September Wedding At Uptown Social

September 29, 2020 Steve Vansak

Bride and groom passionately kiss on the stage at Uptown Social.

Colleen and Michael held their September wedding in several locations culminating in an extended photo shoot and reception at the very elegant Uptown Social in Michigan City, Indiana.

Our day started out at CJ Warren Salon and Spa in Crown Point, Indiana before moving to the St. Matthias Parish Bridal Suite for bridal prep as well as groom prep. All floral is by La Petite Fleuriste.

Bridal prep at CJ Warren and St. Matthias Parish.

Bridal details at St. Matthias in Crown Point, Indiana.

Groom prep and gift exchange at St. Matthias Parish.

During this getting ready period Colleen and Michael also did a gift exchange as well as separate portraits inside the church just before the ceremony began. We also snuck a first look with Dad.

The bride opens her gifts from the groom.

Portraits of the bride at Saint Matthias Parish in Crown Point, Indiana.

Bride on the altar at St. Matthias Parish.

Colleen’s Dad waiting down one of the church aisles for his daughter to tap him on the shoulder before turning around to greet his daughter tearing up during the moment.

The wedding ceremony saw the couple exchange vows while friends and family looked on. Afterwards we took family photos and wedding party and then we were off to Michigan City for the big party.

Wedding Ceremony at Saint Matthias Parish in Crown Point, Indiana.

A Catholic wedding ceremony at St. Matthias Parish.

Bride and groom in center aisle at Saint Matthias Church in Crown Point, Indiana.

The newlyweds in the backseat of a classic car.

Bride and groom arrive at Uptown Social in Michigan City for their wedding reception.

Wedding portrait in front of a red door.

Looking suave and elegant at the entrance to Uptown Social in Michigan City.

Colleen and Michael made both the ballroom and cocktail area their own with unique decor including drawings from caricature artist Nate as well as their very own drink commemorating the year 2020.

Wedding reception decor at Uptown Social in Michigan City.

Cocktail hour and wedding reception speeches and cake cutting.

Parent and first dance at a wedding reception at Uptown Social Center in Michigan City.

27 Entertainment played the soundtrack for the evening and 99.9% of guests were into the vibe except for the flower girl. I think it may have been pajama time for her! :)

#GetDownAtUptown for Colleen and Michael’s wedding reception.

Franklin Street in Michigan City is lit up wonderfully in the evening so we slipped out into the street for some night time wedding photos showing off the explosion of light and love on the big day.

Romantic night time wedding pictures in downtown Michigan City.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Colleen and Michael’s elegant September wedding at Saint Matthias Church in Crown Point as well as Uptown Social in Michigan City. Be sure to fill out the Contact Form to inquire about wedding photography for your big day.

Getting down at Uptown during a wedding reception.

Indian Wedding in Skokie, Illinois: Nikah and Reception

December 26, 2019 Steve Vansak

The newlyweds on stage at Skokie Banquet & Conference Center.

Day 3 - Nikah

If you missed Day 1 and Day 2 of Ahsan and Molly’s traditional Indian wedding please follow this link right here. Of course, don’t forget to come back here for the Nikah ceremony and reception.

It was a very bright day and the sun made Molly’s white dress glow as Ahsan awaited her tap on the shoulder for their first look. Associate photographers Jaime and Bridget captured the moment from all angles before heading inside of His Highness Prince Karim Worship Center for the formal ceremony.

Once again, many thanks to Raag and Isha of Paraagon Films for being so welcoming as we worked together during this epic wedding.

First look for the bride and groom at His Highness Prince Karim Worship Center.

Portraits of the bride and groom at their Nikah.

Ahsan and Molly officially became married with traditional rituals and friends and family gathered behind them. They then headed to the Koba Kobi with traditional marriage games played as the bride and groom sat opposite one another. The living room of the home was packed with people but wide angle lenses to the rescue!!

Ahsan and Molly are officially married following time honored religious traditions.

Koba Kobi marriage games after the ceremony.

Day 4 - Reception

The reception day began with the bride and her bridesmaids prepping for their big celebration. Bangles and soirees and hair and jewelry were all precisely placed. I asked Molly if I could take some extreme close ups of her during this time and she obliged. Associate photographer Jaime captured the groom and his guys.

