The 2018 Year In Review for Northwest Indiana and Chicago Weddings

December 31, 2018 Steve Vansak

Bride and groom steal a kiss on a hilltop at Briar Ridge Golf Course.

I’m typing this blog post on December 31, 2018 on what is supposed to be a slow day in the world of a wedding photographer. It’s not!! With several client meetings today and the final wedding of the year just this past weekend, one of my busiest years in Northwest Indiana and Chicago wedding photography is ending as it began with a very active schedule. No complaints here, but get ready because I have LOTS of images and wedding stories for the year down below. Let’s get to it…

Late winter 2018 weddings in Valparaiso, Indiana and Grant Park, Illinois.

After a busy December the previous year, I photographed Nicole and Luke’s wonderful church wedding in early March in Beecher, Illinois and followed shortly by Ashley and Adam at Aberdeen Manor.

Wedding Ceremony At Faith United Reform Church

In early Spring I found myself at Briar Ridge Country Club quite a few times starting off with Rachel and Matt with Sheri and Ryan the following Saturday. Both couples had some blazing sun for their golf course weddings.

Two Spring weddings at Briar Ridge Country Club in Dyer, Indiana.

The previous Fall I had done Ashley and Michael’s engagement session and they had such a wonderful chemistry together that I was eagerly anticipating their outdoor wedding at the spectacular Sandy Pines Pavilion with it’s beautiful bridal suite and perfectly landscaped scenery. It was a wonderful Sunday wedding.

I was also back for another golf course wedding with a touch of Disney with Abby and Sean at Sand Creek Country Club.

Bride and groom hold hands on the lake pier at Sandy Pines Golf Course.

Weddings at two golf courses - Sandy Pines and Sand Creek.

In mid May it was the first of two weddings at County Line Orchard with Jaime and Tom. The groom’s family came all the way from England for this exquisite barn wedding.

The bride and groom exit the County Line Orchard south barn after their ceremony.

Spring wedding photos at County Line Orchard.

Late in May saw me heading to Chicago for Veronica and Adrian’s church wedding and then it was time for another trip to Valparaiso University and The Chapel of the Resurrection where Lauren and Edward declared victory.

May weddings in Chicago and Northwest Indiana.

The groom rings the victory bell at Valparaiso University.

Bride and groom at the bottom of the spiral staircase at Valparaiso University.

The groom and his guys at Valparaiso University.

Also in late May, I made it back to the beach for Nicole and Chad’s Memorial Day weekend wedding at Marquette Park Pavilion. Then it was back to Briar Ridge Country Club for Patty and Stephen’s outdoor nuptials.

Late Spring weddings at Marquette Park Pavilion and Briar Ridge Country Club.

June saw another golf course wedding reception with Jennifer and Carl and a stop by Meyer’s Castle two weekends in a row for Valerie and Anthony and then Mallory and Ryan.

June weddings at Briar Ridge and Meyer’s Castle.

The bride is soaked by sunlight at Meyer’s Castle during a summer wedding.

June wedding at Meyer’s Castle in Dyer, Indiana.

Summer rolled on with another County Line Orchard wedding where Ashley and Zach had their un-plugged wedding ceremony.

Bride and groom smooch in the farm fields behind County Line Orchard.

Gang of bridesmaids stalk the open fields of County Line Orchard.

July saw another Chicago wedding with Lauren and Mark at The Signature Room on the 95th floor of the John Hancock Building and Katie and Patrick’s church wedding at St. Michael’s Parish in Schererville, Indiana with reception at The Munster Center for the Performing Arts.

July weddings in Chicago and Schererville, Indiana.

The groom kisses the bride at the edge of the Centennial Park Lake.

The summer weddings rolled on with Kim and Tim at St. Maria Goretti Church as well as Patti and David and their wonderful backyard wedding in Crown Point.

Summer weddings in Northwest Indiana during August of 2018.

Summer is the height of baseball season of course, so super fans Kaitlyn and Ryan took to the field after their wedding at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Griffith, Indiana. I also shot at the brand new Allure on the Lake for Katie and Arnie’s wedding reception.

August weddings at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, St. Paul’s Catholic Church and Allure on The Lake.

Labor Day weekend brought an end to summer but the beginning of busy season with Josie and Victor’s bohemian outdoor wedding at Friendship Garden in Michigan City with a stop at The Market for the reception. It also saw another stop at Briar Ridge Country Club with Molly and Chris.

