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.

August Wedding At The Pavilion At Sandy Pines

August 28, 2017 Steve Vansak

Bride and groom on the golf course at The Pavilion at Sandy Pines in Demotte, Indiana.

We had an incredible day at The Pavilion At Sandy Pines capturing the summer wedding of Bethany and Keenin. From non stop laughter during getting ready at the bridal house to romantic photos on the golf course, the outdoor ceremony and of course, the open air reception. Let me take you through the day....

I started out in the bridal suite capturing hair and make up from the girls as well as details. Second photographer Bridget captured the guys as we counted down to the early afternoon reveal.

Bridal prep at the bridal house at Sandy Pines.

I had two wedding dresses to capture as Bethany shared the day with her sister Valerie. Dad surprised the bride with a quick visit as mom tended to the dress. Once the Converse All Stars were snug on her feet, it was time for some quick portraits of the gorgeous bride.

Bride getting ready at the bridal house at The Pavilion at Sandy Pines.

The bride in her wonderful dress at Sandy Pines bridal house.

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Keenin pulled up in his green Ford Mustang and of course we took some photos with him and his Mach 1 hot rod along with his wedding clothes.

The first look was very emotional and exciting as I took the couple to a shady spot on the golf course. Beth approached Keenin who was facing the opposite way and they slowly came together with smiles, tears and a kiss.

First look bride and groom reveal at Sandy Pines Golf Course.

We explored the entirety of the sprawling golf course taking romantic wedding photos and Beth even got a ride on a golf cart courtesy of one of the club members!!

Bride and groom wedding photos on the golf course.

The bride and groom stand amidst the wildflowers.

All of us were very excited to take some photos with Keenin's classic car and the groomsmen had it decorated while I had the couple away on the golf course. We had a fun time posing them with the green Mustang as well as taking it for a quick ride.

Classic car wedding photos in Demotte, Indiana.

Bride and groom getaway drive in a classic Ford Mustang.

A few more wedding party photos and then guests started arriving for the late afternoon outdoor ceremony.

Bridesmaid and groomsmen photos at Sandy Pines Golf Course.

Bride and groom looking fashionable underneath the tall trees at Sandy Pines Pavilion.

The outdoor wedding ceremony at The Pavilion at Sandy Pines in Demotte, Indiana had lots of emotion as the groom's mom teared up after being walked down the aisle by her son. Bethany and her Dad came down the aisle with sister Valerie as the SRO crowd of friends and family looked on.

The outdoor wedding ceremony area at The Pavilion At Sandy Pines.

Dad walks his two daughters down the aisle.

Outdoor summer wedding ceremony at Sandy Pines Golf Course.

The wedding receptions at Sandy Pines are lovely open air events under a roof. Guests ate dinner and danced the night away while enjoying the fruits of summer. Of course a trip to the photo booth for some goofy fun was in the plan as well.

Open air wedding reception at Sandy Pines.

The bride and groom dance underneath the stars at their summer wedding.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Bethany and Keenin's outdoor wedding at The Pavilion At Sandy Pines in Demotte, Indiana. To inquire about your big day, please fill out the Contact Form to set up a meeting.

Wedding At The Center For Visual And Performing Arts

October 24, 2016 Steve Vansak

Bride and groom walk along a path at Briar Ridge Country Club golf course.

Joel and Shaina held their Fall wedding at two very prestigious venues - The Center For Visual and Performing Arts and Briar Ridge Country Club.

Our day started at The Center For Visual and Performing Arts in Munster, Indiana with a "no cry zone" set up in the bridal suite. Sister of the bride and MOH Chandra could not contain herself much to the amusement of all the other women. Shaina's dress was a wonderful combination of neutral and white.

Bridal prep at The Center For Visual and Performing Arts.

Getting Ready on wedding day at The Center For Visual and Performing Arts.

The gallery at the center would become the setting for cocktail hour later in the day, but it became our backdrop for bride and bridesmaid photos that afternoon. Shaina was pure elegance against the grand piano with the wonderful artwork surrounding her.

The bride rests against the piano at The Center For Visual and Performing Arts.

I could not let the spiral staircase at the Center go unused. I also knew it would soon be filled with people attending the reception and other events. In early afternoon, however, we had it to ourselves.

