Outdoor Wedding at Aberdeen Manor

June 16, 2014 Steve Vansak

Surprise flower delivery with a note from the groom.

I usually start my posts with an image of the bride and groom, but today we get a message of love from Ryan to his bride Nikki. It was an unexpected delivery of flowers that came after make up had been applied. Nikki decided to read it later because she knew she'd cry, but that didn't stop her bridesmaids (or me) from taking a look. :)

The bride receives flowers on her wedding day.

The bridesmaids read a message of love sent over from the groom.

Our day started at the wonderful Accents on 45th in Highland, Indiana where the staff was just terrific. The entire salon was riveted to Nikki's spectacular hair all the way from the mussing to the finished style.

The bride gets her hair done at Accents on 45th in Highland, Indiana.

Next we made our way to Nikki's parent's home and I knew I had arrived at the right place due to the wedding decorations outside. Her parents have a wonderful home and the inside was wedding bliss as well with balloons and sayings of love. We used the front of their home for some bridesmaids photos along with nice formals as well.

After Nikki's mom helped lace up her dress I exited the room and looked back to see this wonderful light falling upon the bride and I took the following image.

The bride in her parent's home just before leaving for her wedding ceremony.

A fun wedding photo between the bride and her maid of honor.

Cute picture of the bride and her girls in front of her parent's home.

We then made our way from Highland to Aberdeen Manor in Valparaiso where the outdoor ceremony and reception were to take place. We met up with Ryan and his groomsmen at a scenic area near the Aberdeen ballroom.

Groom sits by the ledge of a river near Aberdeen Manor.

The groomsmen relax before the wedding ceremony at Aberdeen.

As guests arrived, Nikki and Ryan did a peek-a-boo non look at each other as each one stood on the opposite side of a door way while holding hands....

The bride and groom hold hands as they stand at opposite sides of a doorway.

The weather was perfect for an outdoor ceremony and the seating in Aberdeen Manor courtyard was filled to capacity with friends and family.

The bride's father kisses her before giving her away.

A beautiful outdoor wedding ceremony at Aberdeen Manor.

First kiss at Aberdeen Manor in Valparaiso, Indiana.

For couple shots we went to the same area as the guy's photos for candid bride and groom portraits as well as a stroll through picturesque Valparaiso neighborhood. We broke away from the reception later in the evening for a night time picture at the Aberdeen Chapel adjacent to the ballroom.

A candid moment between the newly married couple.

A stroll through the Aberdeen neighborhood for the bride and groom.

The entire room rose and applauded when the newly married couple were introduced as Trans Audio provided the soundtrack.

The bride and groom enter the Aberdeen ballroom for their wedding reception.

The toast had lots of laugh as friends and family recounted funny moments in the couple's history. Soon it was time for a first dance as the room took on a blue hue in the darkened ballroom.

The bride and groom share a knowing look at their wedding reception at Aberdeen Manor.

The newlyweds dance a blue colored dance at their reception at Aberdeen Manor.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Nikki and Ryan's outdoor wedding at Aberdeen Manor in Valparaiso. Subscribe here and to the Region Weddings Facebook page for more updates and many more images to come.

The bride and groom share a kiss underneath the evening stars in front of the Aberdeen chapel in Valparaiso, Indiana.

June Wedding Reception at Aberdeen Manor

June 23, 2013 Steve Vansak

Evan and Stephanie's June wedding reception at Aberdeen Manor in Valparaiso had some of the most emotional speeches of any wedding I've photographed. Incredibly heartfelt words from the maid of honor, best man, brides brother and the respective fathers of the bride and groom. Their summer wedding also featured some incredibly fun moments on the dance floor. Aberdeen Manor was decorated beautifully as the bride and her father took to the floor for their dance. Music was provided by 27 Entertainment.

Father and bride dance together at Aberdeen Manor in Valparaiso, Indiana.

The bride and her maid of honor spent their college years supporting one another and many emotional and fun stories were told during her toast to the bride.

Bride and maid of honor share a tender moment at a wedding reception at Aberdeen Manor.

Stephanie and Evan's summer wedding actually started out in Crown Point at the Thomas William Hair Salon for hair, makeup and a few laughs with mom and the bridesmaids.

Bride has lipstick applied for her wedding day at Thomas William Salon in Crown Point, Indiana.

Mother of the bride and a bridesmaid share a laugh at a Crown Point hair salon on wedding day.

Beautiful window light falls upon the bride as she gets ready for her summer wedding in Crown Point.

The laughs continued at the parents of the bride's home in Lakes of the Four Seasons. We took detail shots as the girls got dressed and did a few fun photos in the living area of their home.

The bride's earrings are draped over her garter and her shoes with her wedding dress in the background.

The bridesmaids blow kisses to the wedding photographer in their pink single strap bridesmaid dresses.

It was my female assistant's idea to have all the girls blow kisses at me up in the balcony, but i certainly didn't mind. They are a fun bunch and we went back and forth between some staged fun shots and candids as they prepared to take off for the ceremony at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church.

We used window light once again for a bridal portrait and it gave Stephanie a wonderfully warm glow. We backlit her beautiful veil with some of our lighting during this rare moment of wedding day tranquility.

The bride looks out the window of her childhood home as sun bathes her in warm light illuminating her beautiful wedding veil.

