Unique Church Wedding Photos

October 20, 2013 Steve Vansak

A balcony view of St. Stanislaus Kostka Church in Michigan City.

Today's post is all about unique wedding photos inside and outside of churches. This isn't meant to showcase the pivotal wedding images such as the bride coming down the aisle or the first kiss. Those are important images for sure, but today we look at how to get creative during and after a church wedding.

I always strive to provide something different and unique for my clients and still provide the utmost respect to the church. My winter weddings often are in churches with not much daylight left for after the ceremony couples shots in an outdoor scenic location, not too mention the cold. One of my favorite approaches is to use the darkness of the church to our advantage to create some dramatic bride and groom photos.

An intimate bride and groom photo taken at St. Mary's Church in Griffith, Indiana.

In the following image I wanted to make show off the back side of the bride's incredible dress. I don;t often show my lighting in a shot, but the rays shooting off the light made for an interesting take on a standard wedding image. Of course, we took a nice portrait from the front as well.

A dramatic looking image of the back of the bride's dress inside a dark church.

The bride clutches her blue bouquet of flowers while posing for a wedding photo inside of St. Mary's Church in Griffith.

Leave it to the kids to provide some unique ceremony shots. The flower girl obviously decided it was time to take a break and took a seat on the stairs that lead to the altar. All i had to do was be aware and capture a great moment (and a terrific smile).

The flower girl takes a break during a Catholic wedding ceremony.

Details are a great aspect of any wedding, but those loving hands clasp together with the contrasting red bible in the background caught my eye, as did the writing on the back of the groom's shoes...

The bride and groom clasp their hands together while the priest reads from a red bible during their church wedding ceremony.

The groom shoes engraved with the words 'me too' are shown as he kneels down at the altar during a church wedding ceremony.

For family or wedding party group shots inside the church, I simply provide great light in addition too a bit of direction on how to stand to look good in the photograph. sometimes i like to stagger people inside the pews and other times a simple, classic photo is what's needed.

The wedding party group photo at the altar inside of a church in Valparaiso.

Parents of the groom pose with him and his bride at the altar of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Valparaiso, Indiana.

Church exits can make for unique wedding photographs as well. Here is one taken from the congregations perspective at the Free spirit church in Crown Point as well as a unique perspective on the classic bubbles shot.

The bride and groom exit the Free Spirit Church with a glow of bright light upon them.

The bride and groom exit among big bubbles as their church looms large behind them.

I hope you have enjoyed this look at some unique church wedding photos. For more photo updates, please visit the Region Wedding Facebook Page. To take a look at another church wedding, check out this recent one at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton or do a search below for 'church weddings'.

Star Wars Themed Wedding

May 6, 2013 Steve Vansak

Star Wars themed galaxy wedding  collage. — Star Wars themed galaxy wedding collage.

In a galaxy far, far away.....

Okay, so it wasn't quite that far. However, Aaron and Lisa's Star Wars themed wedding at the Free Spirit Church in Crown Point, Indiana was as much fun as any celebration at Chalmun's Cantina from Episode 4 of the epic Sci-Fi movie series.

I decided to have a little fun and create the above Star Wars galaxy collage with a few choice images from their May the 4th wedding.

The fun filled day began at the couple's home in Schererville, Indiana where Lisa and her bridesmaids got ready for the wedding. She was all smiles as friends hugged her and wished her well.

Smiling bride gets ready for her big day with friends and family.

Lisa's wedding dress had a pink tone and a wonderfully fluffy princess gown skirt. We decided to show that off with an artistic, almost studio like photo on the top of her bed.

Bride poses on the top of her bed for an artistic wedding photo at her home in Schererville, Indiana.

For a Star Wars themed wedding, I can't get away with not showing off Lisa's "May The Force Be With You" garter as she slipped it onto her leg. This was going to be a surprise touch for the groom for when he took it off at the reception later that night.

Star Wars decorated blue wedding garter with 'May the Force Be With You' inscribed upon it.

Before taking off for the ceremony at Free Spirit Church, we stepped outside into the Schererville nieghborhood for some bridesmaids as well as bridal pictures. Here's a full length image of her pretty dress taken at a nearby park. We had to leave her veil off for these as the wind was really fierce at the time.

Bride poses in her pink hued princess wedding dress in a park in Schererville, Indiana.

The wedding ceremony was tender, lighthearted and emotional all at once. The groom Aaron was joyous as can be as he placed the ring upon Lisa's finger. The small chapel in Crown Point was filled with family looking on. Their two young sons were ring bearers.