Kissing bridge at Friendship Garden in Michigan City, Indiana.

Outdoor weddings at Friendship Garden and Briar Ridge Country Club.

Boho bride from above during bridal prep for her big day.

A couple in love gazes romantically at each other.

It was my first “wedding selfie” shot at Tracey and Chris’ outdoor wedding at Peck Farm Park in Geneva, Illinois. The grain silo is just massive and I was so glad to take some images showcasing the bride and groom next to it. Early September also saw a stop at Centennial Park for an outdoor wedding with Julie and Jason.

September weddings in Illinois and Indiana.

The grain silo at Peck Farm Park towers over the bride and groom.

As September drifted into October, we saw the absolutely fun wedding of Emma and Kyle at Croation Center and then it was Nikki and Johnny’s wedding with a church ceremony at St. Michael’s Church in Schererville, Indiana and a rocking reception at St. Elijah Banquet Center in Merrillville.

The bride and groom sport a take no prisoners look for their wedding photo.

Bridal portrait at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.

October also saw Captain America and SpiderWoman (Jess and Josh) get married at Lighthouse Restaurant as well as Erika and Mitch with a Great Gatsby themed wedding at The Allure in Laporte, Indiana.

Captain America marries SpiderWoman at Lighthouse Restaurant in Cedar Lake.

A wedding picture during a hailstorm in Laporte, Indiana.

The bride and groom get mischievous at The Allure.

Karen and Jason had their hometown wedding in Crown point with a St. Mary’s Church ceremony with stops at the fairgrounds and a reception at the old Lake County Courthouse Maki Ballroom.

More October weddings at The Allure and in downtown Crown Point.

Late October and November Fall weddings saw me back at Sand Creek Country Club for Marz and Tom’s big day as well as Krueger Memorial Hall in Michigan City for Ashley and Terry’s beautiful Fall wedding with Autumn leaves everywhere.

Fall weddings at Sand Creek Country Club and Krueger Memorial Hall.

Leaves fall upon the bride and groom for their Autumn wedding.

As winter finally arrived, The Uptown Center got all lit up for Kristen and Patrick’s wedding and last, but certainly not least the grand finale, last wedding of 2018 was Sarah and Nick’s snow filled day at Sand Creek Country Club.

Winter weddings at Uptown Center and Sand Creek Country Club.

Whew, thanks for making it all the way though this long review of weddings in Northwest Indiana and Chicago in 2018. Please contact me here on the website to set up a meeting to discuss the photography for your wedding day. I service Northwest Indiana, Chicago and southern Michigan but I’m also available for travel. 2018 brought me to a few new venues as well as old favorites. I’m looking forward to seeing where you take me next year and beyond. A special Thank You to Kerrie, Bridget, Schylar, Michelle, Lauren, Doug and Jaime for their help in Wedding Season 2018. Happy New Year!!

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.

Summer Wedding At The Allure in Laporte, Indiana

September 7, 2016 Steve Vansak

Bride and groom on the balcony of The Allure ballroom.

Jessica and Cody got creative for their Labor Day weekend wedding at The Allure in Laporte, Indiana. The bride showed off a "comic book" bouquet of flowers and the groom had his own robot for a ring bearer!! Our day started in the spacious bridal suite of The Allure where Carrie of Sta Glam did make up and one of the bridesmaids styled the girls' hair.

Getting ready at The Allure bridal suite.

Bridal prep at The Allure in Laporte, Indiana.

Cody waited for Jessica at the bottom of the staircase at the east end of the beautiful Allure ballroom during their first look / reveal. It was a wonderful moment as they saw each for the first time on wedding day. Then it was onto bride and groom photos around the ballroom and some fun shots at the bar with the bridesmaids.

First look for the bride and groom at The Allure.

A kiss at the center of The Allure ballroom.

Portraits of the bride and groom at The Allure in Laporte, Indiana.

Jessica looked resplendent in her wonderful dress and I knew I wanted a shot of her from the balcony out into the spectacular designed floor of The Allure.

The first floor cocktail area of The Allure gave us a great location to have the bride and groom do some bartending...

The bride and groom tend bar at The Allure.