When we arrived at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Valparaiso, we immediately took the groom out to the farm field for an outdoor portrait in his tuxedo. We also took formal shots of his family inside the church as we waited for Stephanie's arrival.

The groom smiles for his wedding portrait amongst the farm land outside Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Valparaiso, Indiana.

Emotions were all over the place for the ceremony. The ring bearer made a stop to visit me as he made his way toward the altar. This brought on quite a bit of laughter. Minutes later, joyful tears ran down the bride's face as she walked down the aisle with her Dad.

Tears of joy stream down the bride's face as she walks down the aisle with her Dad at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Valparaiso, Indiana.

Friends and family fill up the pews at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Church for a June wedding ceremony.

Family photos took place inside the church after the ceremony along with a few portraits of the bride and groom at the altar.

A formal wedding photo of the bride and groom at the altar of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Valparaiso.

The bridal party and I snuck off to Deep River Park in the late afternoon for couple's shots and some fun wedding party group photos before taking off for Aberdeen Manor Ballroom for the reception.

Bride and groom kiss as they cross over the bridge at Deep River Park in Hobart, Indiana.

Bride holds her summer bouquet of wedding flowers in the garden at Aberdeen Manor in Valparaiso, Indiana just after her wedding.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek at Evan and Stephanie's June wedding ceremony at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and reception at Aberdeen Manor Ballroom in Valparaiso, Indiana. For more updates, stay tuned to this Journal and like the Facebook Page listed below this posting.

Bride and groom hold out wedding thank you signs in front of the garden gazebo at Aberdeen Manor in Valparaiso, Indiana.

June Wedding at the Parish of St. Joseph in Homewood, Illinois

June 11, 2013 Steve Vansak

The moment always wins...

Todd and Krystyne's wedding at the Parish of St. Joseph in Homewood, Illinois was incredible for all the wonderful moments that took place. When I arrived at the Lerose house in Thornton, Illinois, the bride was surrounded by friends and family as she began to get ready for her big day. It was a very welcoming atmosphere for us to make photographs in and many emotional moments developed to be captured in photographs.

Bride reads a letter from her soon to be husband as she gets ready for her wedding.

A beautiful series of events occurred just after Krystyne read a heartfelt letter from her soon be husband Todd. Soon she was carried away by emotion and happy tears ensued.

The bride wipes away happy tears on her wedding day after reading a love letter from the groom.

Not long after, the flower girl arrived to bring a light hearted moment to the morning as she stared up at the seemingly enormous wedding dress. What a wonderfully cute moment...

The flower girl looks up at the bride's hanging dress in the cute wedding photo.

Krystyne and I had talked about doing something different than just hanging her dress and taking a photograph of it static and motionless. We decided to have her in the shot admiring the beautiful gown that her fiancé would soon be seeing via their first look at a nearby park in Homewood.

The bride admires her beautiful wedding dress on the morning of her June wedding in Homewood, Illinois.

The bride and her maid of honor are obviously lifelong friends and that bond was evident as they laughed together and cried together as well. These were all happy tears and wouldn't be the last ones of the day.

A fun moment is captured on the wedding day between the bride and her maid of honor.

The maid of honor tears up as her best friend gets into her wedding dress on the morning of her June wedding.

Before taking off to give Todd his first look, Krystyne did a first look of sorts for her bridesmaids who were all gathered on the front lawn. She made a grand entrance while her girls blew her kisses from down below. What a great moment...

The bridesmaids blow kisses toward the bride after seeing her for the first time in her wedding dress.

The Parish of St. Joseph in Homewood, Illinois is a large Catholic church with great architecture and a choir loft. The church was filled with family and friends as Krystyne walked down the aisle on the arms of her Dad with Todd looking on.

The father of the bride walks his daughter down the aisle at the Parish of St. Joseph in Homewood, Illinois.

The groom looks on happily as his new bride comes down the aisle at their June wedding in Homewood, Illinois.

The Catholic wedding gave me plenty of time to capture the many emotions that occur during the ceremony, The emotions ran the gamut from the bride and groom solemnly praying with Todd unwittingly revealing his 'Me Too' wedding shoes that matched Krystyne's 'I Do' shoes. The congregation got another smile when the priest called out for a high five from the participants. It was a joyous wedding to be sure...

The bride and groom pray at the altar at the Parish of St. Joseph.

Wedding shoes for the groom with the words 'me too' written on the bottom soles.

A groomsmen provides a fun wedding moment as he high fives an audience member at a church wedding.

Bubbles surrounded the happy couple as they exited the church with the bright summer sun shining upon them.

The bride and groom leave church as guests blow bubbles upon them.

It was a gloriously sunny day in this Chicago suburb as Krystyne and Todd and the wedding party went to a nearby Homewood park for wedding photos.

The groom lifts his bride into the air for their summer wedding photos in Homewood, Illinois.

A classic wedding pose for the bride and groom in a Chicago park after their June wedding.

The party at the Banquets of St. George that night in Schererville, Indiana had everything from silly costumes to a more than packed dance floor. More fun, more love and more moments to treasure...

Groomsmen are introduced at the Banquets of St. George in Schererville at a June wedding reception.

The dance floor at the Banquets of St. George is filled to capacity at a summer wedding reception in Schererville, Indiana.

Thank you for taking a look at this Sneak Peek of todd and Krystyne's June wedding at the Parish of St. Joseph in Homewood, Illinois. For more updates and images, please follow this Journal page as well at the Facebook Page.