Outdoor Wedding at The Patrician

May 27, 2014 Steve Vansak

The bride and groom embrace at sunset after their Spring wedding at The Patrician.

India and Brian were married on a gorgeous Spring day at The Patrician in Schererville, Indiana. The outdoor ceremony was awash with sunlight as the afternoon sky had no clouds on this Sunday before Memorial Day. We stepped away from the reception at dusk to take the above shot with the sun setting and casting it's orange glow upon the sky.

Our day began in the bridal suite with fun and laughter courtesy of the flower girls who absolutely love the many mirrors available to them.

The flower girl has fun in the bride's lap on wedding day.

The bride with her mother on the morning of her wedding.

The ceremony took place at the west gazebo area of the banquet hall on Route 30. Friends and family filled the seats with most wearing sunglasses to shield them from the rays as temperatures rose above 80 degrees.

The bride walks down the aisle at her outdoor wedding along side her Father.

The sky was a perfect blue overlooking the gazebo and blended in perfectly with India's wedding colors.

Outdoor wedding ceremony at the gazebo at The Patrician in Schererville, Indiana.

As usual we took family photos right after the ceremony and then I had the couple take a short stroll among the greenery behind the gazebo.

The bride and groom take a stroll in the summer sun.

For India's bridal portraits we tucked into one of the ballrooms for a darkened, dramatic look and focused on the back of her dress.

The bride shows off the back of her dress in this dramatic bridal portrait.

The afternoon reception was pure family fun with lots of laughs during the speeches as well as another happy flower girl enjoying the sunlight streaming in from the ballroom windows.

A candid moment during the reception toasts.

The first dance also had it's share of laughs as the bridal party encouraged the couple from the head table.

The bride and groom laugh it up during their first dance at an afternoon wedding reception at The Patrician.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at India and Brian's outdoor wedding at The Patrician in Schererville, Indiana. You can subscribe here and visit the Region Weddings Facebook page for more updates.

Engagement Photos at County Line Orchard

May 23, 2014 Steve Vansak

A young couple kisses from opposite sides of the fence at County Line Orchard.

Kristen and Ryan are getting married on October 4th with purple as their color. They had their heart set on engagement photos at County Line Orchard so off we went for a session all around the iconic Northwest Indiana venue. Special thanks to Roxanne (wedding coordinator at the venue) for her hospitality in letting us have free reign around the Orchard after hours.

Ryan is a southern gentleman from Missouri who just moved up here to be with his love Kristen. They are super sweet and at times I put them into cutesy poses and other times just let them be. Unfortunately, they got into a fight...

A young couple has a leaf fight at County Line Orchard for their engagement photos.

Just kidding. There was no argument here, just some playful leaf throwing . There just happened to be a photographer and his lighting assistant hanging around to capture things. :)

You can't photograph at County Line Orchard without featuring the big red barn doors in some shots or taking a sun drenched walk amongst the apple trees...

Engagement photo in front of the red barn doors at County Line Orchard.

An engaged couple walks among the apple orchards.

Temperatures were just perfect for our session with the grass dry enough for some lounging and cuddling...

Portrait of a soon to be married couple in the grass at the apple orchards in Hobart, Indiana.

A lazy afternoon at Hobart's County Line Orchard.

Kristen asked for a ring shot and she also wanted to who off her wedding colors so we opted for these purple flowers conveniently planted for us just outside the back of the building. I combined another portrait along with the wedding date for an engagement collage.

An engagement ring sits atop purple flowers with a photo of the couple and their wedding date.

The sun was bold and bright even toward dusk on this beautiful Spring day, but we used it to our advantage for some soft focus shots of the future bride and groom.

A soft focus black and white engagement photo of a couple snuggling in the grass engulfed in sunlight.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek at Ryan and Kristen's engagement session at County Line Orchard. Subscribe to this page below and follow Region Weddings on Facebook for more updates.

Hanging out at County Line Orchard on a hazy afternoon in the Spring.

Military Wedding at Saint Matthias Church

May 20, 2014 Steve Vansak

The bride and groom share a kiss on the scenic bridge at White Hawk Country Club in Crown Point, Indiana.

There are many adjectives that can be written about Kyle and Alicia's military wedding at St. Matthias Church in Crown Point, Indiana. The first is 'epic' as in "Did you see that dress?". The next would be 'majestic' in describing the groomsmen in their uniform waiting for the bride underneath the roof of the newly remodeled catholic church with it's new wood flooring and array of hanging light fixtures.

Controlled chaos was the scene at Alicia's home where every brand of make up known to womanhood was distributed around a large mirror where the girls got ready for the big day.

The bride get ready for her big day at her home in Cedar Lake.

Alicia was as calm as could be and only occasionally had to discipline her beloved dogs who seemed very excited at all of the unexpected guests.

It was only fitting to have an army styled garter with the wedding date inscribed upon it. More military decorations were to come at the church as well as the reception. Fun stuff...

Army styled garter with names and wedding date.

Before jetting off to the ceremony at Saint Matthias Church, I captured a couple of images of mom and daughter together as Alicia got into her wedding dress.

The bride alone with her mother before the ceremony.

The mother of the bride laces up her dress on wedding day.

It was a great moment as Alicia's mom walked her down the aisle while her groom looked on and the congregation stood.

The bride's mother walks her down the aisle at Saint Matthias Church in Crown Point, Indiana.

The groom smiles broadly as his bride's mother gives her away during their military wedding at Saint Matthias.

