Spring Wedding At Sand Creek Country Club

May 6, 2019 Steve Vansak

A romantic walk on the golf course at Sand Creek Country Club

Actual, honest to God, Spring weather decided to descend upon us for Cherise and Thomas’ wedding at Sand Creek Country Club. The sun was blazing outside as Cherise got ready in the bridal suite with a surprise visit from Dad who got to see her in her Something Blue Bridal wedding dress just before ceremony time.

Bridal prep at a Spring wedding at Sand Creek Country Club.

With grace and humor. the couple’s best man officiated the nuptials. It was a joyous ceremony capped by a celebration walk from the wedding party.

Spring wedding ceremony inside the Lake Room at Sand Creek Country Club.

Members of the wedding party start the celebration early.

After indoor wedding photos we stepped out to the clock garden for wedding party group pictures and then we went out onto the course for a romantic stroll.

A romantic stroll on the Sand Creek golf course as the sun shines brightly.

Wedding party group photos in the clock garden at Sand Creek Country Club.

Wedding photos on the golf course at Sand Creek.

Bride and groom at Sand Creek Golf Course.

The bride and groom nuzzle noses for their Spring wedding photos.

The ballroom was decorated with yellow sunflowers for this Spring wedding and a shot glass was waiting for all of the guests. The dance floor had so many joyous faces.

Spring decorations at a wedding reception at Sand Creek Country Club.

A wedding celebration inside the Sand Creek ballroom.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Cherise and Thomas’ Spring wedding. Be sure to fill out the Contact Form to inquire about your big day and follow the social media links below for more image updates.

Spring Wedding At St. Paul Catholic Church

April 29, 2019 Steve Vansak

Bride and groom on the altar at St. Paul Catholic Church in Valparaiso, Indiana.

Beth and Chad eloped on April 2nd to Maui, HI but had their church ceremony and celebration with family and friends in Valparaiso, Indiana. If there is one thing I can say about this couple it is they (and me) are like the postman - we deliver through rain, sleet and snow. More on that later!!

The day started out at the couple’s home where we captured bridal prep along with a few portraits. It was snowing when I arrived on this last Saturday in April. It was great to see Carrie from Sta-Glam who provided on site make up.

Bridal prep at the bride and groom’s home.

The bride stands alone in her bedroom in her wedding dress.

The ceremony took place at Saint Paul Catholic Church where we also did family photos along with wedding party and the bride and groom inside church.

Wedding ceremony at Saint Paul Catholic Church.

Bride and groom kiss on the altar at Saint Paul Catholic Church in Valparaiso, Indiana.

Looking at my weather app for the rest of the day’s forecast pretty much said “are you kidding me, stay inside”. But as I said, Beth and Chad are pretty resilient as am I. We were supposed to go directly to an after party with pictures later but we decided to stop by Ogden Garden along the way. It was raining but this seemed to be our best (and warmest) chance for some outdoor photos. They have a gazebo on the grounds and we made our way underneath that. You can see the rain if you look closely.

Bride and groom have a laugh in the rain at Ogden Garden.

Kissing underneath the gazebo at Ogden Garden.

Bride and groom share a laugh underneath the gazebo during their Spring wedding in late April.

The weather doesn’t look too bad in these photos right now, but keep scrolling…

Our next stop was back at the newlywed’s home for an after party and then we headed to the reception venue Sand Creek Country Club. When we arrived at Sand Creek the temperatures had dropped to 35 degrees. I noticed some crazy looking fog rolling in off the lake there and out we went. I’m really glad we did. The fog was quite mystical…

Bride and groom kiss as rain and sleet falls upon them and fog rises over the lake.

A tender moment in the rain with the bride and groom.

Wedding party pictures along with our smiling bride.

Unveiled Weddings and Events had the room looking fantastic as Sand Creek Country Club hosted the dinner reception with Precision Sound filling the room with music.

A post wedding party at home and a dinner reception at Sand Creek Country Club.

This is merely a sneak peek look at Beth and Chad’s Spring wedding at Saint Paul Catholic Church with many more photos to come. Stay tuned to the Region Weddings Instagram feed. Please do fill out the Contact Form to inquire about your wedding day photography.

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!!

Spring Wedding At Briar Ridge Country Club

April 30, 2018 Steve Vansak

Bride and groom beneath a sun star at Briar Ridge Country Club.

I spent a lovely day with Rachel and Matt at Briar Ridge Country Club for their Spring wedding. Rachel had her hair and makeup done alongside her mom, daughter and sister and we caught up with Matt getting prepped just before the couple's big reveal.

Bridal prep at Jay Marie Salon and Briar Ridge.

The bridal suite at Briar Ridge Country Club.

It was a stunning dress for a stunning bride and now Matt was about to get a glimpse of both as we did the couple's first look outside the clubhouse at Briar Ridge Country Club in Schererville, Indiana.

Close up portraits of the bride and groom at the piano.

Excitement was building as Rachel came around the corner to take a peek at Matt waiting for her. My assistant commented how much she could tell these two were in love. It really showed in their embrace and the passion as they came together to kiss.

First look for the bride and groom at Briar Ridge golf course.

The wedding party then came out to be with them, including Anna and her baseball bats. :)

Wedding party at Briar Ridge Country Club.

Wedding pictures of the bride at Briar Ridge Country Club.

The groom kisses his bride in the shade on the golf course.

The bride and groom walk into the sun on the golf course at Briar Ridge.

I knew the wedding ceremony was about to start when I saw the flower girl / grandmother of the bride enter the building. The ceremony with officiant Dr. Chickie Wolfe was moved indoors due to chilly temperatures despite all the sunshine streaming in through the windows. As you will see below, Rachel and Matt literally tied the knot.

The bride enters the ceremony at Briar Ridge.

Indoor wedding ceremony at Briar Ridge Country Club.

The reception decor was incredibly simple and elegant. DJ Shaun Kelly had a lit monogram on the ceiling as guests entered the lobby.

Wedding reception decor at Briar Ridge Country Club.

Fun times on the dance floor for a Spring wedding at Briar Ridge in Schererville.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Rachel and Matt's Spring wedding at Briar Ridge Country Club. To inquire about wedding photography for your Northwest Indiana, Michigan or Chicago wedding, please fill out the Contact Form. Happy Spring!!