Get Hitched at the Old Crown Point Courthouse

Mike and Danielle were married at the Old Crown Point Courthouse in Crown Point, Indiana as part of the Get Hitched promotion to help preserve the legacy of the historic building.  To learn more about this promotion, please visit the Get Hitched website.

Get Hitched at the Old Crown Point Courthouse promotional poster.

Our bride Danielle looks just as striking as Colleen Moore does in the above poster in the is bridal portrait taken at nearby Ellendale Farm. 

A pretty bride in a portrait taken at Ellendale Farm near downtown Crown Point.

The wedding took place on July 5th just after Independence Day celebrations.  We started out at Glamour Hair Design in Valparaiso.  I always try to capture all the laughter and fun that often takes place at the Getting Ready sessions on the wedding day and that was pretty easy with these girls!!  They simply couldn't stop laughing and goofing off.   I guess they got pretty used to me being there and the cocktails may have played a part too.  :)

A bridesmaid sneaks up on the bride to give her a kiss.

Bridesmaids goof off with make up at Glamour Design Salon in Valparaiso. 

The flower girl fit right in with this group as she was not camera shy in anyway.  Here she is with the bride just before taking off to the Crown Point wedding ceremony. 

The bride hugs the flower girl just before her wedding ceremony in Crown Point, Indiana.

Soon we were inside the Grand Old Lady which is the nickname for the old Crown Point courthouse located on Main Street in the downtown square.   The father of the bride walked her down the aisle with friends and family looking on.

Father of the bride walks her down the aisle of the old Crown Point courthouse. 

The groom gave her a surprise dip during their first kiss as the pastor roared with approving laughter. 

The groom dips his bride during the first kiss at their wedding ceremony at the Crown Point courthouse.

Family wedding photos took place outside the building in front of the steps.  Well wishers honked their horns as they drove around the shopping square.

Family wedding photos on the steps of the Crown Point Courthouse.

The groom was all smiles on his wedding day... 

The groom smiles with joy on his wedding day on the front steps of the Crown Point courthouse.

After family portraits we took a 3 minute drive to the Ellendale Farm neighborhood in Crown Point for romantic wedding photos along the lake.

A sunburst appears in the sky as the bride and groom look toward each other in this romantic wedding photo at Ellendale Farm in Crown point.

The Crown Point flavor continued as guests were treated to a candy bar with swirled lollipops as the bride and groom did their first dance in the courthouse Bali ballroom. 

Lollipop wedding decorations at a reception at the Crown Point courthouse.

First dance inside the Bali ballroom during a wedding reception at the Crown Point courthouse.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek as Mike and Danielle "get hitched" at the old Crown Point Courthouse.  for more updates, stay tuned to this Journal and like the SBV Photography Facebook Page.

June Wedding Reception at Aberdeen Manor

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. 

Willow Harbor Vineyard Wedding

A wedding at Willow Harbor Vineyard and Dewey Cannon Winery in Three Oaks, Michigan is unique for many reasons, let alone the bride's arrival in an old 1970's Rolls Royce.  The ceremony site is located amongst wine vineyards in southwestern Michigan just over the Indiana state line.

It is a great location for an outdoor wedding with much greenery as you can see below with our bride Kelly being walked down the aisle by her parents.

The actual wedding nuptials take place below decorated pillars in the midst of the fields.  Mat and kelly were all smiles during their ring exchange with family and friends looking on.

Soon the newlyweds would seal things with a kiss as they exit the picturesque ceremony site amongst the vineyards.

Family photos followed such as this one with mom showing much affection for her son, the groom.

As storm clouds formed over the vineyard, I had the bride and groom stand at the edge of the row and share some moments together and a brand new husband and wife.

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I knew from shooting the couple's Chicago Session engagement photos that they loved black and white.  Here, the groomsmen get the same treatment.

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We walked all over the fields of love at Willow Harbor Vineyard in southwest Michigan.  We came across the old white pillar that surely was the scene of wedding ceremonies of the past.

The sun was shining upon us at this point and was time for a break and perhaps a few more kisses...

Nothing wrong with a little peek-a-boo amongst the tall vineyards...

As I stated in a previous posting, we found a ladder laying in the fields that was still in decent shape.  This gave me an opportunity to have the bride and groom the image and at the same time show the vastness of the green fields with the blue sky above.

Soon we were back in downtown Three Oaks in front of Dewey Cannon Winery for the reception.  We decided to take it to the streets for this fun and unique wedding photo.  I added a grunge border and bit of faded color for the vintage look.

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When planning your outdoor wedding, consider something unique like a wine vineyard.  

 

Dunes Beach Wedding

 

Greg and Kari were married in Jamaica this past July, but had their celebration here in Northwest Indiana in September.  They continued their beach theme with a photo shoot at Marquette Park.  The wedding party along with the couple's family strolled along with us around the sandy Indiana lakeshore.  We started out with this "almost kiss" in silhouette inside the landmark bath house on the beach....

The lagoon behind the Marquette Park Pavilion made for a gorgeous backdrop for wedding photos of our beautiful bride Kari and her pretty bridesmaids, including maid of honor Amy.

This is merely a sneak peek as we have many more beach photos and family shots back at the bride and groom's home.  I can't let this post go by without posting at least one image of the bride and groom roaring in on their Harley Davidson.  I put together this composite to give you a look at the great cake topper along with the fun loving couple during their first dance.  

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The Elks Lodge in Hobart were great host and the live band made for some great sounding entertainment.  I love to see live music represented at weddings and this has happened several times this year already.  I will have to gether these up for a future post in the near future.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek at at Greg and Kari's beach wedding at the Indiana Dunes lakeshore.  To keep updated and to see more images, subscribe here to the Journal and give us a "like" on the SBV Photography Facebook page.  More to come!!