Classic Black And White Photos For Weddings

January 15, 2018 Steve Vansak

Bride gazes outside a window on her wedding day.

I've always loved black and white images. They are timeless and classic and great for genres such as street photography, classic portraiture and definitely wedding photography. I have never shot an entire wedding in monochrome (although I'd be totally up for it), but certain parts of the day and certain wedding images really beg for it.

At the end of bridal prep, I love to get a few close up portraits of the bride right after she gets into her dress. I very often turn those into black and white images for that timeless feel.

The getting ready portion of the day lends itself well to monochrome images too. Doing a few sepia tones is also another technique I like for a more vintage look. When there are visiting grandmothers (like in one of the images below) or tight shots of mom's hands on the dress, more than likely I will take the color away. For the groom and groomsmen I feel a straight ahead black and white image as opposed to sepia works best.

Bridal prep photos in black and white and sepia tones.

Groom getting ready photos in black and white.

Groomsmen walk in a field in black suits.

For engagement photos I like to have a fair amount in monochrome to choose from. Urban shots in Chicago work well in black and white as well as images with snow and fog. Taking the color away can make them even more romantic and timeless.

Black and white engagement photo on the Chicago lakefront.

Romantic black and white engagement photos.

Sepia toned wedding photos can really evoke a vintage feel. For Kelly and Matt's 1920's themed wedding they had candy cigarettes, prohibition era styled clothing and a ceremony at the old Crown Point Courthouse. Their wedding photos had to take on that vintage look with an old film look.

Bride and groom take on a vintage look for their 1920's themed wedding in Crown Point.

These bridal portraits taken at the historic Barker Mansion in Michigan City are another example of vintage toned wedding photos.

Vintage styled wedding photos at Barker Mansion.

I hope you have enjoyed this look at how I might use black and white and vintage effects in wedding photos. While Region Weddings is certainly still "wedding photography for the modern bride", keep in mind that everything old is new again. If you love classic black and white photos for weddings, be sure to let me know. To inquire about your big day, please fill out the Contact Form and I will be sure to followup to let you know my availability for your wedding day.

A romantic walk on a pier for the bride and groom in a black and white wedding picture.

Winter Wedding At Bethel Church In Crown Point, Indiana

January 2, 2018 Steve Vansak

Bride and groom as photographed through a Christmas tree at Bethel Church.

Kelli and Franz's winter wedding at Bethel Church in Crown Point, Indiana took place after Christmas and just before New Years, with festive tree lights everywhere. I knew I had to use them for some photos and in a wedding first, I actually stuck myself (mostly my camera lens) inside a Christmas tree. The newlyweds were all too happy to gaze at each other, but probably wondering what in the world I was doing. :)

The morning ceremony took place at 9am so we got an early start with bridal prep and the groom snuck in some basketball in the game room before a group prayer and emerging for a peekaboo picture with his bride to be.

Bridemaids getting ready at Bethel Church in Crown Point, Indiana.

Groomsmen wedding prep at Bethel Church.

As guests awaited, Franz snuck down a hallway of the church where he and his bride to be said a prayer together on opposite sides of a wall as sunlight streamed in.

A pre ceremony photo of the bride and groom on opposite sides of a wall.

The bride and groom at their December wedding.

The morning ceremony began with Kelli being walked down the aisle by her Dad. She was greeted at the front of the stage by her future husband as grandma gave her well wishes.

The bride walks down the aisle at Bethel Church.

Wedding ceremony at Bethel Church in Crown Point, Indiana.

As the wedding party and guests looked on, vows were exchanged and the happy couple celebrated.

Exchanging wedding vows at Bethel Church.

Bride and groom kiss on the stage at Bethel Church.

During family photos, the brother of the bride paid back his sister with a faux sock to the jaw like she did at his wedding last year. After family pictures, wedding party and couple's photos inside Bethel, it was time for us to step outside into the frozen tundra for some winter wedding photos in the snow.

Wedding pictures with parents and the best man and MOH.

Wedding party group photos at Bethel Church and Ministries.

Wedding pictures using the holiday lights at Bethel Church.

