Wedding At Friendship Botanical Garden

September 5, 2018 Steve Vansak

Josie and Victor were married in an homegrown tropical paradise Friendship Botanical Gardens in Michigan City, Indiana. We had some light rain the morning of the wedding which gave the incredible greenery an even more saturated look as the bride and groom traveled the grounds with me for romantic wedding pictures.

Our day started in the morning with bridal prep as Josie took on her striking bohemian bride look. Second photographer Bridget met up with the guys at the ceremony site and soon enough guests were arriving.

The beautiful bride on her big day as taken from above.

Groom and groomsmen arrive at Friendship Botanical Gardens.

The ceremony took place at the Romanian Garden within the vast Friendship Botanical Gardens and was an intimate affair with only immediate family attending.

Family photos took place in the ceremony area and then it was wedding party group pictures. Soon after, the newlyweds took a tour of the many scenic spots of International Friendship Garden for romantic wedding photos.

Wedding party group photo at Friendship Botanical Garden.

The newly wed bride and groom in a tender moment.

Give me a spectacular background along with a rustic bridge and you can bet I'm going to do some photos with my bride and groom there!!

Sunlight gleams through the trees onto the bridge at Friendship Botanical Garden.

Bride and groom gaze off into the distance on a rustic bridge.

The Friendship Botanical Gardens has many smaller and themed gardens within it. One of Josie's favorite spots was the Poland Garden with it's metal gazebo. We also ventured off to the lake where some tall willow trees overlooked.

Wedding photo collage at Friendship Botanical Gardens in Michigan City, Indiana.

Bride and groom take a rest on a park bench at International Friendship Garden.

The wedding reception took place at the elegant The Market venue in Valparaiso, Indiana. The romantic candle lit background was great for photographing the decorations as well as the first dance. 27 Entertainment had the place moving ALL NIGHT and that is not an exaggeration!!

Wedding decor at The Market in Valparaiso, Indiana.

First dance for the bride and groom at The Market.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Josie and Victor's wedding at Friendship Botanical Garden in Michigan City, Indiana. For more images from this and other weddings, please follow the Region Weddings Instagram feed. As always, to inquire about your own wedding photography, do fill out the Contact Form here.

Engagement Photos At Coffee Creek Nature Preserve

August 27, 2018 Steve Vansak

A young couple enjoys wine during their picnic at Coffee Creek Park.

Tessa and Luis brought the blanket, they brought the grapes and the breadsticks. Most importantly, they brought the wine!! The photographer did not participate in any wine tasting, but I certainly enjoyed my time capturing their engagement session at Coffee Creek Nature Preserve in Chesterton, Indiana.

Engagement photos in Chesterton, Indiana.

A young couple embraces on the wooden boardwalk at Coffee Creek.

Fun in the park showing off the wedding date.

One of the more iconic backdrops of Coffee Creek Nature Preserve is the fountain. Tessa mentioned Luis picking her up, but I suggested this NOT be the location for that photo as they climbed upon the rocks overlooking the water.

The iconic Coffee Creek fountain spouts in the background of a summer engagement photo.

The classic couple on a park bench portrait.

Tessa mentioned how much she liked the winding boardwalks that flow through Coffee Creek Park. We took a few images in this location just before night hit.

I hope Tessa and Luis finished off that wine for dinner after our engagement session at Coffee Creek Nature Preserve in Chesterton, Indiana. They certainly were all smiles during the session and I look forward to their wedding next May. To inquire about wedding or engagement photography, be sure to fill out the Contact Form here.

“He who clinks his cup with mine,
Adds a glory to the wine.”

— George Sterling

Baseball And Travel Themed Wedding

August 27, 2018 Steve Vansak

The bride's veil flies in the wind as she kisses her groom at home plate.

Kaitlyn and Ryan had a fun summer day at their baseball and travel themed wedding. I started with team bride with Four Lady Events on hair and make up at her parent's house while Kerrie captured the guys a few blocks away at the couple's house.

Bridal prep for a summer wedding in Griffith, Indiana.

Mother of the bride assists with the dress.

One of the most precious moments of the day was Kaitlyn's first look with her Dad in front of her childhood home. Soon he would be walking her down the aisle of Saint Mary Catholic Church in Griffith, Indiana.

Fist look with the Father of the Bride on wedding day.

Saint Mary Catholic Church in Griffith, Indiana was filled with friends and family. Bubbles filled the afternoon air as they exited the church. After family photos it was time to hit the baseball field for some fun, baseball themed wedding pictures.

Wedding ceremony at Saint Mary Catholic Church.

The newlyweds at Saint Mary Church in Griffith, Indiana.

Bride and groom at the altar of Saint Mary Catholic Church.

Wedding photos inside Saint Mary Church in Griffith.

Kaitlyn and Ryan wanted to visit a baseball field and they brought along some bats, gloves and wore cleats as we took pictures behind home plate, the pitchers mound and the outfield.

Team bride behind home plate for a baseball themed wedding photo.

The wedding party cheered on their respective teams as the bride and groom stepped up to the plate.

The wedding party cheers for the newlyweds on the baseball field.

Bride and groom share a kiss on the pitcher's mound.

Bride and groom take a stroll in the outfield of the baseball field.

The groom then grand slammed a home run all the way to Andorra Banquet Hall where friends and family were arriving for the big celebration.

At the reception, the themed turned to the couple's love for travel.

Travel themed wedding reception at Andorra Banquet Hall.

The reception at Andorra was a rocking good time with 219 Productions providing the soundtrack. Aside from "technical difficulties" during the garter retrieval, the night was a huge success.

Wedding reception fun at Andorra Banquet Hall.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Kaitlyn and Ryan's baseball and travel themed wedding. I'd love to hear all about your big day, so be sure to fill out the Contact Form to set up a consultation to discuss wedding photography.

Engagement Session At Four Corners Winery

August 22, 2018 Steve Vansak

A fun couple shares a laugh walking along Indiana cornstalks.

When Brie and I were going over possible locations for her and Ryan's engagement photos she mentioned Four Corners Winery in Valparaiso. Wow, what a great location it is!! Thank you Brie for taking me to this wonderful place. The winery itself is scheduled to open in Spring 2019, but the wedding venue there is currently booking and they have hosted a number of weddings already. So if you are into the rustic look and feel, contact Deanne via their website.

I like to banter back and forth sometimes with my clients for comedic effect, but with Brie and Ryan, they were already laughing and having fun from the get go - no coaxing needed. Sometimes we used the "on site props" such as the vintage truck and picturesque mini barn and other photos we simply had Indiana farmland as our natural backdrop.

Romantic engagement photos at Four Corners Winery.

Sun peeks through the trees onto a young couple in love.

As we made our way around the wonderful property (which houses a huge silo where receptions are held), we kept an eye on the sky and the big old ball of sun. We had sunset photos in mind as well as sending off a sky lantern into the night sky. Clouds were in and out and this gave us several different looks and tones.

Sun rays come down from the sky onto a couple having a romantic moment in a field.

Fun engagement pictures at Four Corners Winery.

A young couple embraces in front of the Four Corners barn.

When it came time for our sunset picture, a set of clouds that had been blocking the big ball of fire suddenly dispersed and we had a nice golden hour orange hue coming through the vineyards. Soon it would be blue hour and time to set our sky lantern free into the night sky.

Watching a sky lantern drift off into the night sky for a twilight engagement photo.

This is merely a sneak peek look for Brie and Ryan's engagement session at Four Corners Winery in Valparaiso, Indiana. More images to follow on the Region Weddings Instagram feed. Be sure to fill out the Contact Form to inquire about wedding or engagement photography.