Fall Wedding at Taltree Arboretum

October 19, 2014 Steve Vansak

The bride and groom share a moment in the garden at Taltree Arboretum.

Kevin and Nicole's Fall outdoor wedding and reception at Taltree Arboretum in Valparaiso, Indiana had a strong emphasis on family and friends as most weddings do. Their nuptials at the hidden pavilion had very much the feel of a family picnic. So many laughs, good music and a casual elegance throughout the entire event. Oh, and the scenery was gorgeous!!

Fall colors come to life as the bride and groom take a walk at Taltree Arboretum in Valparaiso, Indiana.

Friends and family brought out their families and the ceremony was cozy and full of laughter and a few happy tears. A member of the wedding party was the officiant and the bride and groom shared their first kiss to much applause.

An outdoor wedding ceremony at Taltree Arboretum.

I love open air wedding reception such as this. I was able to hover around the proceedings and take many fun, candid and "in the moment" wedding photos. As children played, adults mingled, ate strawberry wedding cake and drank some bubbly Chandon champagne.

Open air wedding reception at the Taltree Arboretum Pavilion.

I hope you have enjoyed this quick look at Kevin and Nicole's Fall wedding at Taltree Arboretum in Valparaiso. Be sure to inquire about your wedding date via the Contact Form and visit the Region Weddings Facebook Page for more updates.

Wedding at Red Barn Experience

September 30, 2014 Steve Vansak

The bride glows in sunlight at the entrance of The Red Barn Experience in LaPort, Indiana.

Dustin and Rachel's rustic Fall wedding at The Red Barn Experience was filled with smiles and laughter. No really, my camera lens did not have to look far to see smiling, glowing faces. From the bride and groom themselves to family and guests at the reception. As I told Rachel before I left the reception that night, "you guys are doing it up right".

Speaking of smiling faces, when I entered the bridal suite at the Best Western Hotel in LaPorte I saw the dream team of hair and make up with Alex Garcia of Foxy by Alex Garcia and Krissy Vanderwoude of Makeup by Krissy V. and Shannon Grimmer of Fringe Salon. Rachel and her bridesmaids were in good hands and I'm sure the hidden stash of champagne made things all the better!!

Getting ready at The Best Western bridal suite in LaPorte, Indiana.

Rachel had a lovely dress and I got one last shot of her showing off her garter before heading to the Red Barn to set up the first look.

The bride shows off her garter just before her Fall wedding ceremony at The Red Barn Experience.

The plan was to have Dustin wait upon a hill in the back field behind the Red Barn and have Rachel walk toward him for the big reveal. He was nervous and excited and turned around and walked toward her. We caught their embrace and some intimate talk with the iconic windmill in the background.

First look for the bride and groom at The Red Barn Experience.

Bride and groom in front of the windmill at Red Barn.

If you are a fan of the rustic look then certainly this is a great wedding venue that many from Northwest Indiana as well as Chicago and Michigan celebrate at. It was the perfect scene for some bridal party wedding photos as well as the couple.

Sun rays illuminate the behind the red barn as the bride and groom gaze at each other.

After a walk in the cornfields and a cute kiss at the entrance to the Red Barn reception area, it was close to ceremony time.

The bride and groom walk amongst the Indiana corn.

Dustin was just as elated as the first look earlier when Rachel was walking down the aisle. The planted garden symbolism was very unique and I enjoyed that feature of the ceremony tremendously. As you may have noticed, weather was picture perfect.

The bride walks down the aisle at a Fall outdoor wedding ceremony at The Red Barn Experience.

The bride and groom plant a garden together during their outdoor wedding ceremony.

Remember all of those smiling faces I talked about at the beginning of the day? Here they all were along with many more at the open air reception. Somehow the groomsmen grew mustaches while the bridesmaids hair went frizzy. Must have been something in the champagne!! :)

Dancing under the stars and the lighting of the Sky Lanterns during the first dance were some of the many highlights.

Open air wedding reception at The Red Barn Experience.

Sky lanterns fill the night sky during the first dance.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Dustin and Rachel's rustic Fall wedding at The Red Barn Experience. Subscribe to this Journal below and visit the Region Weddings Facebook page for more updates.

Summer Wedding at the Halls of St. George

August 11, 2014 Steve Vansak

The bride and groom have their first look inside Lemon Lake Park in Crown Point, Indiana.

Kate and Greg had a wonderful summer day for their outdoor wedding at the Halls of St. George banquet hall in Schererville, Indiana. We had humidity and sun beating down upon us at times, but with a solid plan for the day, including a fun first look (as seen above and below) at Lemon Lake Park, it was a great wedding day!!

A montage of images from an bride and groom's first look at Lemon Lake Park.

Our day started at the couple's home with the girls getting ready. I remember the make up artist asking Kate if she was nervous and she said no. I believe her as she appeared very relaxed with good friends and her mom by her side sharing many laughs together.

