Winter Wedding Reception at Avalon Manor

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The roads were getting quite slick and snowy when I pulled into the parking lot at Avalon Manor in Merrillville, Indiana for Beth and Anthony's wedding reception.  The parking area was a bit empty and i thought we might have a laid back, small crowd due to weather.  Boy was I wrong!!  The wedding party was ready to dance as were their guests.  It was a full house soon enough.

After introductions, the first order of business was the cake cutting followed by toasts from the maid of honor and best man.

The first dance soon morphed into a group hug/dance/singalong...

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The bride and groom provided dancing sandals for all the guests and they got plenty of use on the spacious ballroom dance floor of Avalon Manor.

The ring bearer was quite the ladies man this night.....

As I said, it was a full house and they came ready to rock...

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Hey look, it's the groom's Dad doing a handstand dance!!

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One of the things I look for at a wedding reception is the occasional slow dance so I catch a possible future bride and groom in a special moment...

I also look for tender family moments as well, such as this group hug...

Soon it was bouquet toss time and I got into position as did all the single women in the crowd.

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The lucky recipient of the bride's bouquet volly....

The Pro Jams DJ Service had the crowd into a boogie frenzy.  Our bride and groom Elizabeth and Anthony weren't wall flowers at their own wedding reception.  They were both on the dance floor often.

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The night ended with the groom being airlifted onto his brother and best man's shoulders for a celebratory scream.

Another fun night at Avalon Manor Reception hall with a great couple with terrific families. Thanks once again to the Iddings and Nelson families.  Hope to see you guys soon.

To view the entire wedding reception, please visit Winter Wedding Reception at Avalon Manor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winter Wedding Formals at the old Courthouse in Crown Point

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The above image was taken in front of the old courthouse in downtown Crown Point, Indiana.  We were on the way to Avalon Manor for Beth and Anthony's wedding reception when snow started really coming down.  About a year before, I had discussed with the couple about doing a winter walk around the Square just like we did in Spring 2010 for their engagement shots.  I was determined to do this despite the cold and so was the wedding party.  They were so brave. It was freezing!!  It was also very worth it as I think we got an iconic looking wedding photo that we all are going to cherish forever.

Let's back up a bit though with formal shots inside of St. Matthias church starting with groom Anthony and best man / brother Alex. 

I had Anthony next to all his groomsmen for similar shots and then we went outside for our "album cover" photo.  Too bad for these guys that the bride pulled up and they had to stay in the cold until we whisked her inside.  Very often I will take formals of the guys at the church just before the bride arrives pre-ceremony.  It's not set in stone, but it does save us a little bit of time for after the ceremony when everyone wants to get in with the bride and groom.

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After the ceremony is when I usually take family photos along with solo shots of the bride...

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For a fun bridal party shot, I had decided to have everyone throw snowballs at my camera. However, this snow just wasn't going to work for that so a group photo from the church balcony and blowing kisses were substituted instead.

After the group shot at the Crown Point courthouse steps, I had the bridal party hop back in the limousine and then took the bride and groom for a quick winter walk.  We had traffic around the square who noticed us and horns were honking with a few congratulations thrown in as well.  We even got invited inside the courthouse to take photos, but we wanted these outdoor shots.  I think they thought we were crazy.  Perhaps we were....

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To see the complete set of wedding formals, visit Winter Wedding Formals and stay tuned for one more segment on the reception at Avalon Manor.

Raffle Winner From Bridal Show

First off, thanks to everyone for visiting my booth at the bridal show this afternoon and listening to my "speech" about my wedding photography.  I appreciate you taking the time to chat and for filling out the entry form.  For those of you who didn't win the Chicago Sessions Engagement Package, I will call or email you to discuss your wedding photography needs.  I will also throw in something special for you should we end up working together.  Not sure what it will be yet, but something to show my appreciation for your time.

Okay, enough babbling from me.  Our winner from the Wicker Park Bridal Show is......

 

Tara VanderWoude

Congratulations Tara!!!

Here is all that Tara will receive:

  • 3 hours of photography in Chicago
  • (1) 8x10 Leather Wrap Wall Print
  • (1) 7x7 Designed Hardbound Book of images from the session

I will be notifying Tara in the next day or so of her big win.  Hopefully this Spring we can get the session done and I can post about it here on the Wedding Photographer Journal.  Become a subscriber by looking for the RSS Feed on the right side of this page.

I strongly encourage everyone to fill out the Contact Form and schedule a meet and greet so we can properly discuss your wedding photography needs without the noise and hoopla of the bridal show.  Quite a number of inquiries are coming in and I'd hate to see your date get booked.  Thanks again for coming out to the show!!

 


Ceremony at St. Matthias in Crown Point, Indiana

Anthony and Beth's wedding ceremony was held on January 7th, but inside St. Matthias Church in Crown Point, Indiana it looked much more like December 25th.  Beth's Dad asked if the Christmas lights could be turned on and indeed they were.  It made for a terrific and unique backdrop for the wedding photos.  - click above image to enlarge -

Since the church has great architecture, I shot wide angle for quite a few shots.  My second camera with a zoom lens on my other hip to capture the bride and groom up close.

Below we have the adorable ring bearer and flower girl and another shot of Beth and her Dad as he gave her away....

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Here is a photo of one of the readers surrounded by the beautiful Christmas decor...

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The lights, the wooden architecture, the Hammond organ, the crowd..... time for the wide angle lens.

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Anybody who has seen my work here know that I love black and white so I had to get a few of those in despite the wonderful color that is in the church.

Just as in the Getting Ready part, the bride and groom were as calm as could be.  At least they appeared that way.  Here is one of the many smiles and laughs caught by zoom lens during the catholic ceremony....

Our bride greeting her bridesmaids....

Soon Anthony and Beth would be pronounced man and wife.  Better get into position for the first kiss...

Ah, there it is, the kiss.  Congratulations to a truly great couple!!

Anthony's mom congratulates her son with a hug.  These two have terrific families and I'm very appreciative in the way they treated me during the big day and afterwards at the Premier Night.

Let raise our glass, I mean our bouquet of flowers - in honor of the happy couple.  The next installment will have a selection of formal pictures along with commentary.  Stay tuned.

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To view the entire gallery of Ceremony images, please visit Ceremony at St. Matthias in Crown Point.