Get Hitched at the Old Crown Point Courthouse

July 10, 2013 Steve Vansak

Mike and Danielle were married at the Old Crown Point Courthouse in Crown Point, Indiana as part of the Get Hitched promotion to help preserve the legacy of the historic building. To learn more about this promotion, please visit the Get Hitched website.

Get Hitched at the Old Crown Point Courthouse promotional poster.

Our bride Danielle looks just as striking as Colleen Moore does in the above poster in the is bridal portrait taken at nearby Ellendale Farm.

A pretty bride in a portrait taken at Ellendale Farm near downtown Crown Point.

The wedding took place on July 5th just after Independence Day celebrations. We started out at Glamour Hair Design in Valparaiso. I always try to capture all the laughter and fun that often takes place at the Getting Ready sessions on the wedding day and that was pretty easy with these girls!! They simply couldn't stop laughing and goofing off. I guess they got pretty used to me being there and the cocktails may have played a part too. :)

A bridesmaid sneaks up on the bride to give her a kiss.

Bridesmaids goof off with make up at Glamour Design Salon in Valparaiso.

The flower girl fit right in with this group as she was not camera shy in anyway. Here she is with the bride just before taking off to the Crown Point wedding ceremony.

The bride hugs the flower girl just before her wedding ceremony in Crown Point, Indiana.

Soon we were inside the Grand Old Lady which is the nickname for the old Crown Point courthouse located on Main Street in the downtown square. The father of the bride walked her down the aisle with friends and family looking on.

Father of the bride walks her down the aisle of the old Crown Point courthouse.

The groom gave her a surprise dip during their first kiss as the pastor roared with approving laughter.

The groom dips his bride during the first kiss at their wedding ceremony at the Crown Point courthouse.

Family wedding photos took place outside the building in front of the steps. Well wishers honked their horns as they drove around the shopping square.

Family wedding photos on the steps of the Crown Point Courthouse.

The groom was all smiles on his wedding day...

The groom smiles with joy on his wedding day on the front steps of the Crown Point courthouse.

After family portraits we took a 3 minute drive to the Ellendale Farm neighborhood in Crown Point for romantic wedding photos along the lake.

A sunburst appears in the sky as the bride and groom look toward each other in this romantic wedding photo at Ellendale Farm in Crown point.

The Crown Point flavor continued as guests were treated to a candy bar with swirled lollipops as the bride and groom did their first dance in the courthouse Bali ballroom.

Lollipop wedding decorations at a reception at the Crown Point courthouse.

First dance inside the Bali ballroom during a wedding reception at the Crown Point courthouse.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek as Mike and Danielle "get hitched" at the old Crown Point Courthouse. for more updates, stay tuned to this Journal and like the SBV Photography Facebook Page.

First Look at Lake County Fairgrounds in Crown Point

July 4, 2013 Steve Vansak

I met with Justin and Stephanie several times to plan out the photographs for their big day. We settled on bringing a little Crown Point hometown flavor to their wedding day with a first look at the Lake County Fairgrounds.

I positioned Stephanie deep inside The Old Covered Bridge with Justin facing out. We would have her slowly make her way to him and let the anticipation build. The groomsmen and bridesmaids were cheering them on behind me.

The bride and groom's first look at The Old Covered Bridge at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Crown Point, Indiana.

Bride and groom see each other for the first time at The Old Covered Bridge at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Crown Point, Indiana.

This was my second day in a row with a first look involving a bridge. They were both special moments and I think we got some really unique wedding photos from both days.

Stephanie's day started with getting ready at her parent's home in Schererville, Indiana. I spent the morning with her family taking detail shots and documentary style wedding photography.

The bride gets make up applied at her parent's home in Northwest Indiana.

The bride's wedding bracelet sits upon her purple wedding shoes.

Her family was very welcoming to myself and my assistant. We had a great time interacting with everyone and could have hung around all day, but soon it was time for Stephanie to get into her wedding dress and we would then meet the wedding party in Crown Point.

The bride's sister helps tie the wedding dress.

The bride shows off her dress on her wedding day in Schererville, Indiana.

The bride's mom and sister help her into her wedding dress.

After the first look we gathered up the wedding party for some group shots in front of The Old Covered Bridge and all around the Lake County Fairgrounds.

The entire wedding party has their photo taken in front of the the Old Covered Bridge at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Crown Point.

Stephanie is an avid runner and often would use the fairgrounds for her workouts. She wanted to use the various piers and gazebos within the grounds. This one overlooking the lake is one of my favorites.

The bride and groom kiss at the edge of a pier inside the Lake County Fairgrounds.

Our final stop before going to the ceremony was the downtown Crown Point Square where we took this beautiful portrait of the bride in front of the old courthouse.