The church was full of family and well wishers on this lovely Spring day in the month of May.

The view from the back of Saint Matthias Church during a Spring wedding ceremony.

Father was in great humor throughout the ceremony with many fun moments as well as emotional ones.

The bride and groom listen to father while kneeling on pews during their wedding ceremony at St. Matthias Church.

We took family photos at the church as well as bride and groom images and then it was off to White Hawk Country Club for more photos and the reception.

The bride and groom look at each other at the altar of Saint Matthias Church.

The bridesmaids in their royal blue dresses get sassy at White Hawk Country Club.

White Hawk offer some gorgeous photo opportunities including the fairly unknown "swampy bridge" area as I like to call it. Make sure you hail a golf cart limo to take you there for some wonderful wedding photos.

The newly married couple takes a stroll across the bridge at White Hawk Country Club in Crown Point.

Of course, make sure your photographer gives you proper directions when driving your golf cart to the location. Kyle was behind the wheel and I had him take a wrong turn and we both gave Alicia a scare as we had to turn the cart around in a muddy patch of grass. Sorry guys!!

Now, if you are going to have a military wedding, you are going to want your cake topper to reflect that. I thought the two black dogs were a nice personal touch as well. They are part of the family too, right?!! And yes, that is a sword they are cutting the cake with.

The bride and groom cut their cake with a sword.

Let's inject a few more adjectives now. How about 'pure joy' on the faces of the crowd as Kyle dipped his bride during the first dance. Or how about the great fun during the father and daughter dance as well.

The groom dips his bride during their first dance at White Hawk Country Club.

Pure joy during the father daughter dance at White Hawk Country Club.

The bride laughs with joy while dancing with her father.

Speaking of silly fun wedding photos, the wedding party stepped outside for a mock invasion with the bride and groom triumphantly guarding their turf. Too funny...

The dance floor was packed all night and it was clear that the guests came to party and no one was sitting on their hands. What a great night!!

A packed dance floor for a wedding reception at White Hawk Country Club.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Kyle and Alicia's military wedding at Saint Matthias Church in Crown Point, Indiana. For more updates, please subscribe to the page below and the Region Weddings Facebook page.

Breaking Wedding Traditions

May 12, 2014 Steve Vansak

Bride and groom dance toward Grace Lutheran Church in Hobart, Indiana.

Today's post was inspired by a review I received from from my 2012 wedding client Candy Isom. It also is inspired by a conversation with a new client who is trying to decide whether or not to do a first look. I can make your wedding photos work either way, but I do love a first look and I'm going to explain why in this article.

First off, here is the message that Candy posted on the Region Weddings Facebook Page...

northwest-indiana-wedding-photographer-review

Breaking with wedding traditions are a difficult thing to do. We have moms who did it a different way. There are friends who have warned about superstitions they have heard about or seen on wedding websites, etc. I have shot countless numbers of weddings where the bride and groom have not seen each other before the ceremony and we have found time to make beautiful images for them. However, that sometimes requires a lot of discipline from family, wedding party and the bride and groom themselves on wedding day. This is especially an issue if you are having a ceremony that is close in time to the start of your reception.

Bride and groom have a first look, aka "the reveal" at Hobart Lakefront Park in Northwest Indiana.

One of the reasons I think Candy and Chris are so thrilled with their wedding photos is that we had a good amount of time to take them. We started out with a first look at Hobart Lakefront where we positioned Chris with his back against a tree and I gave him the play by play of Candy slowly approaching as I clicked away and we built up great excitement. Family watched from afar at this tender moment.

Afterwards we simply went on a photo shoot in the Hobart area and slowly made our way toward the ceremony and reception site of Avalon Manor. The bride and groom were super relaxed and not pressed for time. I think it really shows in their faces and in the looseness of their actions. It was a great experience for all of us as we took fun wedding photos along with wall portrait art pieces.

The bride and groom dance their way over the bridge at Deep River County Park.

A bride alone in silhouette with a sunburst at an Indiana farm.

We drank lots of water and Candy even took a short nap along our travels... :)

The bride takes a short nap during her wedding photo session in Hobart, Indiana.

Here are my top three reasons why I think a first look is a great idea:

The pressure is off for photographs. We usually take wedding party and couples shots right after the first look. After the ceremony we take family photos and then it's party time.
First looks or reveals are sweet moments. Truly - nothing but happy tears, laughter and joy ensues. I'd love to show you more of these at our initial consultation.
The bride and groom look more relaxed and family doesn't feel like they were rushed and often this approach results in more photographs of the day.

Bride and groom kiss at the entrance to Grace Lutheran Church in Hobart, Indiana.

If you want to see each other for the first time when she comes walking down the aisle, here is what I suggest.

Get into your dress a little bit sooner and have your side of the family visit where you are getting ready. We will then take your side of the family's photos at this time.
Have the groom's side of the family meet me or my second photographer at the ceremony site about one hour before everything begins. We will take groomsmen pictures and groom's family at this time.
After the ceremony we simply take photos of both sides together - families, wedding party and then take couple's shots before heading off to the reception.

The bride and groom chase geese at the Hobart Lakefront in this fun wedding photo.

I always like to give my client's real world advice about their wedding day. I don't want you to look back and think "wow, the photos are great, but what a chore they were". I don't want to convince you to go against your principles either. No matter how you choose to plan your day, let's work together to make it a great experience and get you those great images - candid moments, important family photos and also art to hang on the wall of your new home.

Much love.... Steve (photographer / owner of Region Weddings)