Summer Wedding At St. Maria Goretti Church

August 1, 2016 Steve Vansak

Storm clouds surround the bride and groom at Centennial Park in Munster, Indiana.

Akiko and Mike were married in a church wedding ceremony at St. Maria Goretti in Dyer, Indiana with photos and reception at Centennial Park in Munster, Indiana. The happy couple flew all the way from Japan where they work and live. Akiko had a visit from her mom and a friend as she prepped just before walking down the aisle.

Bridal prep at St. Maria Goretti Church in Dyer, Indiana.

Akiko's mom walked her down the aisle and the groom and her exchanged a traditional Japanese bow as family and the priest looked on.

Wedding ceremony at St. Maria Goretti Church.

The ceremony was definitely NOT a solemn affair as bride and groom had many laughs throughout and were showered with bubbles when exiting the church.

Summer wedding ceremony inside Saint Maria Goretti Church.

Storms and rain were on and off before and during the ceremony so we weren't sure how many outside pictures we would have. After family photos inside the church it was off to Centennial Park to sneak in wedding photos in between patches of rain.

Bride and groom walk down the center aisle at St. Maria Goretti Church in Dyer, Indiana.

Bride and groom photos at St. Maria Goretti Church.

It drizzled down on us a little bit while visiting the bride at Centennial Park, but our biggest hurdle was avoiding Pokemon Go players!!

The bride and groom visit the bridges overlooking the lake at Centennial Park.

Mike proudly held up a sign proclaiming himself as a very lucky man while Akiko cheered him on and they posed in the photo booth. The Star Wars cake topper looked on as the bride and groom spread frosting on each other's noses. Akiko was a little bit shy during the first dance with the spotlight upon her, but she appeared to have a lot of fun as Mike swayed her back and forth.

Star Wars cake topper at a wedding reception at Centennial Park.

A big thank you to Akiko and Mike and their families for having me photograph their International wedding at St. Maria Goretti. Please remember to fill out the Contact Form to inquire about your wedding date whether it is an church wedding, outside ceremony, barn wedding or reception hall.

Summer Wedding At Sand Creek Country Club

August 1, 2016 Steve Vansak

A newly married couple kisses in the garden of Sand Creek Country Club.

One of the things I love about weddings at Sand Creek Country Club in Chesterton, Indiana is that you have a beautiful location no matter where you are on the property. Indoor wedding ceremonies such as Kelly and John's are just as beautiful as outdoor ceremonies. Let's take a look at this wonderful couple's big day - from their beautiful families coming together to the impeccably decorated ballroom complete with Hot Wheels classic cars as center pieces.

Our morning saw the bridesmaids in the bridal suite doing hair and make up as I captured moments and wedding details. Alaina the flower girl got a chance to try on the bride's shoes.

Bridal prep and wedding details at Sand Creek Golf Course in Chesterton, Indiana.

Many gifts were opened on this warm summer day - from the bride and groom gift exchange to mother of the bride and the friend who introduced the couple.

I took the bridesmaids out for pictures in the Sand Creek garden area while second photographer Kerrie photographed the guys in another area of the golf course. Soon it would be ceremony time...

Wedding party photos at Sand Creek Country Club in Chesterton, Indiana.

The ceremony was officiated by Reverend Doug in the wonderful indoor space that overlooks the garden and golf course. Vows and rings were exchanged along with quite a few joyful laughs. The wine ceremony was very elegant with a sense of fun.

Bride and groom exchange vows and rings at Sand Creek Country Club.

Wedding ceremony in the elegant dining area of Sand Creek Country Club.

Wedding party and family photos were next and then I whisked the couple out to the garden for pictures as cocktail hour began. I joked that it seemed I was always photographing these two in the rain as droplets fell from the sky, just as they did for the couple's engagement session. This did give us some wonderful cloud cover and and dramatic background lighting on the golf course.

Wedding photos in the clock tower garden of Sand Creek Country Club.

The newly married couple kisses on the balcony overlooking Sand Creek Golf Course in Chesterton, IN.