The afternoon ceremony saw the rings delivered by a "robotic ring bearer" and had the guest looking down the aisle. Cody was all smiles as Jessica was escorted toward him for their vows.

After family photos it was time to begin the party. Hugs abounded during the toasts and bodies contorted during the dancing and delicious deserts (they had their own room) were served as well. Add some wine, beer and champagne and a merry time was had by all!!

Wedding reception at The Allure in Laporte, Indiana.

First dance for the bride and groom at The Allure ballroom.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Jessica and Cody's summer wedding at The Allure. Stay tuned here and on social media for more images!!

Northwest Indiana Wedding Photography: 2015 Year In Review

December 28, 2015 Steve Vansak

The Trinity Hall gazebo at twilight in Chesterton, Indiana.

The year 2015 saw me photographing weddings all over Northwest Indiana, Chicago and Michigan. Let's take a look back at this spectacular year in weddings. At the end of this article I will embed my Northwest Indiana Wedding Photographer Year In Review video for even more images. Be sure to click on an image for a larger view.

If you are a 2016 or 2017 bride, keep in mind that next year is already 60% booked. Please fill out the Contact Form to inquire about your date.

We began the year at the grand ballroom of The Allure with Ivy and Luscious and then it was on to Trinity Hall in Chesterton with Kelsi and Peter.

Usually a few winter weddings start off the year, but 2015 saw us starting in the Spring in a big way. One of the busier weekends was a double header wedding at the old Crown Point Courthouse. Kelly and Matt picked the perfect venue for their 1920's themed wedding and Beth and Charlie closed it out with their elegant ballroom dancing inside the building known as The Grande Old Lady.

This past Spring saw really heavy rains all over Northwest Indiana and the entire Midwest. We tried, but could not escape the elements for Kelly and Danny and Dolores and Erich's wedding. It didn't matter as we embraced the storms and got our pictures inside and out. We were back again at The Allure and also shooting at Sand Creek in Chesterton. We were able to see the sun in full view for Ashley and Matthew's outdoor wedding at Centennial Park.

June brought some more themed weddings. We had baseball at Erica and Alex's wedding and Harry Potter and the literary arts in general at Katie and Kurt's reception. Lauren and Ryan had a terrific church wedding in Hebron and then it was on to an open air reception at the YMCA Pavilion in Valparaiso, Indiana.

As the Summer progressed, stops at County Line Orchard and Fair Oaks Farmhouse gave some some rustic wedding looks. Megan and Bobby brought the fireworks to their July 4th wedding and Ogden Gardens in Valparaiso gave some great scenery for Stephanie and Brett's wedding photos.

Photographing at The Pavilion At Sandy Pines is always a thrill and the Summer had me back at Sand Creek for the second time in 2015 for Jennifer and Daniel's wedding. April and Fred took me to Avalon Manor for their pink and black colored outdoor wedding.

Soon I was back in Crown Point for Erica and Jon's wedding and then it was onto the estate of "a guy named Bob" for Katie and Logan's outdoor ceremony. I tease as bob is a great family friend to them and he welcomed us to his wonderful home and all of the spectacular scenery that if offers - from lakes to woods to centuries old furniture. We then made out way back to Chesterton and photos at Coffee Creek Park with Allen and Nicole. If you live in Lowell, you may seen the hayride with Gwen and Keith parading through town.

I usually make several stops at Centennial Park throughout the course of the year and the outdoor wedding of Katherine and Justin brought us back again. Maria and Seth brought us to the LaPorte, Indiana area for their Catholic wedding ceremony and then a reception at Trinity Hall.

Fall weddings are right up there with June weddings and this year really showed that. Some of our stops included Krystin and Chachi's wedding photos at Lake County Fairgrounds and Michelle and Derrick's fun shots at Carmelite Shrine in Munster, Indiana.

Late Fall saw us venturing off to Chicago for Jen and Nathan's wedding as well as the Halloween celebration of Matt and Michelle and the Autumn themed wedding of Sandra and Andrew, all at Radisson Hotel. I can't leave out the first ever wedding at Perry Court in downtown Crown Point!!

Please take a moment to enjoy the Region Weddings 2015 Year In Review Video below. Be sure to have a terrific New Years Eve!! See you soon.

The year 2015 in photos from Northwest Indiana Wedding Photographer - Region Weddings. All images from the Northwest Indiana, Chicago and Michigan area.