A walk in the snow for the bride and groom at their winter wedding in Crown Point, Indiana.

The reception decor on display at Avalon Manor showcased the couple's faith with a highlight of bible verses as well as the always fun Fuji Instamatic Camera. The afternoon reception also featured the bread dance, a staple of Macedonian weddings. An Anniversary dance was also played with the longest married couple celebrating their big win.

Wedding reception decor at Avalon Manor.

The first dances saw the couple dancing with father and mother respectively before their own dance as the afternoon light streamed through the windows at Avalon manor.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Kelli and Franz's winter wedding at Bethel Church. Please follow the social media channels below to see more. Also, be sure to check out the 2017 Year In Weddings with highlights from an entire year of weddings. To inquire about your own big day, please fill out the Contact Form. Happy Holidays!!

The bride and groom next to Christmas tree lights at Bethel Church.

The 2017 Northwest Indiana Wedding Photography Year In Review

December 26, 2017 Steve Vansak

Bride applies lipstick at Barker Mansion in Michigan City, Indiana.

Welcome once again to the Region Weddings Year In Review for wedding photography in Northwest Indiana, Chicago and southern Michigan. Settle in as it was another full year of weddings and this my longest article of the year with lots of images. To see a video slideshow of this post, check out The 2017 Year In Review video.

The 2017 wedding season saw me photograph for the first time at the historic Barker Mansion in Michigan City. My goal with this series of bridal portraits was to showcase the vintage history of the iconic building with a very modern bride. This resulted in some glorious color right next to sepia tones.

Bride on red staircase at Barker Mansion in Michigan City, IN.

There were quite a few winter wedding this year starting with Annie and Paul at Fair Oaks Farmhouse and then Lynne and Dale with a church ceremony at a stop at One Trick Pony brewery. Samantha and Dale were married at Saint Maria Goretti Church with a very chilly stop by Centennial Park.

As winter gave way to Spring (very begrudgingly), Sam and Alex and Amanda and Mike were on board for a pair of church weddings along with stops at Buckley Homestead.

Spring wedding photos in Northwest Indiana.

Bride and groom strike a magazine style pose at Centennial Park.

Late summer and early Spring saw Emily and Zach with an outdoor ceremony at Villa Cesare and Amanda and Josh at St. Michael's Church.

High fives, neon love, sisters / bridesmaids and church wedding ceremonies.

Summer weddings saw the flowers of Northwest Indiana in full bloom at Hans and Karla's outdoor ceremony at The Inn At Aberdeen with lakeside photos for Jill and Johnny.

July wedding photos in Northwest Indiana.

Bride and groom kiss in front of the old Crown Point Courthouse.

Ashlee and Ryan took a tour of downtown Crown Point for their wedding photos while Samantha and Tyler stayed in Valparaiso for their Aberdeen Chapel ceremony with pictures at Taltree Arboretum and a reception at The Market.

August weddings in Crown Point and Valparaiso.

Post ceremony kiss at The Chapel at Aberdeen Manor.

The groom spins his bride near the cornfields of Indiana.

Late summer say another new venue, Meadow Springs Manor with Karlie and Corey and a spectacular day at The Pavilion At Sandy Pines with Bethany and Keenin and their classic Mustang.

Late summer weddings at Meadow Springs Manor and Sandy Pines.

Bride and groom ride away in a classic Mustang.

September and October were definitely the busiest for weddings as well as engagement sessions. This part of the season saw Christina and Melvin at the incredible Uptown Center and Emily and Todd who were married at the final event at the bride's (soon to be torn down) childhood church next to her parent's home.

Bride on stage at The Uptown Center in Michigan City.

Bride and groom kiss in front an old chapel in Hebron, Indiana.

Romantic wedding photo in downtown Michigan City.

I photographed two Serbian weddings in 2017 with Jessica and Marinko at St. Simeon Church in Chicago and Tanja and Kevin at St. George in Schererville. The circle dances never stopped on either day.

Serbian weddings in Chicago and Schererville, Indiana.

The sun sets as the bride and groom gaze at each other beneath the tall trees in the forest.

