Northwest Indiana Bridal Shows In 2016

January 11, 2016 Steve Vansak

I can't believe we are already two weeks into 2016!! My first wedding of the year takes place this Saturday followed the next day by the HUGE Northwest Indiana Bridal Expo on 1/17.

Before I list all the info on the upcoming wedding expos that I will be participating in, here are a few other Region Weddings news and announcements:

The studio is re-opening on January 18th after water damage last Spring forced me to shut it down. I will be again offering Intimate Portraits for boudoir photos or pregnancy photos. The studio is very spacious with lot's of sets, backdrops, professional studio lighting and a private changing room and bathroom too.

Intimate portrait in studio of a boudoir photo session.

Wedding Films: For video services for your wedding, I recommend John Zale. Bookings can be done for video right here online or in an in person consultation. Our 2016 calendar is now 60% full, but we do have some 2016 openings and 2017 clients inquiries are beginning to come in. Don't forget, a bonus hour or large print comes complimentary for booking both video and photography.

Here are the bridal shows I'm currently signed up for in 2016.

January 17, 2016 - Northwest Indiana Wedding Expo

Location: Porter County Expo Center - 215 Divison Rd, Valparaiso, IN 46383 Time: 12pm to 4pm

Free Admission & Free Parking
Complimentary Coat Check Service
Complimentary Tote Bags
Over 120 booths
Non Stop Fashions on 3 Separate Runways
Cash Bar and Beverage Service
Door prizes all througout the day
Food samples and demonstrations
Online registration here

Region Weddings will have a raffle drawing to win a Chicago Session so be sure to drop in and fill out the entry form.

January 24, 2016 - Taste of The Patrician

Location: The Patrician Banquet Center - 410 U.S. 30, Schererville, IN 46375

Time: 12pm - 3pm Contact: 219-864-4000

Free admission and parking
Complimentary food tasting
One select vendors for each category (florist, DJ, cake designer, photographer and more)

February 24, 2016 - Centennial Park Wedding Expo

Location: Centennial Park Clubhouse - 900 N Centennial Dr Munster, IN 46321

Contact: 219-836-6900

Time: 6pm - 9pm

Free admission & parking
Over 60 booths
Cash bar
Door prizes throughout the night
Food samples and demonstrations

Region Weddings will have a raffle drawing to win a $100 Gift Certificate so be sure to drop in and fill out the entry form.

Be sure to say hello if you come to any of the events and do fill out the various raffles we have going when you are there. Keep in mind that I am only a participant in the wedding expos as a wedding photographer and I do not manage the events. Please contact the number listed above if you have any specific questions related to the shows themselves.

To inquire if your wedding date is still open for photography or wedding films, please fill out the Contact Form.

Happy wedding planning!!

Bride at the piano at Sand Creek Country Club in Chesterton, Indiana.

Northwest Indiana Wedding Photography: 2015 Year In Review

December 28, 2015 Steve Vansak

The Trinity Hall gazebo at twilight in Chesterton, Indiana.

The year 2015 saw me photographing weddings all over Northwest Indiana, Chicago and Michigan. Let's take a look back at this spectacular year in weddings. At the end of this article I will embed my Northwest Indiana Wedding Photographer Year In Review video for even more images. Be sure to click on an image for a larger view.

If you are a 2016 or 2017 bride, keep in mind that next year is already 60% booked. Please fill out the Contact Form to inquire about your date.

We began the year at the grand ballroom of The Allure with Ivy and Luscious and then it was on to Trinity Hall in Chesterton with Kelsi and Peter.

Usually a few winter weddings start off the year, but 2015 saw us starting in the Spring in a big way. One of the busier weekends was a double header wedding at the old Crown Point Courthouse. Kelly and Matt picked the perfect venue for their 1920's themed wedding and Beth and Charlie closed it out with their elegant ballroom dancing inside the building known as The Grande Old Lady.

This past Spring saw really heavy rains all over Northwest Indiana and the entire Midwest. We tried, but could not escape the elements for Kelly and Danny and Dolores and Erich's wedding. It didn't matter as we embraced the storms and got our pictures inside and out. We were back again at The Allure and also shooting at Sand Creek in Chesterton. We were able to see the sun in full view for Ashley and Matthew's outdoor wedding at Centennial Park.

