I photographed Adam and Alex’s Chicago wedding this past Saturday at the historic Lang House in the Rogers Park neighborhood.
Lang House is a unique Chicago wedding venue known as an American Foursquare mansion.
Read moreDowntown Chicago Wedding In River North Area
A candid moment between the bride and groom on a bridge overlooking the Chicago River.
Demi and Matt were married in downtown Chicago last summer. I had been wanting to showcase their wedding here since then but it was one of the most incredibly busy times I’ve had as a Chicago and Northwest Indiana wedding photographer.
Read more2021 Year In Review - Midwest Wedding Photography
Welcome to my 2021 Year in Review! What a year it has been for wedding photography in Northwest Indiana, southwest Michigan and the Chicago area.
Above is a short video slideshow to give you an overview of the entire year in pictures. Turn up the volume and enjoy.
Of course, scrolling through this blog / journal you will find the stories of the weddings days (with lots of images) of many of my clients dating all the way back to 2010. This post will concentrate on the images from 2021 (also check out Sarah + Brents’s Short Film embedded at the end) with a few comments from me.
As always, inquire on my Contact Form about openings for your big day for photography as well as Short Films.
Happy New Year!
I had one lone wedding in March at Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City, Indiana and then the season kicked off in earnest in late May. After that, WEDDINGS DID NOT STOP! In late June I recall 5 weddings in one 10 day period. This wedding season saw many weekday weddings.
Some of the early Spring wedding venues as seen above were Sand Creek Country Club, The Grand CP and Journeyman Distillery.
Wedding photo in the garden at Centennial Park.
June turned out to be the busiest month of the year for Midwest weddings in 2021. The Fall season usually takes that crown but this year was more traditional.
The beginning of Summer saw weddings in Monee, Illinois as well as Meyer’s Castle, Tying the Knot wedding venue in Michigan, Whiting Lakefront Park and The Lighthouse Lodge in Monticello, Indiana.
The bride’s veil flies in the air as she kisses her groom at a summer wedding in Northwest Indiana.
As summer rolled on, I photographed such diverse Northwest Indiana wedding venues such as County Line Orchard, The Pavilion at Sandy Pines as well as church weddings in downtown Chicago.
Yes, you are seeing an actual rainbow in the image above! After a rain delay of an outdoor ceremony at Sandy Pines in Demotte, Indiana a rainbow appeared in the sky. I can honestly that was a wedding first for me and no photoshop was involved.
Weddings at County Line Orchard and Marquette Park Pavilion.
A Harry Potter themed wedding took place this year at The Grand CP in Crown Point, Indiana along with receptions at Maggiano’s, a Chicago wedding venue in River North area as well as a beautiful outdoor wedding at Gabis Arboretum in Valparaiso, Indiana.
Early Fall saw me back at Gabis Arboretum for another outdoor wedding at the scenic Northwest Indiana wedding venue as well as the venerable Avalon Manor.
Bride and groom in a candid moment at County Line Orchard in Hobart, Indiana.
Fall is always busy for weddings in Northwest Indiana and throughout the Midwest. This year I had many church weddings in the Autumn with photos at locations such at the Lake County Fairgrounds and Centennial Park.
The Fall wedding season also saw me return to Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City along with photos at the gorgeous Friendship Botanic Gardens.
Silver Lake Country Club and Georgio’s Banquets in Orland Park, Illinois were two of my Illinois wedding venue destinations this year.
Midwest wedding photos taken in the Fall season.
The end of October into early November gave us some intense Fall color at a Briar Ridge Country Club as well as a return to County Line Orchard along with church nuptials.
Early winter weddings often mean it gets dark early. For an early December wedding at Four Season’s Clubhouse we ventured outside for blue hour in this winter wedding photo below.
Winter weddings at The Grand CP and Center For The Visual and Performing Arts.
Wedding Season 2021 ended with a December wedding at Center For Visual and Performing Arts in Munster, Indiana in mid December and a Christmas Eve wedding in Wilmington, Illinois.
Bride and bridesmaids on the staircase during a December wedding at Center For Visual and Performing Arts.
It was a glorious year for weddings in 2021!!
As a bonus for making it this far down in my Year in Review post, press play below on the Short Film video that Sarah and Brent added to the wedding package of their winter wedding.
In case you didn’t know that there was an option to add video to your wedding photography package, more info can be found at this link.
September Wedding At Uptown Social
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 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.
First look with Dad.
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.
Wedding party photos on the altar.
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.
Night portrait of the bride and groom.
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.