Summer Wedding At St. Maria Goretti Church

August 14, 2018 Steve Vansak

A celebratory dip for the bride and groom after their church wedding at St. Maria Goretti.

Wow - I had a lot of fun capturing Kim and Tim's summer wedding at St. Maria Goretti Church with photos afterward at Centennial Park and the reception at Halls of St. George. From the welcoming hospitality of each of their families to the "singing bridesmaids", it was an inspirational day for sure.

We started the day with myself capturing bridal prep and Bridget with the guys.

Wedding day bridal prep for Kim and her bridesmaids.

Getting ready at the bride's parent's home.

Groom prep for a church wedding at St. Maria Goretti.

Bride and groom dressed and ready for their summer wedding.

Kim's Dad escorted her to the church in his vintage car and in his arms down the aisle of St. Maria Goretti Church in Dyer, Indiana as Tim looked on.

The bride and her father at a catholic wedding ceremony at St. Maria Goretti Church.

Wedding ceremony at St. Maria Goretti Church in Dyer, Indiana.

Bubble exit at St. Maria Goretti Church.

After the exit we went inside for family pictures and I also took the couple around the church for photos. Kim wanted to show off the stained glass behind the altar and we did just that with them in a classic kiss down below. Then we were off to Centennial Park.

Bride and groom at the altar of St. Maria Goretti Church.

Stained glass windows overlook the bride and groom for their church wedding photos.

Showing off the bride's wonderful dress at church.

At Centennial Park, once again I went off with the girls while Bridget photographed the guys. And then we let the girls goof off with Tim and the same with Kim and the guys.

Bridesmaids and groomsmen photos at Centennial Park in Dyer, Indiana.

Bride with groomsmen and groom with bridesmaids.

Summer wedding photos at Centennial Park.

Centennial Park is a popular destination for wedding pictures in Northwest Indiana and we utilized all of the wonderful backgrounds there including the lake and greenery as we walked the perimeter of the park.

Bride and groom walk along the greenery at Centennial Park.

Bride and groom at the edge of the Centennial lake.

It had been awhile since a wedding party had attempted a jumping shot, but Kim and Tim's group were up for it with shoes flying. Soon it would be time to celebrate indoors at the Halls of St. George.

Ninja masters and shoe throwers in the summer sun of Centennial Park.

The fun continued at the reception at Halls of St. George with intros, speeches and cake cutting. A special appearance was make via cardboard cutout of "a guy named Mike" and then it was time to hit the dance floor.

Fun times at Halls of St. George for a summer wedding reception.

“It’s gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
There’s nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do
I bless the rains down in Africa
Gonna take some time to do the things we never had
Hurry boy, she’s waiting there for you”

— Africa by Toto - Songwriters: David Paich / Jeff Porcaro

It appears the "singing bridesmaids" only know the chorus of the song Africa, but they did a fine job of it!!

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Kim and Tim's summer wedding at St. Maria Goretti Church. Be sure to tune in to the social media channels below for more images. As always, to inquire about wedding photography for your big day, please use the Contact Form to set up a meeting. I'd love to chat with you about your wedding.

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.

Wedding at Aberdeen Chapel and The Market in Valparaiso

August 7, 2017 Steve Vansak

The bride and groom share a laugh among the yellow flowers at Taltree Arboretum

Samantha and Tyler had a gorgeous summer day for their wedding at Aberdeen Chapel and The Market in Valparaiso. We also stopped by Taltree Arboretum for wedding party and couples photos.

Our day started in Crown Point at Thomas William Salon with beverages courtesy of Coopers Hawk, laughter and friendship from the bridesmaids and loving advice from mom.

Sammy got into her dress in the wonderful bridal suite at Aberdeen Manor just before her first look with Tyler in the garden.

Bridal prep at the bridal suite at Aberdeen Manor in Valparaiso.

Dad received a special tie courtesy of the bride while mom looked on.

Tyler is in the United States Navy and is stationed out in San Diego, CA right now. He and his guys celebrated with a pre-ceremony game of pool as second photographer Lauren captured the moments.

Groomsmen prep for a summer wedding in Valparaiso, Indiana.

Samantha and Tyler's first look was a wonderfully private moment in the garden of Aberdeen Manor. We placed the groom under a shaded trellis as Sammy walked toward him.

First look for the bride and groom in the garden at Aberdeen Manor.

Portraits of the bride and groom at their summer wedding in Valparaiso, IN.

The summer ceremony inside of the picturesque Aberdeen Chapel had lots of laughs with Reverend Doug Klukken presiding. Sammy and Tyler exited into the bright midday sun and soon we were back inside for family photos.