The groom places the ring upon his bride at a wedding ceremony at Free Spirit Church.

Smiling bride during her Spring wedding at Free Spirit Church in Crown Point, Indiana.

Now, you know there is no way you can have an article about a Star Wars themed wedding without having a few light sabers in the mix!!

Star Wars themed wedding photo with family showing off their light sabers.

The wedding reception took place at Casa Maria in Dyer, Indiana with a mix of dancing, photo booth, portraits and of course - good food!! The families of the bride and groom treated us wonderfully and I can't wait to show off more family wedding photos at a later time.

Grandparents with their grandson the ring bearer at a wedding reception at Casa Maria in Dyer, Indiana.

Star Wars wedding decorations on display at Casa Maria Banquet Hall in Dyer, Indiana.

The single women were more than ready to catch the bouquet as the bride joyously tossed it toward the dance floor...

The bride joyously tosses her bouquet at Casa Maria banquet hall.

This is only a sneak peek of Aaron and Lisa's Star Wars themed wedding. Stay tuned here and the Facebook Page for more updates and images. For now, I'll leave you with a sunset silhouette photo of the bride and groom toward the end of their joyous wedding day....

The bride and groom are about to kiss at sunset for their wedding photo in Dyer, Indiana.

Northwest Indiana Wedding Photographer's Year in Review 2012

December 30, 2012 Steve Vansak

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As we say goodbye to 2012 and get ready for the 2013 wedding season, it's time to look back at the Northwest Indiana weddings of the past year. I have to start off with the New Years Eve wedding of Jessica and Alan at the Bethel Church in Crown Point. It's an anniversary date they will never forget!!

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My next winter wedding took place in Laporte, Indiana at the spectacular The Allure Ballroom. This image is our bride Heather checking her self in the mirror of the bridal suite. I love the texture of the brick walls inside this historic building...

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As we headed into Spring, we had some warm spells with the Chicago area weather and Stacey and Steve's Catholic wedding at St. John the Evangelist Church. We were able to take some outdoor wedding photos overlooking the Shrine of Christ's Passion on Rt. 41 in St. John, Indiana.

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During this warm Spring of 2012 many engagement photos were taken in the Northwest Indiana area as well as our most popular engagement package - The Chicago Sessions. I'm going to save that for another wedding journal post on another day. I want you to get through this one before 2013 arrives!! :)

Natalie and Greg live on the East coast, but the bride gew up here in Chesterton. Her wedding ceremony took place in Michigan City at the grand St. Stanislaus Kostka Church. I'm still breathing hard from climbing up those stairs for this balcony photo!!

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Ryan and Sara were married in Portage and we did many of their formal photos at the Portage River Walk beach area. Once again, the weather gods treated us good...

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Michele and Nick were married at St. Ann's Church in Lansing, Illinois. We had done their engagement photos a few month earlier so we were good buddies by the time the wedding came around. The wedding party gathering around the golf carts was taken at a very popular area these days - Centennial Park in Munster. I've already got a couple of 2013 weddings booked here already as well folks just wanting photos done at this gorgeous park.

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Candy and Chris did what I call a wedding photo shoot out. I met them at the Hobart Lakefront for a first look. We then spent the entire afternoon creating fun and unique wedding photos at various venues until we landed at their ceremony and reception site - Avalon Manor.

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Friendship Garden in Portage, Indiana was the venue for Colie and David's outdoor wedding. It was very hot as summer had arrived. We got our first rain of the wedding season, but managed to escape from the ceremony and the formals afterwards by a few seconds of the torrential downpour. Power was out all over Northwest Indiana that night, but their reception was not affected.

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The military wedding of Nathan and Nichole at Wicker Park Social Center was a wonderful affair. Nichole had contacted me a year earlier from Colorado and she booked me just from a phone conversation and the images on this site. I want to thank her for that confidence she had in my skills. Here's a few from her epic wedding...

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Dewey Cannon Winery in Three Oaks, Michigan is a very cool venue for a summer wedding. You get ready in the two upstairs rooms - for groomsmen and brides + bridsemaids alike and then get wisked off to Willow Harbor Wine Vineyard for the outdoor ceremony. I had already had experience shooting there when I photographed Mat and Kelly's big day...

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Kathy and Larry had a Big Fat Greek Wedding at St. Demetrios Church in Hammond, Indiana. We did formal wedding photos inside the old church and stopped at Centennial Park on our way to Andorra Banquet Hall for the reception.