The bride and her bridesmaids get ready for her big day at her home in Crown Point, Indiana.

I met the guys for their pictures at Lemon Lake Park in Crown Point and the girls met us for the first look and then it was picture time for the wedding party and couples shots. We captured the greenery and the wonderfully tall trees and Kate and Greg also took a romantic stroll along the water.

Bridesmaids show off their pretty pink dresses at Lemon Lake Park in Crown Point, Indiana.

The groomsmen pose for a casual shot at Lemon Lake Park before the wedding ceremony.

A sun drenched kiss along the lake for the bride and groom.

The bride and groom take a romantic stroll along Lemon Lake in Crown Point, Indiana.

Kate and Greg (or me) could not have asked for a better wedding party. They were an enthusiastic and fun bunch and always ready for some photos. After a casual walk around the lake, we all headed for the Halls of St. George in Schererville where family and friends were awaiting the ceremony.

Dramatic clouds sit above the outdoor wedding ceremony at the Halls of St. George.

We had some nice cloud cover and this made for a very pleasant ceremony for guests as well as the wedding party. Kate was given away by her father as Greg awaited. The ceremony was never solemn as their pastor was part officient and part entertainer. Lots of smiles and laughter throughout.

A montage of images from an outdoor wedding ceremony at the Halls of St. George.

The bride and groom have their first kiss underneather the gazebo at Halls of St. George.

We took outdoor family photos right after the ceremony and then it was inside for dinner, dancing and socializing. The best man and maid of honor, Darrell and Ashley rocketed into the room during introductions. As you can see, we had some party crashers during the cutting of the cake, but I made sure security escorted them out!! :)

Future brides and future clients photo bomb the couple as they cut their wedding cake.

The room took on a purple hue for first dances and soon the floor filled to capacity. Let the good times roll...

Father and daughter on the dance floor at the Halls of St. George.

The dance floor is filled to capacity at the Halls of St. George Banquet Hall.

The single girls await the landing of the bouquet.

Photo of the wedding rings on top of a signature board

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek at Greg and Kate's summer wedding at the Halls of St. George. Many more images to come and you can find updates by subscribing below and following Region Weddings on Facebook.

June Wedding at Sandy Pines Pavilion in Demotte, Indiana

June 23, 2014 Steve Vansak

A candid, fun moment between the bride and the groom.

Lindsey and Ryan had a wonderful June wedding at Sandy Pines Pavilion in Demotte, Indiana. They were surrounded by friends and family that gave us many warm and tender and fun moments to capture. It rained this day and brought their outdoor ceremony inside the pavilion. Let's just get that out of the way. So what, I say. It certainly didn't dampen the couple's spirit as I captured them laughing and having fun all day long. As Ryan says in his note to Lindsey that she received while getting ready "nothing is more important to me than making sure you know how much I love you".

The girls got ready in the spacious Sandy Pines Condominiums a block or so away from the pavilion. I captured hair and make up as well as the wonderful dress Lindsey's was going to be wearing soon. My Big Fat Greek Wedding played on the TV as we occasionally checked weather reports.

A beautiful wedding dress hangs from a chandelier at Sandy Pines Condo.

I went around the condo area as well as the golf course itself with the girls as my second photographer captured the guys at another location.

Portrait of the bride at the Sandy Pines Condo in Demotte.

Bridesmaids do some tree hugging at Sandy Pines Golf Course.

As guests entered the grounds they were greeted by the wonderfully rustic homemade signs announcing the couple's big day. The entire event was a family affair all the way with lots of kids, grandparents and more. Ryan's brothers helped rescue some of the ceremony decor as everything moved inside with the thunderstorm brewing.

The bride high fives a little baby boy at her wedding.

Although the rain was coming down quite heavy at this point, everything was all smiles as Ryan and Lindsey were married.

Wedding ceremony at Sandy Pines Pavilion.

We immidiately took family pictures as the rain continued and when it let up we took couple's shots along the pathways on the golf course. The rain gave us some nicely saturated greenery and a dramatic sky.

The newly married couple walk along the Sandy Pines Golf Course in Demotte, Indiana.

The bride and groom flirt in this candid wedding photo.

A dramatic sky wedding photo at Sandy Pines Golf Course in Demotte, Indiana.

The fun continued after dinner with heartfelt toasts of champagne and dancing under the roof of the open air wedding venue...

The bride and groom drink champagne at Sandy Pines Pavilion during their wedding reception.

I always say to embrace the rain at your wedding. Once nightfall hit and it became apparent that things were not going to let up, I asked Lindsey if she minded taking a walk along the puddled path of the pavilion in her dress. She was up for it so i provided them with a clear umbrella and we took a series of night wedding photos in the rain. I'm so glad we did this as it's going to very unique wedding pictures for their album.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Ryan and Lindsey's June wedding at Sandy Pines Pavilion in Demotte, Indiana. Many more to come. Please subscribe here below and visit the Region Weddings Facebook page too.