Bridal prep for an Indian wedding at Skokie Banquet & Conference Center.

The bride shows off her incredible red dress on Day 4 of her traditional Indian wedding.

Groomsmen prep on Day 4 of an Indian wedding.

The groom all suited up for the reception.

Just before introductions I was able to steal a few minutes of the bride and groom’s time for some portraits inside and outside of their ballroom. We did some family group photos and wedding party group shots as well. Then it was on to the party!

The bride and groom before their big entrance at their wedding reception.

Bride and groom portraits on stage in the North Shore Ballroom at Holiday Inn Skokie.

The beautiful bride in her reception dress.

Before introductions we made a sweep of the room to capture all of the wonderfully colorful decor. Then the lights went down and introductions began going right into the cake cutting and first dance.

Decorations for an Indian wedding reception at Skokie Banquet & Conference Center.

Ahsan and Molly did their take on the shoe game. Then it was time for something really unique as the groom had to guess which kiss came from his wife. He was blindfolded of course. I’m not going to say whom he chose, but I will say that those whiskers from the best man’s beard MUST HAVE been a giveaway. It was one of those times where I had to remind myself to stop laughing and start shooting. It was truly a good time!!

The best man, maid of honor and friends roast the bride and groom during their reception.

The rest of the night was pure dance floor fun with one surprise pause where the groom showed videos of friends and family talking about how much they loved Molly, his bride. It made her tear up before once again hitting the dance floor.

A fun reception of an Indian wedding at Skokie Banquet & Conference Center.

It was an incredible 4 days just north of Chicago capturing Ahsan and Molly’s traditional Indian wedding. The rituals kept us on our toes, the colors were beautiful, but most of all every moment was heartfelt and authentic.

There are SO MANY more images from this wedding that I can’t possibly fit here. Please do follow Region Weddings on Instagram for more from this wedding and others. As always, Contact Me right here to inquire about your big day. To view Day 1 - Mehndi Party and Day 2 - Nikah, click over to this link. Enjoy!!

Indian Wedding in Skokie, Illinois: Mehndi and Sangeet

December 26, 2019 Steve Vansak

Bride and groom own the stage at Skokie Banquet & Conference Center.

Day 1 - Mehndi Party

Ahsan and Molly’s wedding was a traditional 4 day celebration which began with covering the Mehndi Party at the parent’s of the bride while associate photographer Jaime was with groom and his family at another nearby home. This is Part 1 covering Day 1 and Day 2. To view highlights from Day 3 and Day 4, please follow this link here.

Henna artist were on hand at both locations and lots of well wishes, good food and laughter were on display.

Henna and make up are applied at the Mehndi Party for the bride.

The bride displays her henna art for the camera.

The Mehndi Party is a pre-celebration and was our shortest day of coverage. It was wonderful to meet everyone involved and we all hit it off really well. I knew we were in for a terrific next 3 days of intense celebration. Many thanks to Raag and Isha of Paraagon Films for being so welcoming as we worked together.

Day 2 - Sangeet

I love music so I was looking forward to the Sangeet taking place at the Skokie Banquet & Conference Center. Friends and family would be performing later in the evening but first we captured the colorful decor of the room before the bride and groom’s pithy (good luck ritual) and the “egging of the groom” which lead to a break in the festivities for a changing of clothes. Let’s just say this was one time where the groom was probably going to take a little longer than the bride to get ready!! See below…

Colorful decorations at the Sangeet celebration.

The groom was brought in first…

The groom’s pithi ceremony at Skokie Banquet & Conference Center.

Now, I had been told of the “egging of the groom” but I had not anticipated the level at which the groomsmen would take this ritual. Let’s just say, when Ahsan becomes a groomsman for one of these guys - look out, I think revenge will be off the charts!! Vinegar, salmon, flour, ketchup are just a few of the ingredients seen below. Even the bride did a cake smash on her husband to be.

If you have a groom to be who isn’t carrying his weight with wedding planning, just show him these next set of images to set him straight!! haha

The “egging of the groom” with a healthy showering of white vinegar.