Up next was an Indian wedding at Radisson Hotel and then onto Kari and Greg's beach wedding photos in and around Marquette Park Pavilion...

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Some people take a limo to the reception hall, but this family went with horse and carriage right over I-65!!

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Emily and John had a wonderful heartland wedding in Wolcott, Indiana and then it was time for me to head home for the nuptials of Dustin and Jenny at Our Lady of Grace Church.

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Ogden Garden in Valparaiso is a popular summer wedding destination. Maureen and Brett got married outside at the famous gazebo. Their ceremony was filled with humor and emotion...

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It was time for another stop at Centennial Park with Kelley and Marcus. Their ceremony took place in Gary with formals and reception at the clubhouse in Munster.

I will never forget David and Jessica's wedding because of their willingness to take such unique and fun wedding photos. Here's one of my favorites taken behind Avalon Manor where their ceremony and reception took place.

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27 Entertainment brought the atmosphere and the sounds for this epic first dance photo inside one of the ballrooms of Avalon Manor.

The Halls of St. George was the site for Dan and Abra's Fall wedding. We got hit by some rain, but had a ball inside with lots of laughs between the bride and groom...

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I said I would not post any of my other photography in this post, but I can't resist at least one image from my Trash the Dress session with Michele. I also want to publicy commend her for doing such a great job. I knew she was nervous about it, but in the end she said it was the most fun she had throughout the whole wedding process. I hope to see more brides in 2013 try out this unique photo oportunity. I know it's not for everybody, but for the person it is for - you know it, so let's book that session!!

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Have a Happy New Year everybody. See you for the 2013 wedding season.

I hope you have enjoyed the Northwest Indiana Wedding Photographer's Year in Review 2012. 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!!

Romantic Wedding Photos at Marquette Park Pavilion

November 17, 2012 Steve Vansak

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Greg and Kari's wedding ceremony actually took place in Jamaica this past summer. They hired me to photograph their celebration here in Northwest Indiana with friends and family. The newlyweds wanted a photo shoot on the beach to bring back the flavor of the Jamaican wedding attended by their wedding party and also wanted to incorporate a family feel to the images by including their two lovely daughters.

The Marquette Park Pavilion immediately came to mind as a Northwest Indiana wedding venue that could double as a tropical paradise. We also used the nearby beach bath house for a backdrop as well. When it came time for family wedding photos, the creative couple hired a horse and carriage to come and pick them up at their home and wisk them away to the celebration at the Hobart Elks Lodge.

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The Marquette Park Pavilion has been getting remodeled for the past two years and is now booking weddings and events for 2013. I'm not affiliated with them at all, but have grown fond of the all in one wedding venue and as a Northwest Indiana wedding photographer, have shot their many times in the past - both in and around the building for weddings, events and high school senior and family photographs.

There is a lagoon in the back of the landmark building that is very picturesque and tropical in look. Perfect for Greg and Kari to take a romantic stroll...

We used the bridge that goes over the lagoon and is a path to the Indiana Dunes beach for many of our scenic wedding photos. This image of the groom admiring his bride from a distance is one of my favorites of the many images that we took.

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We used the nearby beach, as it is in within walking distance, for more couple's shots as well as this Reservoir Dogs tribute with the groomsmen waling toward the camera.

For family portraits we went back to the couple's home and simply used the wonderful scenery around their wooded community just off of I-65. Their two daughters, Karly and Riley could not have been better subjects for the camera - incredibly polite and of course, photogenic as all get out.

While strolling around their immediate neighborhood, we came across an old swingset and captured one of my favorite family photographs that I've ever taken. The couple and their two daughters were up to try anything and together we came up with some unique wedding photographs.

Oh, there are a couple of extended members of the family I forgot to mention - their 1999 black Transam...

.... and the family dog!!

The can't be anything more romantic than the bride and groom in a horse and carriage. While I took these in color, they just begged to have a more vintage look about them.

We went from romantic to adorably cute with the whole family on board and about to ride over the I-65 overpass toward the Hobart Elks Lodge for their reception, complete with a live band for entertainment.

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With the Just Married sign attached to the rear of the carriage, Greg and Kari + Family were sure to turn heads of the passing cars.

I want to compliment these folks on the creativity for their wedding day. It was great fun to photograph their romantic wedding at Marquette Park Pavilion, their lovely home and the celebration in Hobart.

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

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