Portrait of a beautiful bride in downtown Crown Point at the old courthouse.

The outdoor wedding ceremony took place at the Halls of St. George in Schererville, Indiana. Rain was threatening, but stayed away as Stephanie and her Dad walked down the aisle with friends and family looking on.

Bride walks down the aisle with her Dad at an outdoor wedding ceremony at the Halls of St. George.

Family sits in chairs at an outdoor wedding in Schererville, Indiana.

The outdoor ceremony had many fun moments with the Reverend Doug Kluuken once again presiding over the nuptials. One of my favorite moments was when the bride and groom were walking out and the music kicked in with Crazy Little Thing Called Love from Queen. The newly married couple were bouncing their way back down the aisle.

A fun moment at an outdoor wedding at the Halls of St. George.

A newly married couple celebrates as they walks down the aisle at their outdoor summer wedding at Halls of St. George.

Dancing in the spacious reception hall had the guests and the bride and groom moving all night long.

The bride and groom take their first dance at The Halls of St. George in Schererville, Indiana.

Line dancing during a wedding reception at the Halls of St. George.

A great impromptu wedding moment was when Stephanie's grandfather surprised her with a dance out on the floor. She rewarded him with a kiss...

The bride gives her grandfather a kiss after he surprises her on the dance floor.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek detailing Justin and Stephanie's first look at Lake County Fairgrounds as well as their outdoor wedding at the Halls of St. George. Stay tuned here and at the SBV Photography Facebook Page for more images and updates.

The last image I will leave you with goes along with our 4th of July celebrations today. We struggled to get the sparklers lit and the bridesmaids worked like crazy against the wind, but we ended up with the word love written out in sparklers anyway...

The bride and groom kiss as their bridesmaids spell out the work love with sparklers.

Outdoor Wedding Ceremony at Centennial Park

June 30, 2013 Steve Vansak

Jeff and Kendelle's outdoor wedding ceremony at Centennial Park in Munster, Indiana took place after a rain storm swept through and nearly blew away the groom back to the bride's native home of Australia.

For a comparison, take a look above at this wonderful sun filled photograph of the outdoor ceremony over looking the lake to the one below of our brave groom Jeff. He was fighting the elements to avoid seeing his bride as she arrived at the front entrance of Centennial Park.

A rain storm erupts at an outdoor wedding at Centennial Park.

An old joke in Northwest Indiana says that if you don't like the weather, just wait 5 minutes and it will change. That proved to be correct as the weather cleared up and Jeff and Kendelle were able to do their first look on the bridge at Centennial Park. We had planned to have Kendelle walk alone across the bridge to greet her awaiting groom. However, she needed help to avoid the puddles that had collected from the rain storm. Dad came to the rescue and helped her across.

What a wonderful moment it was...

Father of the bride takes her across the bridge at Centennial Park for the first look with her groom.

Dad kisses his daughter as he gives her to the groom on the bridge at Centennial Park in Munster, Indiana.

The bride and groom embraced and soon they were involved in a deep kiss as friends cheered them on from the balcony of the clubhouse.

Bride and groom kiss on the bridge of Centennial Park as friends and family look on.

The summer wedding started out in the morning at Navii Salon and Day Spa in Schererville, Indiana where I found the bridesmaids in good spirits and mugging for my camera and getting the bride to laugh and not think too much about the weather.

Bridesmaids mug for the camera at Navii Salon and Day Spa in Schererville, Indiana.

The bride gets her hair and make up done at Navii Salon and Day Spa.

Kendelle is originally from Australia and I got to meet her mom and dad back at the hotel as she got into her dress. They obviously care for her a great deal as they helped her with the veil and her father with a loving kiss.

Mom places the wedding veil on her daughter the bride.

Dad gives his daughter a good luck kiss on her wedding day.

I loved Kendelle's choice in colors and the details she put into her decor and clothing such as these engraved wedding shoes...

Blue wedding shoes with wedding date and I Do engraved on the bottom.

When it was looking like our first look may get rained out, we decided to do bridal portraits inside. I'm glad we waited out the storm for the first look as we got the best of both worlds. I'm quite fond of these portraits inside the clubhouse at Centennial Park. Kendelle looked fantastic as we did some dramatic lighting with a spotlight on the bride.

A spotlight shines upon the bride for her wedding portrait at Centennial Park in Munster, Indiana.

A close up portrait of the bride holding her glowing bouquet of pink flowers.

Soon we were ready for the outdoor ceremony overlooking the lake at Centennial Park. The sun was raging down upon us at this point and dramatic looking clouds filled the sky as well.

The sun shines down upon an outdoor wedding ceremony at Centennial Park in Munster, Indiana.

An Australian family visits Northwest Indiana for a summer wedding ceremony.

