Military Wedding At Aberdeen Manor In Valparaiso

October 31, 2016 Steve Vansak

Bride and groom share a kiss outside the Porter County Courthouse in Valparaiso, Indiana.

Andrea and Bart were married 2 years ago at the Porter County Courthouse in Valparaiso, Indiana. The groom was soon stationed in Colorado by the Army and this past Friday they finally had the chance to bring the party back to Aberdeen Manor and celebrate with friends and family.

Our day started at Salon Diva, also in Valparaiso, where I captured bridal prep, including flower girl Abby's wedding day coloring book.

Bridal prep at Salon Diva in Valparaiso.

Our next stop was the beautiful Ogden Gardens which had taken on quite the Fall tone in color. I photographed the bride and bridesmaids while second photographer Doug was with the groom and his guys at the church.

Bride and bridesmaids photos at Ogden Gardens.

The bride rest on a bench at the edge of Ogden Gardens.

The bride takes a stroll through the pathway at the Ogden Gardens entrance.

Groom and his groomsmen at Saint Paul Catholic Church.

The Catholic wedding ceremony took place at St. Paul Catholic Church with it's wonderful architecture. The bride came down the aisle with her Dad to say "I Still Do" with her husband Bart.

Catholic wedding ceremony at St. Paul Catholic Church.

St. Paul Catholic Church in Valparaiso, Indiana.

Andrea and Bart had a snapshot from their wedding at the Porter County Courthouse from 2 years ago so they wanted to pose with it there. So off to the downtown Valparaiso Square we went.

Wedding party photos in downtown Valparaiso, Indiana.

Military groom and his bride in downtown Valparaiso.

The wedding reception at Aberdeen Manor was a celebration of Andrea and Bart's two year old marriage, but it also a celebration of something else which I will get to in a moment...

Wedding reception at Aberdeen Manor in Valparaiso, Indiana.

At the tail end of toasts, the groom took the microphone and made the surprise announcement that the couple were expecting a baby.....

The bride and groom make a life announcement at their wedding reception at Aberdeen Manor.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Andrea and Bart's military wedding at Aberdeen Manor. To inquire about your wedding date, please fill out the Contact Form here. Stay tuned to social media for more images.

Military Wedding at Saint Matthias Church

May 20, 2014 Steve Vansak

The bride and groom share a kiss on the scenic bridge at White Hawk Country Club in Crown Point, Indiana.

There are many adjectives that can be written about Kyle and Alicia's military wedding at St. Matthias Church in Crown Point, Indiana. The first is 'epic' as in "Did you see that dress?". The next would be 'majestic' in describing the groomsmen in their uniform waiting for the bride underneath the roof of the newly remodeled catholic church with it's new wood flooring and array of hanging light fixtures.

Controlled chaos was the scene at Alicia's home where every brand of make up known to womanhood was distributed around a large mirror where the girls got ready for the big day.

The bride get ready for her big day at her home in Cedar Lake.

Alicia was as calm as could be and only occasionally had to discipline her beloved dogs who seemed very excited at all of the unexpected guests.

It was only fitting to have an army styled garter with the wedding date inscribed upon it. More military decorations were to come at the church as well as the reception. Fun stuff...

Army styled garter with names and wedding date.

Before jetting off to the ceremony at Saint Matthias Church, I captured a couple of images of mom and daughter together as Alicia got into her wedding dress.

The bride alone with her mother before the ceremony.

The mother of the bride laces up her dress on wedding day.

It was a great moment as Alicia's mom walked her down the aisle while her groom looked on and the congregation stood.

The bride's mother walks her down the aisle at Saint Matthias Church in Crown Point, Indiana.

The groom smiles broadly as his bride's mother gives her away during their military wedding at Saint Matthias.

The church was full of family and well wishers on this lovely Spring day in the month of May.

The view from the back of Saint Matthias Church during a Spring wedding ceremony.

Father was in great humor throughout the ceremony with many fun moments as well as emotional ones.

The bride and groom listen to father while kneeling on pews during their wedding ceremony at St. Matthias Church.

