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.

Outdoor Wedding At Meadow Springs Manor

September 19, 2017 Steve Vansak

A romantic moment in the sun for the bride and groom at Meadow Springs Manor.

The September sun was out in full swing for Karlie and Corey's outdoor wedding at Meadow Springs Manor. Our day started in the morning with bride and bridesmaid getting ready photos inside the bed breakfast surrounded by Indiana cornfields in Francesville. I photographed the details along with the goofy fun shots as these girls let their personalities shine.

Wedding details at Meadow Springs Manor.

Fun photos with the bride and her bridesmaids.

Wedding day fun at Meadow Springs Manor.

As I photographed the bride and her crew, second photographer Kerrie was with the guys. Soon it was time for Karlie to get into her dress and off we were to the first look.

A September bride at Meadow Springs Manor.

The groomsmen get ready for the big day.

I had Corey waiting for Karlie near the outdoor ceremony area and he tensed up as she slowly made her way to him. A big grin came over him as they embraced and he saw her for the first time in her wedding dress.

A kiss for the bride and groom in the Indiana cornfields.

We took a variety of fun and romantic shots and then the wedding party went back into the bed and breakfast to freshen up before the outdoor ceremony.

The bride and her bridesmaids having a blast on wedding day.

The wedding party at Meadow Springs Manor.

The sun was in it's full glory for this September wedding....

The bride and groom share a kiss as the bright sun illuminates them on an Indiana farm.

The Happily Ever After sign directed guests to their seats for this outdoor wedding ceremony in the garden area of Meadow Springs Manor.

Outdoor wedding ceremony at Meadow Springs Manor.

First kiss at Meadow Springs Manor wedding ceremony.

Karlie and Corey's reception had some of the funniest speeches and the 'candy toss" for the kids was certainly a good time.

Wedding reception at Meadow Springs Manor.

First dances for the bride and groom at Meadow Springs Manor.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Karlie and Corey's outdoor September wedding at Meadow Springs Manor. To inquire about wedding photography for your big day, please fill out the Contact Form and stay tuned to Instagram for more images from this wedding and others.

Wedding At The Inn At Aberdeen

July 10, 2017 Steve Vansak

Bride and groom at the garden entrance of The Inn At Aberdeen in Valparaiso, IN

Kara and Hans had a lovely summer day for their outdoor wedding at The Inn At Aberdeen in Valparaiso, Indiana. This venerable bed and breakfast is a great spot for bridal prep as well as an intimate wedding. We started our day with Kara getting ready with the help of her daughter and friends.

Bridal prep at The Inn At Aberdeen in Valparaiso, Indiana.

I photographed Kara in the lovely halls of The Inn while Hans awaited his bride outside in front of the gazebo. Soon Kara would be walking down the aisle with a beaming groom to greet her and adoring friends and family.

Bride on the staircase at The Inn At Aberdeen in Valparaiso, Indiana.

The gazebo garden area is where outdoor weddings take place and it is tucked away below in a little valley. Kara was able to stand atop of the hill and look out at the scene before she came down the cobblestone pathway. The flower girl lined her path before she descended down the aisle.

Flower girls fills the pathway with petals at The Inn At Aberdeen.

The bride makes her entrance at The Inn At Aberdeen in Valparaiso, IN.

The ceremony was quite the family affair, including the performing musicians who then made their way to light the unity candles with their parents.

Outdoor wedding ceremony at The Inn At Aberdeen in Valparaiso, Indiana.

After family pictures Hans and Kara strolled around the garden with me for romantic photos. Then we headed in for cocktails, cake cutting and dinner.

Bride and groom kiss on the gazebo walkway after their summer wedding ceremony.

Summer wedding photos at The Inn At Aberdeen.

The reception soon came outside again where the bride and groom had their first dance as Angelo Cicco performed acoustically. Guests chatted as the sun came down and danced inside the gazebo. It was a wonderful summer night.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Hans and Kara's summer wedding at The Inn At Aberdeen in Valparaiso, Indiana. To inquire about your big day, please fill out the Contact Form. Happy Summer!!

Wedding reception at The Inn At Aberdeen in Valparaiso, Indiana.

Spring Wedding At Villa Cesare In Schererville, Indiana

May 22, 2017 Steve Vansak

Bride and groom kiss at the fountain at Centennial Park.

It was a day of great emotion at Emily and Zach's Spring wedding at Villa Cesare. It may hold the record for the most amount of hugs being passed around and certainly the most high fives!!

Our day started with me covering the girls getting ready. I got to see all of the emotion around the entire room as Melissa Marshall did make up and Toby the puppy brought the laughs.

Bridal prep for a Spring wedding at Villa Cesare.

Emily could not have asked for a better group of bridesmaids. They offered up hugs, mimosa's, laughter and general fawning over the bride on her big day.

Wedding day bridal prep served up fresh with morning mimosa's.

After Emily got into her dress and received visits from mom, dad and other family - the emotional moments started coming a mile a minute.

We were then off for a bridesmaids lunch at Houlihan's Restaurant while second photographer Kerrie captured Zach and the guys "working out".

Bridesmaids and groomsmen on wedding day.

Groom and bride just before their first look.

We were keeping a close eye on the weather and I have to admit that I was concerned that the first look at Centennial Park would get rained out. We had a back up plan, but we didn't need it as the skies opened up and we only got purple rain in the form of Emily's wedding colors.

So much emotion poured forth as Zach awaited Emily on the bridge at Centennial Park as the wedding party looked on.

First look on the lake bridge at Centennial Park in Munster, Indiana.

Bride and groom eskimo kiss during their first look.

Pure emotion as bride and groom embrace on the bridge at Centennial Park.

The entire wedding party then joined us on the bridge and then off we went for couple's photos all around the park.

Wedding party photo on the lake bridge at Centennial Park.

Lean On Me - the groomsmen at Centennial Park.

The garden at Centennial Park is beautiful this time of year and colors really popped due to the rain that morning.

Bride and groom in the colorful garden at Centennial Park.

Tender moment for the bride and groom at their Spring wedding.

I had been clued in that there would be a high five after the ceremony, but I wanted to capture one at the park too. Also, Zach wanted to show off the grape soda bottle caps that they would be wearing as they said their vows a bit later.

A few more fun shots with the girls and then we were off to Villa Cesare for the ceremony.

Fun bridesmaids photos at Centennial Park.

The beautiful bride and her purple flowers.

The outdoor ceremony took place at the gazebo of Villa Cesare where friends and family gathered as Emily came down the aisle. I captured their first kiss, but then waited for my favorite moment - the second or two after the first kiss - pure joy!

Outdoor wedding ceremony at Villa Cesare.

The bride and groom go for a high five as they exit the gazebo at Villa Cesare.

Villa Cesare was decorated in a purple hue as guests dined, danced and prayed to the gods of 1970's disco songs. The first dances were beautiful.

Spring wedding reception at Villa Cesare in Schererville, Indiana.

First dance of bride and groom at Villa Cesare in Schererville, Indiana.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Emily and Zach's Spring wedding at Villa Cesare. Be sure to follow Region Weddings on Instagram and fill out the Contact Form to inquire about your big day.