirsty for more info. Today I'm taking 10 images (11 if you count our joyful church exit above) and filling in some of the details. This post isn't about showing off the "technically best" or "most amazing display of photographic skill" types of images. It's not about that. Yes, I want to create wall art for my couples, but I also want to tell a story of the day. This is why I emphasize books in my packages. My job as the wedding photographer is to do both things. Let's get to it...

Bride and groom first look at the Centennial Park bridge in Munster, Indiana.

Sometimes things suddenly get real. I was with Emily most of the morning of her wedding and the vibe was casual, fun and generally lighthearted. Her Dad had visited and it was an emotional moment for sure. However, everything was leading up to the first look with Zach scheduled for mid afternoon on the Centennial Park bridge. He waited for her and when he turned around it was pure emotion. I felt guilty pressing the shutter, but hey that's my job. Follow this link for more of Emily and Zach's spring wedding at Villa Cesare.

Grandmothers visit with the bride on wedding day.

Sometimes a wedding day will have emotional moments when you least expect them and in a manner in which you wouldn't expect. In the image above the two grandmothers of the bride came to visit her just after she put on her dress. We have some nice photos of them right after this looking at the camera and smiling. However, it was the way in which they embraced her with their older hands resting upon the small of her back. To me, this was our hero shot during this portion of the wedding and I was glad I was there to capture it. See more of this beautiful wedding right here.

Dad walks his two daughters down the aisle.

Bethany told me at our pre-wedding meeting that she was going to share her walk down the aisle with her sister who had physical challenges. There was a chance also that she would not be able to walk the entrance at The Pavilion Sandy Pines. Well, walk she most certainly did. While guests stood for Bethany because it was her day after all, I believe they were also throwing some energy and love towards this wonderful moment as Dad walked his two daughter down the aisle. See more of the summer wedding right here.

Post ceremony Serbian wedding celebration.

If you have ever attended a Serbian wedding you know that it is quite unique. Basically a band follows the bride everywhere she goes and I cover things like I would an all day reception / party. In the image above the mother of the groom expresses pure joy as an accordion player entertains the singing, clapping and and dancing crowd just before the bride and groom exit the church. See more of this Chicago Serbian wedding right here.

Church bells ring as the bride and groom exit Aberdeen Chapel in Valparaiso, Indiana.

Samantha and Tyler live in San Diego and they brought some southern California weather back with them for their wedding at Aberdeen Chapel in Valparaiso. One of the traditions of the The Chapel at Aberdeen is the ringing of the bell while the couple exits to friends and family cheering them on. The two newlyweds shared a passionate kiss as the sun shone upon them and their happy, cheering guests. My goal was to show off the grandness of the chapel, the joy of their friends and of course their love - all in one image. See more of their joyous summer wedding right here.

As I was photographing Morganne and Chris' epic reception at The Allure in Laporte, Indiana I noticed the crowd becoming one with the song and lighting that the DJ had going so I climbed up on a chair for a different perspective. Right at that moment a line of smiling happy faces spotted me all at the same time. See their Fall wedding at The Allure right here.

First look with the bride and her Dad at Sand Creek Country Club.

It became obvious to me that Jessica and her Dad were quite the comedy team. I had been listening to the comments and stories while she was getting ready earlier. So when it came time for the father / daughter first look I had a feeling I was going to get some laughter and sure enough. It showed throughout the entire day and you should definitely take a look at jessica and Mitchell's Fall wedding at Sand Creek Country Club right here.

My assignment from Ashlee was to photograph her Crown Point wedding at Saint Mary's with some hometown flavor with a modern meets vintage vibe. What better way to showcase that than in a wedding picture in front of the Grand Old Lady (aka the Crown Point Courthouse) on the downtown Square. See more of their summer wedding right here.

The bride holds a container of letters from her bridesmaids.

Tanja's Serbian wedding had a party atmosphere all day and night, but one of the moments that stood out for me was a gift from her bridesmaids - a box of wonderful letters that she read aloud while clutching the beautiful letterbox that they will be stored in. See more of the great moments at Tanja and Kevin's Fall wedding here.

Two grooms share a moment of laughter in the courtyard of Uptown Center.

Jeremiah and Kevin had a grand, epic Christmas wedding at Uptown Center in Michigan City. It had a celebrity wedding vibe to it. So much so that the newly married couple had to sneak out the back alley way to avoid their crowd after the ceremony. It was winter and cold but some night photos in the courtyard were on our agenda. As we were taking photos some of the guests inside spotted them and they burst into laughter. Take a look at their spectacular holiday wedding right here.

One of the questions I often get asked by new couples who meet with me about photographing their big day is "Are you really at our wedding all day?". Yes, and these are 10 examples of why. You never know when the great moments are going to occur and when the stories within the stories are going to reveal themselves. Contact me here to set up a meeting to chat about your big day.

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.

Bridal Portraits At The Historic Barker Mansion

April 17, 2017 Steve Vansak

Beautiful bride in the lounging room at Barker Mansion in Michigan City.

I recently photographed our lovely bride Alex inside the historic Barker Mansion in Michigan City. The venerable structure serves as a monument of industry, charity, and turn-of-the-century life in Michigan City. It is also a wonderful venue for modern day weddings of elegance as well as bridal showers. Let's take a tour of bridal portraits throughout the building.

Our morning started off with Alex's elegant wedding dress hanging in the bridal suite on the second floor of the mansion. The dress came courtesy of Paris House of Bridal located on Franklin Street in Michigan City, Indiana. If you are in search of the perfect dress, do visit them in the thriving Uptown Arts District of Michigan City. Their customer service is excellent and Alex had nothing but high praise for the staff there.

Our lovely bride applies lipstick in the bridal suite at Barker Mansion.

The spacious bridal suite at Barker Mansion in Michigan City, Indiana.

The elegant dress from Paris House of Bridal hangs in the bridal suite.

You are going to see quite a few vintage toned images here as parts of the mansion lends itself so well to a sepia toned, old film look. At times, Alex very much became a 1920's era starlet as we roamed from room to room.

Barefoot and laughing inside the bridal suite at Barker Mansion.

Of course, some of the images begged to be in glorious color - such as the incredible lounging room with it's vibrant reds and unique ceiling. I loved the stained glass hallway as well as showing off the dress train on the red carpet of the stairway.

Elegant wedding photo at historic Barker Mansion in Michigan City, Indiana.

Gorgeous bride in front of stained glass at Barker Mansion.

Showing off the dress on the red carpeted staircase.

The spacious master bedroom was another great photo opportunity. The incredible old wood and artifacts and mementos of an era gone by were perfect for bridal portraits.

A collage of bridal portraits at historic Barker Mansion.

While I definitely wanted to show off the historic residence, I also wanted to showcase the beauty and elegance of Alex herself in some close up images.

Pretty bridal portraits in Michigan City, Indiana.

The "piano room" as I call it was another perfect opportunity for the vintage treatment of these photos.

Bride at the piano in a vintage, sepia toned photograph.

I hope you have enjoyed this photographic tour of bridal portraits at Barker Mansion in Michigan City. We took many more pictures that I don't have the space to share here, so be sure to follow Region Weddings on Instagram to view more and fill out the Contact Form to inquire about your big day. Also, be sure to visit Barker Mansion and take a tour of the three floors of incredible history as well as the outdoor courtyard where the ceremonies are held.