Winner of Bride Blu Bridal Show 2014

February 23, 2014 Steve Vansak

Thank you for stopping by my booth at the Bride Blu Bridal Show at Blue Chip Casino today. My assistant Kerrie and I really enjoyed meeting all of you. I know these shows can be noisy and overwhelming at times so if you are still in search of a wedding photographer please fill out the Contact form so we can set up a meeting to discuss your big day in a quiet atmosphere.

After getting back to my office from the show, my assistant randomly picked a winner from our raffle entries. For those of you who were not picked , keep reading to the end as I have something special for you as well. For now, let's unveil our winner.

Our winner is Jaime Kubiak. Congratulations Jaime!! Please followup with me to receive your Gift Certificate. It can be applied to any Wedding Package, Engagement Package or even Studio Photography if you would like.

Here is how to claim your prize:

Respond to the email I will be sending you shortly or call 219-779-7137.
Schedule a meeting where I will hand you over the certificate.
Use the certificate of $100 by August 31st, 2014 - good toward engagement photography, studio or booking of your wedding package.

If you are not a winner of the gift certificate and you hire me as your wedding photographer, please mention that you were at this show. I will add a complimentary 11x14 Professional Print to your package as a thank you. Fill out the Contact Form to schedule your meeting.

I want all potential clients to have awesome wedding photos. If I have your date booked, I'd be glad to send you to another highy qualified wedding photographer. Don't hesitate to ask. You deserve great images!! See you soon.

All the best,

Steve

Pure Fun

February 17, 2014 Steve Vansak

Have you had enough of the cold temperatures and never ending snow here in Northwest Indiana and Chicago?!! I sure have. It's downright depressing at times. I feel for all of you who are recently engaged who are now planning their wedding in all of this muck. This post is for you. I have no rhyme or reason for it other than to say Spring is coming and fun is on the way.

So I give to you some random image that I hope will put a smile on your face. These are going to be mostly fun, crazy, lighthearted moments today. We'll save the tender romantic ones or teary eyed moms for another time. I love to look at my images from past weddings as it brings out so many fun memories for me. Really looking forward to the upcoming wedding season that is just around the corner. My forecast for 2014 says - pure fun!!

I'll never forget the stunning, energy filled entrance of Greg and Kristen at their reception or the most boogieing Dad of 2013. From crowd surfing children to giggling girls during cocktail hour, the night time hours were certainly fun. The football bridesmaid get my vote for MVP's from last season.

First look at Fernwood Botanical Garden in Niles, Michigan.

Mike and Jenn's first look is borderline sentimental I admit, but the sheer joy on their faces makes the cut for our fun theme today.

Groomsmen hold the bride aloft at Centennial Park in Munster, Indiana.

If you hold the bride aloft and don't drop her and she looks like she is enjoying yourself, congratulations - you have helped create another fun wedding photo.

In the collage below you will find a first for me, a bride who performed for her guests solo on piano. It was awesome!!

A little guy wearing shades with wavy blonde hair took over the dance floor at the Halls of St. George during Amanda and Josh's reception there last summer. At the same venue, Stephanie raised her bouquet in celebration as the DJ played Crazy Little Thing Called Love. Evan and Stephanie did not see each other, but it was a joy to photograph their almost peek-a-boo shot just before they married.

Bride attempts to crush the groomsmen with her blue wedding shoes.

You wouldn't try to crush the groomsmen on your wedding day would you? Okay, don't answer that.

Now, I've ranted about cold and snow here, I feel bad for my winter clients. Truth is, winter weddings can be fun too. I'm just tired of shoveling snow and getting cranky. However, to be fair I will leave you with a fun winter wedding photo. This is an older one that I still adore. It was taken in front of the old courthouse in downtown Crown Point. Stay warm out there. Hope you enjoyed this post.

Winter wedding photo in downtown Crown Point.

Winter Wedding at Saint Andrew the Apostle Parish

January 27, 2014 Steve Vansak

Bride and groom kiss in the aisle of the spectacular Saint Andrew the Apostle Parish in Calumet City.

The first thing I noticed when I walked into 8.14 Hair Studio was the bond between bride Jessica and her mom. Although I was somewhat of a stranger to them, they never seemed nervous or put off when they sat and discussed the plans of the day or looked over books on hair styles. I really enjoyed their sense of fun and it was an honor to be invited to capture it all for Jess and Adam's big day.

And what a day it was - the cold and the snow would not damper spirits. This was truly a fun wedding. As the sign in the salon says "Enjoy life. It's not a dress rehearsal."

Mother and daughter share a laugh on wedding day.