June brought some more themed weddings. We had baseball at Erica and Alex's wedding and Harry Potter and the literary arts in general at Katie and Kurt's reception. Lauren and Ryan had a terrific church wedding in Hebron and then it was on to an open air reception at the YMCA Pavilion in Valparaiso, Indiana.

As the Summer progressed, stops at County Line Orchard and Fair Oaks Farmhouse gave some some rustic wedding looks. Megan and Bobby brought the fireworks to their July 4th wedding and Ogden Gardens in Valparaiso gave some great scenery for Stephanie and Brett's wedding photos.

Photographing at The Pavilion At Sandy Pines is always a thrill and the Summer had me back at Sand Creek for the second time in 2015 for Jennifer and Daniel's wedding. April and Fred took me to Avalon Manor for their pink and black colored outdoor wedding.

Soon I was back in Crown Point for Erica and Jon's wedding and then it was onto the estate of "a guy named Bob" for Katie and Logan's outdoor ceremony. I tease as bob is a great family friend to them and he welcomed us to his wonderful home and all of the spectacular scenery that if offers - from lakes to woods to centuries old furniture. We then made out way back to Chesterton and photos at Coffee Creek Park with Allen and Nicole. If you live in Lowell, you may seen the hayride with Gwen and Keith parading through town.

I usually make several stops at Centennial Park throughout the course of the year and the outdoor wedding of Katherine and Justin brought us back again. Maria and Seth brought us to the LaPorte, Indiana area for their Catholic wedding ceremony and then a reception at Trinity Hall.

Fall weddings are right up there with June weddings and this year really showed that. Some of our stops included Krystin and Chachi's wedding photos at Lake County Fairgrounds and Michelle and Derrick's fun shots at Carmelite Shrine in Munster, Indiana.

Late Fall saw us venturing off to Chicago for Jen and Nathan's wedding as well as the Halloween celebration of Matt and Michelle and the Autumn themed wedding of Sandra and Andrew, all at Radisson Hotel. I can't leave out the first ever wedding at Perry Court in downtown Crown Point!!

Please take a moment to enjoy the Region Weddings 2015 Year In Review Video below. Be sure to have a terrific New Years Eve!! See you soon.

The year 2015 in photos from Northwest Indiana Wedding Photographer - Region Weddings. All images from the Northwest Indiana, Chicago and Michigan area.

Best Wedding Venues In Northwest Indiana 2015 Edition

December 16, 2015 Steve Vansak

One of my most popular posts every year is my Best Wedding Venues In Northwest Indiana article. It is never meant to be comprehensive as I photograph weddings in a LOT of different locations in Indiana, Michigan and Illinois. However, at the end of every wedding season I like to look back at the year and write about a couple of venues I photographed at in that year. I also don't list any venues I recently featured or have shot at in past years. If you'd like to read last year's article, follow the link below:

Best Wedding Venues In Northwest Indiana 2014 Edition

Let's get started. In no particular order....

Trinity Banquet Hall

Trinity Banquet Hall is part of St. Patrick's Parish in Chesterton, Indiana. I photographed two weddings there this year. It's a great spot for an outdoor wedding as well as reception. The gazebo area where the outdoor weddings occur is a hidden garden that can't be seen from the main road. It's surrounded by beautiful landscaping and is very private. The reception hall is a few steps away and has an outdoor balcony overlooking the garden.

Weddings At Trinity Banquet Hall in Chesterton, Indiana.

Old Crown Point Courthouse

Three minutes away from my office is the Old Crown Point courthouse, a terrific and popular location for Northwest Indiana weddings. The downtown Crown Point Square provides a lot of photo opportunities and the staircases and marble floor inside make for some very elegant wedding images. Ceremonies take place in the old court room. This past Spring, one of my clients held a 1920's themed wedding there.

A 1920's Themed bride and groom at the Old Crown Point Courthouse.

Weddings at the Grand Old Lady - Courthouse in Crown Point, Indiana.

County Line Orchard

For a rustic wedding, many couples turn to County Line Orchard in Hobart, Indiana. An old tractor escorts guests to the apple orchard area where refreshments are served. This past year saw string players entertaining guests as the bride came down the aisle. The inside has plenty of room for dancing and displaying all of that rustic wedding decor. I love to shoot down onto the floor from the balcony there. Oh, and the bridal suite is a spectacular area for wedding photos as well.

