Winter Wedding Reception at Avalon Manor

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The roads were getting quite slick and snowy when I pulled into the parking lot at Avalon Manor in Merrillville, Indiana for Beth and Anthony's wedding reception.  The parking area was a bit empty and i thought we might have a laid back, small crowd due to weather.  Boy was I wrong!!  The wedding party was ready to dance as were their guests.  It was a full house soon enough.

After introductions, the first order of business was the cake cutting followed by toasts from the maid of honor and best man.

The first dance soon morphed into a group hug/dance/singalong...

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The bride and groom provided dancing sandals for all the guests and they got plenty of use on the spacious ballroom dance floor of Avalon Manor.

The ring bearer was quite the ladies man this night.....

As I said, it was a full house and they came ready to rock...

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Hey look, it's the groom's Dad doing a handstand dance!!

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One of the things I look for at a wedding reception is the occasional slow dance so I catch a possible future bride and groom in a special moment...

I also look for tender family moments as well, such as this group hug...

Soon it was bouquet toss time and I got into position as did all the single women in the crowd.

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The lucky recipient of the bride's bouquet volly....

The Pro Jams DJ Service had the crowd into a boogie frenzy.  Our bride and groom Elizabeth and Anthony weren't wall flowers at their own wedding reception.  They were both on the dance floor often.

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The night ended with the groom being airlifted onto his brother and best man's shoulders for a celebratory scream.

Another fun night at Avalon Manor Reception hall with a great couple with terrific families. Thanks once again to the Iddings and Nelson families.  Hope to see you guys soon.

To view the entire wedding reception, please visit Winter Wedding Reception at Avalon Manor.

Megan and Austin's Fall Wedding Pt.4 - Reception at The Patrician

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After our formal shots at St. Michael's Church and then the Ellendale Farms neighborhood in Crown Point, the wedding party, myself and my assistant made our way to The Patrician on Rt. 30 in Schererville.  While the wedding party relaxed upstairs, I began taking detail shots of their decor including a "photo table" which included family snapshots as well as some of the engagement pictures that we had done a few months earlier in Chicago.

The night started with introductions.  I had a feeling we'd be seeing some fun appearances from the wedding party and they did not disappoint...

Austin and Megan immediately went to the cake cutting with all of their friends looking on...

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As is my custom, I did not take any shots of guests during dinner.  More detail shots were taken and soon it would be time for first dances.  

Megan's Father is a fun guy and he had her all smiles during their father and daughter dance..

Okay, it's party time!!  For the first shot below I laid flat on the ground.  Thanks to everyone for not stepping on me and I hope I didn't scare these girls too much either!!

I love that the DJ played many slow songs as I was able to roam around and catch tender moments like this...

This was a crowd that was NOT going to sit on it's hands!!  A very fun celebration to say the least...

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No alcohol was served at this reception.  Okay, that's a lie...

I love to catch the bride on the dance floor in candid moments.  It took awhile as Megan visited and chatted with many of her guests.  However, once she got going...

I got this one of the happy couple toward the end of the night and they chose it for the back cover of their wedding album.  A great, fun candid moment...

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Click on this link to view all the galleries of Austin and Megan's Fall Wedding.

Rebecca and Jack's Beach Wedding Pt. 4 (Masquerade Ball)

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When Rebecca returned her Wedding Shot List to me, she wrote a note on the side that said "pictures with and without masks" and I wasn't sure what that meant.  Well, she provided her wedding party and her guests with these masks for her Masquerade Ball themed reception.  Very cool.

Here is her bridesmaid Stephanie posing with her significant other in their masks...

Rebecca and Jack are big fans of these brown toned, sepia images of them dancing.  I am too and I was pleased that they ordered a nice metallic print of the large one below.

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Another great thing about Marquette Park Pavilion is the size of the main room.  Perfect for the guests to do a circular dance such as this, with me capturing it from the balcony.

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Let there be dancing...

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Here is the bride and her Father early in the evening...

I like to break away from all the dancing shots and pull people to the side for some nice portraits. They tend to be at their most relaxed at the reception hall.

I usually create at least one collage for each part of the event (getting ready, formals, ceremony, reception) and here is one utilizing a close up of the wedding cake...

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To view all of Rebecca and Jack's wedding images, please visit their gallery page at SBV Photography.  Thanks for taking a look!!

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Heather and Flo's Autumn Wedding Pt. 4

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Receptions are usually the time when the pressure is off for the Bride and Groom.  It's a time to let loose and celebrate with family and friends.  Heather and Flo's Reception in Hammond, Indiana was no exception.  As you can see from the image above, the happy couple was ready to have some fun!!

First Dance: My assistant Amy and I followed the Bride and Groom around the dance floor bathing them in beautiful light while trying to not be intrusive.

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The entire Wedding Day is about capturing moments and you can certainly find these at the Reception Hall beyond just dancing.  Here is one with mom and her very hungry son just before dinner is served and another with the Bride tearing it up with her guests.

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Mexican music filled the air...

Heather teases the single women with a fake toss and then the real thing...

The fellas celebrate the groom's new status.... 

Our next contestant for Dancing with the Stars...

Let's raise our glass and have a toast to Heather and Flo.  Thanks again for having me as your wedding photographer.  I hope to see you soon for those family shots.

Go here to view The Heather and Flo Reception Gallery.