We took family photos at the church as well as bride and groom images and then it was off to White Hawk Country Club for more photos and the reception.

The bride and groom look at each other at the altar of Saint Matthias Church.

The bridesmaids in their royal blue dresses get sassy at White Hawk Country Club.

White Hawk offer some gorgeous photo opportunities including the fairly unknown "swampy bridge" area as I like to call it. Make sure you hail a golf cart limo to take you there for some wonderful wedding photos.

The newly married couple takes a stroll across the bridge at White Hawk Country Club in Crown Point.

Of course, make sure your photographer gives you proper directions when driving your golf cart to the location. Kyle was behind the wheel and I had him take a wrong turn and we both gave Alicia a scare as we had to turn the cart around in a muddy patch of grass. Sorry guys!!

Now, if you are going to have a military wedding, you are going to want your cake topper to reflect that. I thought the two black dogs were a nice personal touch as well. They are part of the family too, right?!! And yes, that is a sword they are cutting the cake with.

The bride and groom cut their cake with a sword.

Let's inject a few more adjectives now. How about 'pure joy' on the faces of the crowd as Kyle dipped his bride during the first dance. Or how about the great fun during the father and daughter dance as well.

The groom dips his bride during their first dance at White Hawk Country Club.

Pure joy during the father daughter dance at White Hawk Country Club.

The bride laughs with joy while dancing with her father.

Speaking of silly fun wedding photos, the wedding party stepped outside for a mock invasion with the bride and groom triumphantly guarding their turf. Too funny...

The dance floor was packed all night and it was clear that the guests came to party and no one was sitting on their hands. What a great night!!

A packed dance floor for a wedding reception at White Hawk Country Club.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Kyle and Alicia's military wedding at Saint Matthias Church in Crown Point, Indiana. For more updates, please subscribe to the page below and the Region Weddings Facebook page.

Military Wedding at St. Mary's Church in Griffith, Indiana

October 1, 2013 Steve Vansak

A newly married couple dips as the Air Force Honor Guard salutes them with sabers.

When Catherine and her mom had a meeting with me to fill me in on all the details of her military wedding to Matt, I knew we would be getting some unique wedding photos. From the Air Force Honor Guard awaiting the happy couple outside St. Mary's Church in Griffith to all of the silly, fun shots and dramatic bride and groom images we took at Oak Ridge Prairie County Park this Fall wedding certainly lived up to expectations. By the way, please don't smart off to the bride or she will crush you with her, blue opened toed wedding shoes. Got that groomsmen!! :)

A bride and groom embrace in a dramatic looking wedding photo at Oak Ridge Prairie County Park in Griffith, Indiana.

The groomsmen pretend to get crushed by a gigantic bridal shoe in this fun wedding photo.

It was a gorgeous day for a Fall wedding which started off at Studio 4 in downtown Griffith. I played roving reporter as the bridesmaids got their hair and make up done. We also had fun doing some retro, old school photos using the washing station and hair dryers as props.

A retro looking, Instagram like getting ready wedding photo under hair dryers at a hair salon.

The bride and her bridesmaids gather around the washing station at Studio 4 hair salon in this fun, retro styled wedding photo.

Catherine had some great wedding photo ideas of her own such as having the rings tucked into the back of her wedding dress and having a first look for her bridesmaids at the Hampton Inn Hotel in Schererville.

Wedding rings tucked into the lacing of the bride's dress.

The bridesmaids are filled with excitement as they anticipate their first look of the bride in her wedding dress.

Catherine's mom helped lace up her dress and stopped for a nice portrait with her daughter. Soon it would be time to drive to St. Mary's Church for the first look with her soon to be husband Matt and of course, the ceremony itself.

Mom helps lace up the bride's wedding dress.

The mother of the bride poses with her daughter for a portrait just before the wedding ceremony.

Catherine and Matt chose the sun drenched fountain area on the side of St. Mary's Church for their first look. It was an exciting moment as they turned to see each other.

An air force soldier turns to greet his bride for their first look at St. Mary's church just before their military wedding.

A tender moment between a soldier and his bride just before their Fall wedding ceremony.