Bride and her bridesmaids on the staircase at The Center for Visual and Performing Arts.

The outdoor ceremony saw us moving to Briar Ridge Country Club in Dyer, Indiana. The bride's nephew Tommy let Joel know that Shaina was on her way. The nuptials were tucked away outside one of the ballrooms off the golf course with sunshine streaming down.

Outdoor wedding ceremony at Briar Ridge Country Club.

Outdoor wedding at Briar Ridge Country Club.

After family photos, we captured the wedding party together along with images of the newly married couple. Some of the trees on the golf course are quite large and I couldn't wait to get the bride and groom under the shade of one of them with the Autumn leaves and blue skies.

The bride groom hold hands in the shade of a large tree at Briar Ridge Country Club.

Groom and his groomsmen at Briar Ridge Country Club.

Wedding party photos at Briar Ridge Country Club in Dyer, Indiana.

Bride and groom on the golf course at Briar Ridge.

For the reception it was back to The Center for Visual and Performing Arts in Munster, Indiana. The gallery was swinging with cocktail hour guests and the main ballroom looked elegant as the newlyweds were introduced and toasts began from the best man and MOH.

Wedding reception at The Center for Visual and Performing Arts.

First dance at The Center for Visual and Performing Arts.

Not only did Shaina get married on this fine October day, she also won the air guitar championship as band Final Say rocked the room into the night.

The bride plays air guitar as band Final Say performs.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Shaina and Joel's Fall wedding at The Center for Visual and Performing Arts in Munster, Indiana. Stay tuned here and on the social media channels listed below for more images. As always, please fill out the Contact Form to inquire about availability for your date.

Outdoor Wedding At White Hawk Country Club

September 6, 2016 Steve Vansak

Bride and groom are illuminated by sun flare at White Hawk Country Club.

The song Here Comes The Sun was going through my head all day as I photographed Amanda and Zach's outdoor wedding at White Hawk Country Club in Crown Point, Indiana. It was quite the bright day in every respect - from the golden sun in the sky to the laughing faces of the bridesmaids as I greeted them that morning to the joyous looks of family and friends during the outdoor ceremony. Let's take a sneak peek look at their big day!!

We started out at Vanis Salon in Valparaiso and made our way to the bridal suite of White Hawk in early afternoon. I covered the girl's getting ready as second photographer Bridget covered the guys.

The bridesmaids get ready for Amanda's wedding at White Hawk Country Club.

Wedding day selfies as the bride gets make up done at Vanis Salon in Valparaiso.

I took the girls and guys out separately for photos as golfers drove by offering their congratulations. The groomsmen were able to borrow some clubs and onto the course we went.

Wedding party photos at White Hawk Country Club in Crown Point, Indiana.

The groomsmen hit the green at White Hawk golf course.

Portraits of the bride and groom in separate locations before their outdoor wedding ceremony.

The outdoor ceremony took place at the gazebo at White Hawk Country Club and saw an SRO crowd of friends and family as the couple were married. We immediately started family pictures and then I took Amanda and Zach around the golf course.

An outdoor wedding ceremony under the gazebo at White Hawk Country Club.

First kiss for the bride and groom at White Hawk Country Club in Crown Point, Indiana.

Family pictures at White Hawk Country Club golf course.

I decided to take advantage of the tremendously bright day as Amanda and Zach took a romantic stroll along the rolling hills of the golf course backlit by the golden hour sun.

The bride and groom stroll the hills of White Hawk golf course at golden hour.

Cute wedding photo of bride and groom on a golf cart.

We had to let the flower girl get her camera time in as well as the wedding party together. White Hawk Country Club has a beautiful pond with rocks as well as the lovely greenery all around the golf course.

Wedding photos at White Hawk golf course in Crown Point, Indiana.

Wedding party on the terrace of White Hawk Country Club.

Bundt cakes - this is all that needs to be said about the reception!! Okay, there was a bit more - such as the emotional first dances, the garter attached to a frisbee and the competitive bouquet toss. Oh, and there was plenty of dancing too!!

Wedding reception at White Hawk Country Club.

Bouquet and garter toss and the longest married couple dance.

It was a jam packed Labor Day weekend of weddings!! More to come on the social media links below. To inquire about wedding photography for your own date, please fill out the Contact Form and I will reply back soon.