Enjoy life.  It's not a dress rehearsal. — Enjoy life. It's not a dress rehearsal.

Tender moment between mom and daughter as the bride gets into her wedding dress.

For the brides to be out there who often wonder what the guys do as they get ready for a wedding, well let me tell you. if there is a pool table around it's going to get played. More than likely if there's a TV close by, it will be tuned into ESPN.

Groomsman gets ready to sink a solid ball in a game of pool on wedding day.

Dad watches ESPN during the morning of his daughter's wedding.

Seriously though, I could not have asked for a better group of guys. If I didn't have a job to do this day, I could have easily played a round of eight ball with them although I think I would have certainly lost. As you can see above, Dad is deep in thought about wedding preparations. College basketball just happened to be on in the background!!

Adam did get help from his brother Kevin in between his turn at the pool table. Soon he would be awaiting Jessica at the altar of Saint Andrew's Parish.

The best man helps out the groom with his tie the morning of the wedding.

The guys toast the groom on wedding day.

The best way to describe Saint Andrew the Apostle Parish in Calumet City, Illinois is "majestic". It's one of the largest Catholic churches in the area and a joy to photograph. As Jessica walked down the aisle with her Dad, I shot wide to capture the grandness of the beautiful building while my associate photographer took close ups.

Father and daughter walk down the aisle at Saint Andrew the Apostle Parish.

Dad proudly walks his daughter down the aisle at a Catholic wedding in Chicago.

Father Jack injected a lot of humor into the ceremony as we captured the moments as they happened. In the shots below I was able to capture the view from the altar showing the joy in the faces of the bride and groom as well as see the wonderful church from their perspective.

A wide angle view from the altar of Saint Andrew the Apostle Parish.

The couple reacts with smiles as their priest performs their Catholic wedding ceremony.

A candid moment between the bride and groom at the altar of Saint Andrew the Apostle Parish.

Bride and groom gaze at each other in the balcony overlooking the majestic church.

After the ceremony we took family photos and then set out do something fun and unique. Jessica was an all star Highland HS and Purdue basketball player. With this in mind, we put her at the free throw line along with her wedding party ready to rebound. Do you think she made the shot or did wedding day pressure make her shoot an air ball?!!

The bride shoots free throws at Lincoln Center gym on her wedding day.

The bride makes the shot as the wedding party gets ready to rebound.

Are you kidding me? It was all net baby, all net!! :)

The fun continued on from there as we made our way to Great Oaks Banquet Hall in Cedar Lake, Indiana for the reception.

The groom does a strip tease before taking the garter off to toss to all the single men.

The best man high fives the groom after catching the garter.

The ring bearer helps out during the dollar dance at Great Oaks Banquet Hall in Cedar Lake, Indiana.

It was a great moment when Kevin, the brother of the groom and best man caught the garter and they high fived on the dance floor. This was just one of many fun moments at Adam and Jessica's wedding that took the bite out of winter. The warm spirits of family and friends was all that was needed.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek. For more image updates, please follow this blog or the Region Weddings Facebook page. Much more to come!!

Beach Weddings at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

January 17, 2014 Steve Vansak

The groom carries his bride across the bridge at Portage River Walk.

As I write this, the "polar vortex" is about to revisit Northwest Indiana with more bitterly cold air along with some snow. What a perfect time to talk about beach weddings at the Indiana Dunes Lakeshore!!

Sarcasm aside, you actually may be thinking about this as you do wedding planning for 2014 and 2015. I think most people have beach weddings or at least go there for their wedding photos because they love the calming atmosphere it provides along with the beautiful blue skies, water and fresh air. I also think beach weddings appeal to couples who want to keep it simple and natural.

Bride and groom walk toward the beach after their wedding at the Indiana Dunes Lakeshore.

Today I found out, that as a professional photographer, I will need to purchase permits for photographing at the Indiana Dunes Lakeshore. I shoot many sessions out there so I will be doing this in the next few weeks. If you are planning to have your ceremony at one of the lakeshore locations such as West Beach, Portage River Walk, Chellberg Farm and others, here are some guidelines you will need to know.

A permit is needed and can be obtained by calling 219-395-1644. The cost is $65.00.
Wedding permits are available all year around and are good for 2 hours.
Electricity is only available at one location - Portage River Walk.
The following is a link to download the - Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Permit Application
Metal or wooden folding chairs are not allowed.

Here is a link to download the Frequently Asked Questions about Beach Weddings at the Indiana Dunes.

I hope this is helpful to you if you are considering a wedding on the beach at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. You can contact me here if you have any other questions about the photography.