As Fall kicked in, I photographed two weddings on opposite ends of the region both in style and geography - Katie and Mike at Lighthouse Restaurant with it's nautical vibe and The Allure in South Bend with Morganne and Chris.

Fall weddings at Lighthouse Restaurant and The Allure.

Bride and groom on the pier at Lighthouse Restaurant.

Bride and groom on a leaf filled bridge near Coffee Creek in Chesterton, Indiana.

The Autumn weddings also saw stops at Sand Creek Country Club with Jessica and Mitchell and The Spa in Porter, Indiana with Julia and Evan. Both weddings featured a deluge of leaves and Fall color.

Autumn leaves at wedding venues Sand Creek Country Club and The Spa.

The bride and groom share a kiss surrounded by Fall color at The Inn At Aberdeen.

November saw a pair of church weddings with Gina and Marcus at The Chapel At Avalon Manor and Emily and Jeff at Holy Name Catholic Church and reception at The Center For Performing Arts. Both had an abundance of unique Fall colors.

Bride in mirror before walking down the aisle.

I certainly can't forget Jeremiah and Kevin with their big Christmas wedding at The Uptown Center or Whinchester and Whinchester (aka Jennifer and David) - my first ever bride and groom with the same last name.

Christmas red and a bride and groom in blue.

Thank you so much for a terrific 2017 in weddings!! I have one more on December 30th so be sure to stay tuned here for the final wedding of 2017. To inquire about your big day, as always please complete the Contact Form. I hope you have a terrific New Year and let's hope for a 2018 filled with love.

Bride inside the "red room" at Barker Mansion.

Christmas Wedding At The Uptown Center

December 18, 2017 Steve Vansak

The stage is decorated for Christmas at The Uptown Center.

Jeremiah and Kevin were married in a celebration of red, green and gold at The Uptown Center in Michigan City. The posh venue showcased two giant Christmas trees on each side of the stage with many presents below for this holiday wedding.

Our day began with hair and make up for Jeremiah and the grooms-maids at Image House and then we moved on to a whirlwind of emotions at the bridal suite at Uptown Center where gifts were exchanged and happy tears were shed.

Wedding details at a Christmas wedding at Uptown Center.

Groom prep at Uptown Center in Michigan City.

With the holiday only 10 days away and the room filled with tree lights, garland and more, I had to incorporate that into our portraits. Jeremiah and Kevin each did solo groom pictures along with their respective grooms-maids and then it was ceremony time.

The groom strikes a GQ pose at his Christmas wedding.

The groom in front of an array of Christmas tree lights.

Portraits in the loft of Uptown Center in Michigan City.

The hand sewn dresses by Aria Clements reflected the Christmas holiday.

The grooms-maids kick up a leg for some fun wedding photos.

The Uptown Center has their ceremonies and receptions in the same room so it is always amazing to see it transform. This was especially the case at Jeremiah and Kevin's wedding. The off white cloth runner surrounded with red rose petals seemed to last a mile.

Christmas wedding ceremony at The Uptown Center in Michigan City.

Christmas themed wedding ceremony at The Uptown Center.

A view from above during a winter wedding ceremony at Uptown Center.

We immediately took wedding party photos as the Uptown Center was being converted from ceremony site to posh night club.

Wedding party group photo at Uptown Center in Michigan City, Indiana.

Two grooms celebrate at The Uptown Center in Michigan City.

Not only did this Christmas wedding feature music from Rent along with holiday classics. Vocal performances from Sheree Gudeman and Nanda Oliveira were featured in the ceremony. I knew since Jeremiah was a fairly recent winner of the Hoosier Star vocal competition that music would be everywhere this day and it was. The reception did not disappoint with dancing, karaoke as well as some vinyl getting spun in the lobby.

Christmas wedding celebration at Uptown Center.

First dance at a Christmas wedding celebration.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Jeremiah and Kevin's Christmas wedding at The Uptown Center in Michigan City, Indiana. Stay tuned to social media channels for more images. To inquire about your big day, be sure to fill out the Contact Form. Happy Holidays!!