St. Mary's is located in the heart of Griffith on Broad Street and the scene of many wonderful weddings that I have shot. It had been 2 years since I last photographed there and it was great to be back for this wonderful gathering of friends and family of Catherine and Matt.

A military wedding ceremony takes place at St. Mary's Church in Griffith, Indiana.

The bride's father walks her down the aisle at St. Mary Church in Griffith.

It was quite apparent that the emotion from the father and daughter first look that occurred earlier at the hotel would carry on here at the ceremony as well as throughout the day. It was great to see this familial love on display. it warmed my heart to be able to capture it in photos.

The bride's father gives her away at the altar during a church wedding ceremony.

The bride prays at the statue of Mother Mary.

When Matt and Catherine were pronounced married, they had an extra long kiss at the altar as all looked on.

The first kiss at a Catholic wedding ceremony at St. Mary's Church.

The bride and groom celebrate by raising their arms after being pronounced man and wife.

We took family photos immediately after the ceremony and then we took advantage of the gorgeous Fall day to everything from beautiful bride and groom photos to fun wedding party pictures. One of Catherine's request was this selective color shot from the back of the church.

The groom dips his bride at the back of the church in this gold toned wedding photo.

The bridesmaids huddle up together within a heart.

In this fun wedding photo, the girls emulate the Bridesmaids movie poster by looking disheveled and mugging for the camera.

Most of our outdoor wedding photos were taken at Oak Ridge Prairie County Park where we had clear skies and the occasional gust of wind. Perfect for a dramatic bride and groom wedding portrait with veil blowing into the air.

A soldier dips his bride and the wind makes her veil float behind her in this wedding photo taken at Oak Ridge Prairie County Park in Griffith.

The wedding party poses in front of the large sled hill at Oak Ridge Prairie County Park in Indiana.

Soon we were off to the reception at the Halls of St. George in Schererville, Indiana. Once again, the emotion of the day got the best of the bride and her father as they danced their father daughter dance.

An emotional father and daughter dance at the Halls of St. George in Schererville, Indiana.

The bride and her father smile on the dance floor at her wedding.

The seemingly mild mannered groom and his mother took us all by surprise when they went from slow dancing to rocking out to AC/DC.

The groom and his mother smile on the dance floor at the Halls of St. George.

A candid wedding photo of the groom and his mom wear sunglasses as they dance together at his wedding reception.

The groom and his mom play air guitar on the dance floor during his wedding reception.

A whole slew of fun moments broke out at the reception at the Halls of St. George such as this sorority sister dance with the bride.

Sorority sisters surround the bride on the dance floor at her wedding.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek at Catherine and Matt's military wedding at St. Mary's in Griffith, Indiana. For more photo updates, please stay tuned here and give the Region Weddings Facebook page a like.

Military Weddings

May 25, 2013 Steve Vansak

Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It's also a time to thank those who are currently serving. I would like to do my small part by showing a couple of military weddings I've covered and telling you a little bit about the couple.

A military bride and groom are reunited for their wedding day at Wicker Park in Highland, Indiana.

Nichole was living in Colorado at the time she called me for a wedding consultation. She told me how she had met Nathan while they both served together in the armed forces. They were already married, but wanted to have a traditional ceremony and reception with friends and family looking on. Griffith, Indiana was her hometown and she had decided on Wicker Park Social Center as the location for her outdoor military wedding.

I met Nathan for the first time when he arrived back from overseas for their August wedding. We chatted for a few minutes just before I took this portrait of him in full decoration.

Wedding portrait of the groom in full military outfit taken in the gazebo area of Wicker Park in Highland.

Tim and Terra are an incredibly sweet young couple from Michigan whose wedding ceremony I photographed in the New Buffalo area. One of my favorite images is this one of her father giving her away in full military regalia during the ceremony at the quaint Michigan chapel. A wonderful moment...

Father of the bride gives his daughter away with a kiss at a military wedding ceremony in New Buffalo, Michigan.

I hope you have a terrific Memorial Day weekend!! Be sure to kick off the summer right with friends, family, barbecues and fond remembrances of military personnel past and present.