The bride and groom take a stroll on the grounds at County Line Orchard.

Centennial Park

I shoot at this Munster, Indiana wedding venue quite often, but with such a vast area to shoot I always end up with unique images from each wedding. While the outdoor weddings are often on the open terrace of the clubhouse, we have access to the entire grounds which consists of a large lake, two bridges, two gardens, curved walkways and a golfing area. The hard wood floors give it a very classy look for your reception as well.

Wedding ceremonies at Centennial Park in Munster, Indiana.

Gamba's Ristorante

Gambas is a great spot for a medium to small size wedding reception. Their three course meals are spectacular and the ballroom just oozes class and elegance. There is an outdoor courtyard for cocktail hour and some night dancing shots for the bride groom too.

The Allure

Going in the complete opposite direction, The Allure in Laporte, Indiana is the perfect location for a large wedding. The venerable ballroom has it all - indoor ceremony area, large bridal suite, a wedding party lounge area and of course - a truly spectacular dance floor.

Villa Cesare

A first class banquet hall in Schererville, Indiana - Villa Cesare holds a 20 year tradition of weddings. I've shot there many times in the past, but 2015 was my first visit there in a couple of years. The foyer is as elegant as it ever was and the entire facility has a lushness to it.

A Fall wedding reception at Villa Cesare.

Sand Creek Country Club

For an elegant outdoor wedding ceremony, Sand Creek in Chesterton fits the bill. Even if you were to move your ceremony indoors, the venue is so lovely that it would not be a downgrade to do so. I've shot many indoor as well as outdoor wedding photos at this posh venue.

Wedding photos from Sand Creek Country Club.

I hope you have enjoyed this 2015 look at The Best Wedding Venues in Northwest Indiana. There are many venues that I shot at this past year that I could not fit into this post or I also recently wrote about them. So here are a few more links to check out:

The Farmhouse Restaurant At Fair Oaks Farms - another terrific rustic venue.

The Pavilion At Sandy Pines - a terrific outdoor venue on a golf course.

Duneland Falls - a beautiful banquet hall in Portage, Indiana.

Avalon Manor - the cherished hall of many wedding located in Merrillville, Indiana.

Happy wedding planning!!

Northwest Indiana Wedding Venue Spotlight: The Pavilion At Sandy Pines

November 24, 2015 Steve Vansak

Four brides on the Sandy Pines Golf Course with the lake and fountain behind them.

My Northwest Indiana wedding venue spotlight today is The Pavilion At Sandy Pines. It's a fantastic "all in one" wedding venue that has gotten even better since the brand new bridal suite has opened. The bridal suite is more like a bridal prep building. Let me show you some images from recent weddings there along with a promotional shoot.

Let's start with this fantastic new structure built for the entire wedding party to spend their morning getting ready. Hair and make up for several bridesmaids at once is not a problem with lots of space available. There is even a full size kitchen for brunch to keep your energy up for the big day. Plenty of make up and full length mirrors in adjacent rooms too.

Stylists from LeRoc Salon do bridal prep inside the new bridal suite at Sandy Pines.

The entire venue is one big photo opportunity with even the bridal suite itself providing an awesome backdrop for pictures.

Bridal portraits inside the bridal suite at The Pavilion At Sandy Pines.

Bride alone on the second floor of the bridal suite at Sandy Pines.

Of course, the sprawling golf course offers up a scenic outdoor scene for bride and groom photos with tons of greenery, complete with a lake and fountain.

Bride and groom stroll the golf course at Sandy Pines in Demotte, Indiana.

Wedding photos at The Pavilion At Sandy Pines.

There is nothing like being escorted around in a golf cart limousine as the wedding ceremony is about to start. A vast landscaped area is reserved for outdoor weddings, but the open air venue also has a structure with a roof with no outside walls. In case it rains, this is a great option for keeping your wedding outdoors no matter what Mother Nature does.

Outdoor wedding ceremony at Sandy Pines Pavilion.

The open air venue can literally give your wedding reception some air. The weddings I have photographed there really felt like family reunions. Although we were all dressed up, there was a relaxed calm about them - like a summer picnic.

Wedding reception photos from The Pavilion At Sandy Pines in Demotte, Indiana.

Look for more Northwest Indiana Wedding Venue Spotlight articles in the coming months. In the meantime, be sure to fill out the Contact Form to inquire about the photography for your wedding day.