The flower girl shielded herself from the sun as Jeff and Kendelle were pronounced married by the Reverend Doug Kluuken.

Flower girl hides from the sun at an outdoor wedding ceremony at Centennial Park.

A just married couple waves to friends and family after their summer wedding in Munster, Indiana.

Soon after getting married, Kendelle immediately started giving Jeff advice on his golf game and how he could improve....

The bride and groom try out the golf driving range at Centennial Park.

The fun loving spirit continued during the introductions for the reception and into the first dances.

The wedding party gets introduced at a Centennial Park reception.

The bride and groom get introduced at their wedding reception as the wedding party circles around them.

The parent dances were very unique with Dad getting down in a funky groove and Jeff and his Mom getting a little ballroom dancing in on us. Great fun with 27 Entertainment in the DJ booth.

The father of the bride fast dances with his daughter.

The groom ballroom dances with his mom at hgis wedding reception in Munster, Indiana.

The new Mr. and Mrs. Miller danced this wonderful summer night away with the twinkling lights of the darkened park behind them. A day and night they will never forget.

The bride and groom kiss under the night sky at Centennial Park during their wedding reception.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek at Jeff and Kendelle's outdoor wedding at Centennial Park. Stay tuned here and the Facebook Page for more images and updates.

June Wedding Reception at Aberdeen Manor

June 23, 2013 Steve Vansak

Evan and Stephanie's June wedding reception at Aberdeen Manor in Valparaiso had some of the most emotional speeches of any wedding I've photographed. Incredibly heartfelt words from the maid of honor, best man, brides brother and the respective fathers of the bride and groom. Their summer wedding also featured some incredibly fun moments on the dance floor. Aberdeen Manor was decorated beautifully as the bride and her father took to the floor for their dance. Music was provided by 27 Entertainment.

Father and bride dance together at Aberdeen Manor in Valparaiso, Indiana.

The bride and her maid of honor spent their college years supporting one another and many emotional and fun stories were told during her toast to the bride.

Bride and maid of honor share a tender moment at a wedding reception at Aberdeen Manor.

Stephanie and Evan's summer wedding actually started out in Crown Point at the Thomas William Hair Salon for hair, makeup and a few laughs with mom and the bridesmaids.

Bride has lipstick applied for her wedding day at Thomas William Salon in Crown Point, Indiana.

Mother of the bride and a bridesmaid share a laugh at a Crown Point hair salon on wedding day.

Beautiful window light falls upon the bride as she gets ready for her summer wedding in Crown Point.

The laughs continued at the parents of the bride's home in Lakes of the Four Seasons. We took detail shots as the girls got dressed and did a few fun photos in the living area of their home.

The bride's earrings are draped over her garter and her shoes with her wedding dress in the background.

The bridesmaids blow kisses to the wedding photographer in their pink single strap bridesmaid dresses.

It was my female assistant's idea to have all the girls blow kisses at me up in the balcony, but i certainly didn't mind. They are a fun bunch and we went back and forth between some staged fun shots and candids as they prepared to take off for the ceremony at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church.

We used window light once again for a bridal portrait and it gave Stephanie a wonderfully warm glow. We backlit her beautiful veil with some of our lighting during this rare moment of wedding day tranquility.

The bride looks out the window of her childhood home as sun bathes her in warm light illuminating her beautiful wedding veil.

When we arrived at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Valparaiso, we immediately took the groom out to the farm field for an outdoor portrait in his tuxedo. We also took formal shots of his family inside the church as we waited for Stephanie's arrival.

The groom smiles for his wedding portrait amongst the farm land outside Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Valparaiso, Indiana.

Emotions were all over the place for the ceremony. The ring bearer made a stop to visit me as he made his way toward the altar. This brought on quite a bit of laughter. Minutes later, joyful tears ran down the bride's face as she walked down the aisle with her Dad.

Tears of joy stream down the bride's face as she walks down the aisle with her Dad at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Valparaiso, Indiana.

Friends and family fill up the pews at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Church for a June wedding ceremony.

Family photos took place inside the church after the ceremony along with a few portraits of the bride and groom at the altar.

A formal wedding photo of the bride and groom at the altar of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Valparaiso.

The bridal party and I snuck off to Deep River Park in the late afternoon for couple's shots and some fun wedding party group photos before taking off for Aberdeen Manor Ballroom for the reception.

Bride and groom kiss as they cross over the bridge at Deep River Park in Hobart, Indiana.

Bride holds her summer bouquet of wedding flowers in the garden at Aberdeen Manor in Valparaiso, Indiana just after her wedding.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek at Evan and Stephanie's June wedding ceremony at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and reception at Aberdeen Manor Ballroom in Valparaiso, Indiana. For more updates, stay tuned to this Journal and like the Facebook Page listed below this posting.