Wedding ceremony at the Wedding Chapel at Aberdeen Manor.

Congregation attend a wedding ceremony at Aberdeen Chapel in Valparaiso.

The bride and groom kiss as they exit the Chapel at Aberdeen Manor.

Family and wedding party portraits inside the Aberdeen Chapel.

We spent the late afternoon at Taltree Arboretum taking wedding party and couple's photos at the beautiful nature preserve.

Bridesmaid and groomsmen group photos at Taltree Arboretum.

The wedding party stars in a sequel of The Sopranos TV show.

Taltree Arboretum is a great location for romantic wedding photos and we definitely used the gorgeous colors to our advantage.

Bride and groom share in a kiss amidst the nature of Taltree Arboretum.

Romantic couples photos at Taltree Arboretum in Valparaiso.

Wedding days can be a real whirlwind, so if possible I like to have my couples take a break from pictures and just sit and talk for awhile. Of course, I am sneaking in some shots (as was the video crew at Whole Hearted Wedding Films) and these are often the most natural expressions.

Bride and groom sit and chat on a bench surrounded by greenery at Taltree Arboretum.

We had a few puffy clouds in the eastern sky so made sure we got Tyler and Sammy up on the rolling hills at Taltree Arboretum where two clouds were nice enough to hover on each side of the newlyweds. Thanks Mother Nature!!

The bride and groom slow dance on the rolling hills of Taltree Arboretum nature preserve.

The Market in Valparaiso is a relatively new wedding venue and Samantha and Tyler had it decorated to the nines. The candles were beuatiful and the tribute to deceased grandparents (along with their wedding photos) was very touching.

Wedding decorations at The Market in Valparaiso, Indiana.

The introductions featured a "flower toss" and the speeches were funny and emotional all at once. Soon it was cake cutting time, dinner and on to first dances.

Wedding reception at The Market in Valparaiso, Indiana.

Parent dances and first dance at The Market.

I forgot to mention the delicious desserts and 27 Entertainment brought the noise...

Party time at a wedding reception at The Market in Valparaiso, IN.

First dance for the bride and groom at The Market.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Sammy and Tyler's summer wedding at The Chapel at Aberdeen and The Market in Valparaiso, Indiana. As always, please fill out the Contact Form to inquire about your big day. More images to come on Instagram and other social media listed below. Enjoy!!

Summer Wedding At Signature Banquets In Lowell, Indiana

July 3, 2017 Steve Vansak

Romantic wedding photo on the pier at Lemon Lake County Park.

Jill and Johnny were married on a sunny summer day at Signature Banquets in Lowell, Indiana. Our day started in downtown Crown Point with bridal prep at The Hair Saloon with a little bubbly for the bridesmaids and some refreshing strawberries for the flowgirls. Soon we were off to Signature Banquets for getting into the dress.

Bridal prep at The Hair Saloon on Crown Point, Indiana.

The bride and groom prepare for their summer wedding at Signature Banquets.

The indoor ceremony saw a lot of laughter as Reverend Doug oversaw the nuptials. Friends and family cheered as Jill and Johnny exited the ceremony room. We took family photos and then we were off to Lemon Lake County Park for wedding party pictures.

Wedding ceremony at Signature Banquets in Lowell, Indiana.

Lemon Lake County Park saw sun rays streaming through the tall trees which we took advantage of for some romantic bride and groom images. The wedding party was in great spirits and we even got a surprise proposal during the photos!! ;)

Rays of sun stream through the tall trees at Lemon Lake Park as the bride and groom kiss.

Wedding party photos at Lemon Lake County Park.

Mock proposal from the groom to his groomsman.

The sun really was blazing down but we really wanted to photograph on the pier and capture some great clouds that had formed above us. More rays of sun shining down upon the bride and groom was an extra bonus.

Relaxing on the pier at Lemon Lake County Park.

A romantic kiss on the pier at Lemon Lake County Park.

Jill and Johnny got all giggly on me in the woods and they looked happy as could be taking a nature stroll beneath the tall trees of the mini forest.

A walk in the woods at Lemon Lake County Park in Crown Point, Indiana.

To all who entered Signature Banquets that night, a jar of sweet honey awaited them. Apparently these two soul mates had "finally" tied the knot according to one guest's best wishes. The dance floor was packed throughout the night as friends and family celebrated this much loved couple.

Wedding reception decorations at Signature Banquets.

Wedding reception celebration at Signature Banquets in Lowell, Indiana.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek at Jill and Johnny's summer wedding at Signature Banquets in Lowell, Indiana. As always, be sure to fill out the Contact Form to inquire about your big day.