White Hawk Country Club Wedding: Linda and Tom's Sneak Peek.

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As you will be able to see from this sneak peek of Linda and Tom's wedding at White Hawk Country Club, the sky was looking ominous and threatening rain.  I believe we had a few sprinkles during the ceremony, but that was about it.

Taking a look at the above image of the golf course and of the girls below, the early part of the day was a sunny and warm Fall day.  Linda and Tom are clearly in love so even if we had had hit some cold temps, they would have warmed the place up.  No doubt they are a great couple and I had a blast photographing their big day.

Linda has to be the quickest dressing bride I have ever met!!  We didn't do the traditional Getting Ready shots and within minutes of arriving she already had her dress on and was going over her decorations at White Hawk's clubhouse for the reception later that night.

As a fan of weeping willow trees, it didn't take much to get her to pose beneath the gorgeous one that sits upon the White Hawk golf course...

Tom, the groom was on the other side of the building practicing his fake getaway....

Linda's son and Tom's son both stood up in the wedding.  Here they are with their congratulatory cigars...

Linda's daughter and Tom's daughter were also part of the wedding party.  Here they are posing in front of the creek that runs through the White Hawk grounds...

White Hawk Country Club provides great scenery for an outdoor wedding.  Here the bride gives her son a kiss as they walk down the aisle together....

The gazebo has the golf course greenery as it's backdrop.  Here the wedding party listens to the officiator's words of wisdom...

Linda's deceased mom holds a special place in her heart and she played an important role in the ceremony proceedings with the couple paying their respects.

We rode a limousine style golf cart deeper into White Hawk for some wedding party photos on the greenery. The skies were quite dramatic at this point, but still no rain.

The White Hawk clubhouse is a wonderful spot for a reception with the built in steakhouse providing delicious food.  Here the newlyweds take their first dance together...

Many more images to come from Linda and Tom's gorgeous Fall wedding at White Hawk country club in Crown Point.  Subscribe to this Journal and "like" the Facebook page to receive updates and a link to the full galleries when all the images are ready for viewing.

Tara and Ken: Deep River Park Wedding Sneak Peek

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Earlier this year, Tara and Ken went to Chicago with me for their engagement session.  As we walked the streets of the windy city, I learned they are fun loving sports fans and are made to be together.  I knew their wedding would be a fun one and it was!!

This is just a sneak peek at their ceremony at Deep River Park and the reception at Our Lady of Consolation in Crown Point, Indiana.  The wedding took place just last week with many more images to follow at a later date.

The day started at the house of Tara's parents.  Just before I helped her Dad with the frustrating task of tying his tie (it's a miracle I got it right), we got this casual shot of the bride and her daughter Zoe.

The dress hung in waiting beneath the family creed in their lovely home...

This is a family that shows their love for each other all the time.  Here Tara's Dad gives her a kiss just before driving out to the ceremony.  Soon it would be time for mother and daughter to arrive for the ceremony at Deep River as well.

Sisters of the bride were all in a great mood as they arrived to the ceremony site in a stretch limousine with Tara's bouquet of flowers along for the ride as well...

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When the bride and her Father walked down the aisle, the heat index had risen dramatically.  Judge Judy Cantrell conducted a very brief, but poignant ceremony and soon guests were able to find some shade.

Underneath the Deep River gazebo, our groom Ken reads his vows to his soon to be wife....

One of the nice things about Deep River Park are the many great spots for formal shots all within walking distance....

The morning wedding left time for pictures in the park and a chance for the bride and groom to head home and take in a couple of innings of the Cubs game.  Soon it was reception time at Our Lady of Consolation in Crown Point, Indiana.

Here the groom is beaming during the first dance with the starlights of the hall in full glow...

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The reception hall was decorated throughout with many balloons.  It appears as though our bride Tara is trying to snatch this set of ballons from one of her guest...

The daughter of the bride certainly had fun as she spun away on the dance floor....

Look for many more images coming soon from Tara and Ken's summer wedding.  Subscribe to this Journal page via the RSS feed or follow on Facebook for more updates.

Outdoor Formals at Gardens on the Prairie in Lowell, Indiana

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Zach and Olivia referred me to a wedding site called Green Wedding Shoes for ideas for their outdoor wedding at Gardens on the Prairie in Lowell, Indiana.  They were looking for a sun drenched, 1970's era vintage look.  The above collage combines their wedding rings along with the bouquet and a sun soaked bride and groom.

Our formal "posed" photo session actually started in the late morning at Olivia's parents house in Crown Point. They have an old rustic barn that made for a great contrast between pretty bride and grungy, textured metal.

I call this next one Bridesmaids on Deck and it was also taken in the backyard in Crown Point....

I arrived at the ceremony site ahead of Olivia and took the groomsmen into one of the gardens for some formal and casual pictures.  Soon it would be time for Olivia and Zach's first look before the ceremony.

One of the most famous areas of Gardens on the Prairie is the Ruins Monument.  A perfect place for a wedding party group shot...

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Perhaps my favorite image of the session is this Garden shot of the bride and groom about to kiss and surrounded by greenery...

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The soon to be married couple naturally fell into this eskimo kiss while I had them sit down on a break from our garden walk...

In an effort to be unique with ring shots, my assistant and I placed the wedding rings upon this old, rustic chair in the gardens along with the bouquet...

After the ceremony we went to Croation Hall in Crown Point and snuck in a few more formal shots.  Another 1970's washed out approache with this one.  The rays of the sun shined upon the happy (now married) couple just before the reception...

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After you take a look at the this "country girl bride" wedding picture, go visit the entire gallery of Outdoor Formals at Gardens on the Prairie and elsewhere.  More Olivia and Zach in another posting in the Journal soon.

Venue Spotlight: Weddings at Deep River Park

Deep River Park has been a mainstay for outdoor wedding in Northwest Indiana for many, many years.  Located in Valparaiso just north of Rt. 30, the venerable park offers much greenery, old rustic barns, the river itself and of course the gazebo.  Yes, that wonderful gazebo.  A place where many couples have married and many families have visited.  I'd love to know how many young brides have followed in their mom's footsteps by having their ceremony at the steps of the gazebo.

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With the wide open spaces and endless picturesque backdrops, it's a natural area for a wedding photographer to zoom in on tight candids of guests and wedding party alike.  Here's one of a father catching up to his runaway flower girl daughter...

Speaking of kids, they are going to feel less nervous outdoors and tend to give some wonderful expressions during the ceremonies...

The Deep River Park gift shop is a great area for a retro looking, vintage type of photo.  I caught these kids blowing bubbles right after a wedding ceremony and thought it would look great with a sepia, brown tone retro look....

With outdoor ceremonies there is always the risk of rain.  I've had a few of those this year.  However, a couple strolling through the park under an umbrella can make for a very romantic photo...

Of course, when the sun peaks out you can have something very dramatic with the flare coming through the trees and the green river and foresty look of the east side of the park.  

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The old time grist mill is another photo opportunity.  I decided to go with black and white on this one while turning the bride's flowers back into color, a classic wedding effect.

The Sugar Shack is an old rustic barn located deep in the park and can make for casually posed family pictures as well as bride and groom formals.

If you catch the park right after a rain, the area takes on a very rich green and makes for a great backdrop of a tight shot of a just married couple...

So, whether you are walking down the aisle outside or just need a place to get some great scenery into your wedding photos, Deep River Park in Valparaiso is a terrific destination and a wedding tradition that continues to live on and thrive.