The wedding reception is the time when the bride and groom can typically relax a little, get a bit messy and have fun. I love to cover the receptions along with all of the fun moments, fabulous decor and the action shots on the dance floor.

I'm going to take you through a few recent and rocking wedding receptions I photographed here in Northwest Indiana to give you an idea of how we cover these fun events. These are three different weddings this past summer at three different venues - Aberdeen Manor in Valparaiso, Centennial Park Clubhouse in Munster and the Halls of St. George in Schererville.

The wedding cake glows in the middle of the dance floor at Aberdeen Manor.

My assistant and I typically start taking wedding reception detail photos as soon as we enter the hall. The wedding cake is high on our list of course, as are the various table decorations, guest book and more. I love seeing what type of flavor each couple brings to the mix. I could photograph the same hall weeks in a row and it will be always be fresh due to the wonderful decorations I see and the diverse groups of people I meet and photograph.

Wedding reception decoration collage at the Halls of St. George in Schererville, Indiana.

A message card for wedding reception guests to write on for the bride and groom to open on their anniversary.

During this time we will take wedding ring shots while the bride and groom freshen up or meet up with friends. My favorite way of taking ring shot photos is to place the ring into a scene such as this with one with the rings placed atop the bride's bouquet.

Wedding ring photograph featuring the bride's bouquet of flowers.

Some couple's have simple entrances while other's take an elaborate walk with props or a choreographed dance or two. In this photo the groom dips his bride on the dance floor at the Halls of St. George while the wedding party forms a tunnel for them to walk through. Usually, the cake cutting comes next.

A groom dips his bride on the dance floor at the Halls of St. George during their introduction.

The bride and groom cut their cake at Aberdeen Manor in Valparaiso with stunning uplighting in the background.

The wedding party speeches from the maid of honor and the best man are a great time to capture candid photos from the bride and groom, the wedding party and their guests.

The Maid of Honor gives a speech at a wedding reception at the Halls of St. George.

Guests at a wedding reception react to a funny moment in this candid wedding photo.

The bride and groom act embarrased at a funny moment during a toast at their wedding reception at Centennial Park.

The best man raises his glass in tribute to the bride and groom.

First dances, including the mother and son and father and daughter dances can run the gamut from slow and emotional filled to fast and furious. Lately, the trend has been to get together with the DJ and plan a little bit of both.