After a pause for a changing of clothes for Ahsan and Molly, the Sangeet music party began with introductions and performances. I was able to snag the bride and groom for a few portraits after dinner before round 2 of the musical celebration began.

Introduction of the bride and groom with musical performances from friends and family.

The bride and groom on their colorful stage.

Happy moments for the bride and groom during their Sangeet celebration.

Molly looked exquisite during some quick portraits in between musical performances.

The performances came from children, family members, friends, members of the wedding party and finally the bride and groom themselves took to the floor. Then they invited guests up as the room engulfed with sound.

Music and dance performances from friends and family and the bride and groom.

The dance floor opens up to guests for the finale of the Sangeet.

I hope you are enjoying Day 1 and Day 2 of Ahsan and Molly’s traditional Indian wedding at Skokie Banquet & Conference Center. To view Day 3 and Day 4, please follow this link.

To inquire about wedding photography, please fill out the Contact form right here.

Chicago Wedding At Saint Andrew The Apostle Church and Loft On Lake

May 13, 2019 Steve Vansak

Bride and groom walk the center aisle at St. Andrew the Apostle Church in Calumet City, Illinois.

I spent last Saturday with Breana and Kevin for their Chicago wedding with a ceremony at Saint Andrew the Apostle and reception at Loft On Lake in the west Loop area. We also stopped by Millennium Park and blacked traffic on State Street by the Chicago Theater. It’s been a rainy Spring in the Chicago area so the outside photos are all romantic walks in the rain. It’s all good, we had a blast with them on their windy city adventure.

We started our day with bridal prep at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place with second photographer capturing the guys while I was with the bridesmaids.

Bridal Prep at Hyatt Regency McCormick Place in Chicago.

The bride and friends get ready for her big day at Hyatt Regency McCormick Place hotel.

In addition to rain, the Chicago area also was serving up thousands of 12 year old BTS fans for their concert at Soldier Field that night. The groomsmen had their brush with teen Korean boy band fame during a picture before exiting the hotel for the ceremony.

Groomsmen wedding day prep at the Hyatt Regency McCormick hotel in downtown Chicago.

Saint Andrew The Apostle Church is a wonderful old church in Calumet City. I certainly love to capture the architecture their during wedding ceremonies in addition to all of the emotional moments taking place on the altar.

Wedding ceremony at Saint Andrew Church.

A view from the center aisle during a Chicago wedding ceremony at Saint Andrew The Apostle Church.

Bubbles and raindrops descend upon the bride and groom during their church wedding exit.

Bride on the altar at Saint Andrew The Apostle Church.

Breana looked spectacular in her dress as we photographed her and Kevin upon the altar. I had to get a few from the balcony as well.

Bride and groom walk toward the church exit of Saint Andrew The Apostle Church.

Wedding party group photos at Saint Andrew The Apostle Church in Calumet City, Illinois.

The party bus back into Chicago was a wedding celebration on wheels. It was decided to brave the rain for some couples shots in Millennium Park and the some fun group pictures at the Chicago Theater.

The wedding party celebrates on the party bus.

Rainy day wedding photos at Millennium Park in Chicago.

Bride and groom kiss under an umbrella as rain falls in downtown Chicago.

Wedding party group photo underneath the marquee of the Chicago Theater.

The party took place at the West Loop Chicago reception venue Loft On Lake with it’s elegant string lights located behind the head table. A band was there to greet guests and the priest who married the couple earlier in the day (and who also flew in from Connecticut) was there to bless the dance floor during Shout.

Wedding reception cocktail hour at Loft on Lake in Chicago, Illinois.

Wedding reception fun at Loft On Lake in the West Loop of Chicago.

Wonderful speeches from the maid of honor and best man at Loft On Lake Chicago wedding venue.

First dance for the bride and groom at Loft On Lake wedding venue in Chicago.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Breana and Kevin’s Chicago wedding at Saint Andrew The Apostle Church and Loft On Lake. Please visit the Region Weddings instagram feed for more images of this wedding and others. To inquire about your big day, please fill out the Contact Form right here.