When I saw all of the Hot Wheels cars scattered about the ballroom at Sand Creek, all I could think was 'how cool is that'. Add on the enticing candy buffet, sea of red flowers and classic convertible cake topper and we had us some very cool wedding decor to photograph. Spinnin' Productions added the soundtrack as couple partied into the night.

The ballroom at Sand Creek is decorated with classic car wedding decor.

First dance for the bride and groom in the ballroom of Sand Creek Country Club.

This is merely a sneak peek look at Kelly and John's wedding at Sand Creek Golf Course in Chesterton, Indiana. Be sure to subscribe to this page below for more wedding stories from Northwest Indiana weddings as well as Chicago and Michigan weddings. Destination weddings will be added for 2017, so stay tuned.

Lake Michigan Beach Wedding

July 25, 2016 Steve Vansak

The bride and groom embrace on the beach after their summer wedding ceremony.

Ashley and Justin were married in a beach wedding ceremony in the garden at Whiting Lakefront Park. This beautiful location is right off the shores of Lake Michigan with the Chicago skyline able to be seen on clear days.

This beautiful summer wedding began at an area hotel with bridal prep. One of our flower girls was prepared for this sunny day with her Hollywood sunglasses!! Second photographer Bridget captured the guy's getting ready along with their superhero shirts exploding from their suits while I captured the bride and her mom illuminated by window light.

Bridal and groom prep for a summer wedding.

The bride and her mom share an emotional moment on wedding day.

The groom shows off his Batman tee shirt as his bride looks on.

Before taking off for the shores of Lake Michigan and the beach wedding ceremony, the bride and groom had their first look / reveal at the hotel.

The bride and groom first look / reveal.

Whiting Lakefront Park has a beautiful garden area that overlooks the lake. The stone sidewalk enables the wedding party to elegantly walk out with full view of all of the guests. Just beyond the gazebo, the skyline of Chicago can be seen.

Beach wedding ceremony at Whiting Lakefront Park.

Outdoor wedding ceremony at Whiting Lakefront Park.

We took family wedding photos in the shade of the gazebo and of course then made our way all along the beach for wedding pictures with the entire wedding party and then romantic bride and groom pictures all along the shore of Lake Michigan.

Wedding party on the shores of Lake Michigan with skyline of Chicago in the background.

Wedding photos of the bride and groom on the shore of Lake Michigan.

The bride and groom on a Lake Michigan beach as waves roll onto the shore.

Ashley and Justin's summer, beach themed wedding continued with dinner and dancing at Villa Cesare in Schererville, Indiana. The room had a wonderful beach colored glow to it as guests sang songs to the bride and groom to encourage them to kiss. The photo booth saw children of all ages getting into costume and a future Olympic gymnast took over the dance floor...

Beach themed wedding reception at Villa Cesare in Schererville, Indiana.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Ashley and Justin's beach wedding. Be sure to fill out the Contact Form to inquire about availability for your big day. Stay tuned to the Region Weddings Instagram feed for more images.

First dance at Villa Cesare in Schererville, Indiana.

Summer Wedding Photos At Whiting Lakefront Park

July 18, 2016 Steve Vansak

Bride and groom on the shore of Lake Michigan with Chicago in the background.

Jessica and Jeremy had a wonderful family filled summer wedding with lots of emotion throughout their big day. We started the day with the bride getting ready at her parent's home. The even helped her beloved father get fancied up in addition to assisting her bridesmaids. There were a lot of laughs and happy tears all around.

The bride gets ready for her big day surrounded by family.

The ceremony saw many Mexican traditions and continued with an emphasis on family. The groom was beaming as his bride came down the aisle.

We had wonderfully blue summer skies for our next stop which was Whiting Lakefront Park which is adjacent to Whihala Beach. This area has been totally restored and beautified and is a great location for wedding photos as well as just bringing the family out for a summertime picnic.

Bride and groom take a walk on the pier.

This is merely a sneak peek look at Jessica and Jeremy's big day with many more images to follow. I hope you have enjoyed the pictures and are having a great summer like we are. We are now at the half way point of an incredible wedding season. Bookings for next season are already in the calendar so please do inquire about your day soon. Stay cool!!