Winter Wedding At Cloister In The Woods

December 20, 2016 Steve Vansak

Bride and groom at Lake County Fairgrounds among snow covered trees.

Matt and Mallory, aka Lord and Lady Seip had a true winter wedding with snow on the ground for their first look at Lake County Fairgrounds. Harry Potter sorcery and some Game of Thrones decor also took its place among Christmas lights at Free Spirit Church as well as the reception at Cloister in the Woods.

Our day started at Mallory's parents' home where I found spirits flowing along with flowers made from an actual Harry Potter novel. We had a fun first look with the bridesmaids and we were off to the old covered bridge at Lake County Fairgrounds.

Bridal prep for a winter wedding during the Christmas season.

Second photographer Kerrie covered the guys prep at House Lannister which consisted of securing the bowties, drinking beer and admiring the leg lamp from A Christmas Story. Soon these groomsmen would be abandoned at the snowy bridge as the limo went to pick up the bridesmaids.

Groomsmen wedding prep at House Lannister.

I had Matt in the center of the old covered bridge at Lake County Fairgrounds as Mallory made her way down through the snow and ice toward him. Lord Seip slowly turned around and embraced Lady Mallory. It was a wonderful moment...

First look for the bride and groom on a snowy day in December at Lake County Fairgrounds.

I have to admit, Mallory was handling the cold a lot better than I was as my fingers went numb during some of the outdoor portraits!! The snow looked gorgeous clinging to the tall trees of the fairgrounds though. The bridesmaids did a great job too, battling the elements as they all took a stroll down the icy paths of the wooded area.

Winter portraits of the bride and groom.

The bride and her bridesmaids take a walk in the snow filled woods of Lake County Fairgrounds.

I'm unsure if the groomsmen were warming up the bride or if she was doing that for them! The bridesmaids all brought along signs that declared their relationship with Mallory - fun stuff. A few more snow filled winter wedding photos and soon we were off to Free Spirit Church for the ceremony.

Wedding party fun at the Lake County Fairgrounds.

I kept hearing reports from guests arriving to the church that the weather had taken a turn for the worst. Soon we would find out as we stopped by the Crown Point Square after the ceremony. For the moment though, we were nice and toasty as Lord and Lady Seip said "I Do".

December wedding ceremony at Free Spirit Church in Crown Point, Indiana.

After family photos, we made a quick stop to downtown Crown Point for bride and groom pictures and then made our way to Cloister In The Woods in Munster. We stopped by the courtyard there for some images while second photographer Kerrie photographed the Harry Potter themed decor.

Snow fills the air as the bride and groom walk back to their limo in downtown Crown Point.

Alone time for the bride and groom in the courtyard at Cloister In The Woods.

A saber dual broke out during introductions as a bit of Star Wars made it's way into the Harry Potter and Game of Thrones mix.

Harry Potter wedding reception decorations.

This was a dancing crowd for sure and they filled the floor after Matt and Mallory's first dance. No one cared about the ice and snow as they danced the night away in celebration!!

First dance at Cloister In The Woods in Munster, Indiana.

I sure hope your holiday is a wonderful one!! Be sure to fill out the Contact Form to inquire about your big day whether it be Spring, Summer, Fall or Winter!! :)

Valentine Wedding In Downtown Crown Point

February 15, 2016 Steve Vansak

Bride and groom kiss at the Old Crown Point Courthouse on Valentine's Day weekend.

Marissa and Dennis were married on Valentine's Day weekend in Crown Point, Indiana. The day was filled with red and white and hearts galore. We started out at the bride's parent's home with everyone in great spirits. Even Dad paid the girls a visit as they took over his man cave with hair products and make up. Second photographer Kerrie captured the guys at the ceremony site getting dressed while I captured the women at the house.

Bridal prep during Valentine's Day weekend.

Free Spirit Church is a few blocks from the downtown Crown Point Square. Friends and family filled the church as Reverend Doug calmed the bride and groom's nerves with laughter as he pronounced them man and wife.

After family photos in the church, we all bravely headed to the Square for outdoor photos. Let's just say, it was a wee bit cold!! Marissa and Dennis were great as was the entire wedding party. Their cheeks might have been a little rosy, but they looked good with the Old Courthouse as a backdrop.

Winter wedding photos in downtown Crown Point.

Our next stop was the warm confines of the banquet halls at Woodland Park in Portage, Indiana. The room was a Valentine red and had an endless candy buffet. A balloon sculptor was on hand for the kids and they clutched onto their new toys as they watched the bride and groom during their first dance.

Valentine wedding reception at Woodland Park in Portage, Indiana.

The bride and groom share it kiss during their wedding reception at Woodland Park.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Marissa and Dennis' Valentine wedding. Stay tuned here and on social media for more images.

Winter Wedding At Meyer's Castle

January 18, 2016 Steve Vansak

Bride and groom in the Meyer's Castle lounge.

The first winter wedding of 2016 was a wonderful affair at Meyer's Castle in Dyer, Indiana with Mandeep and Lisa. It was an Indian-American wedding that even featured two wedding dresses!! The day started out in the bridal suite in the northern quarter of the castle. Lisa was there with her maid of honor and her daughter, the flower girl. The groom checked in via cell phone and the mother of the bride laughed it up with the flower girl.

Getting ready inside the bridal suite at Meyer's Castle.

Lisa braved the cold as we went outside to take her bridal portraits. I promised to moved quick and get her back inside where it was warm. However, we had to take a few images around the sprawling grounds of the fabled castle. It was a must!! :)

The bride takes a walk around the grounds of Meyer's Castle on her wedding day.

The bride shows off her dress on the patio terrace of Meyer's Castle.

As evening approached guests began arriving for the ceremony inside the East Canopy of the castle. The sun that shined brightly onto the storied building soon faded and it was time for Mandeep and Lisa to say "I do".

An indoor wedding ceremony at Meyer's Castle.

The newly married couple exit the wedding ceremony at Meyer's Castle.

It was now fully dark out and the cocktail hour was under way. I escorted the happy couple around the darkened grounds for some night time wedding photos as well as portraits in the lounge area, including the fabled fireplace.

Wedding photos in and around Meyer's Castle in Dyer, Indiana.

The bride and groom lounge near the fireplace inside Meyer's Castle.

The reception saw a mix of American and Indian dance music and families from each side were grinning from ear to ear. At this point, Lisa changed into her Indian wedding dress and wowed the crowd as she made her way onto the dance floor.

Reception photos of an Indian-American wedding.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at this winter wedding at Meyer's Castle. For more images and stories, stay tuned and subscribe to this page and visit the social media channels below. Wedding Season 2016 has officially begun!!

First dance for the bride and groom at Meyer's Castle in Dyer, Indiana.

Wedding at County Line Orchard

November 26, 2013 Steve Vansak

The bride and grooms names are cast as a lighted monogram on the dance floor at a wedding reception at County Line Orchard.

If you are looking for a rustic, country tinged feel for your wedding, look no further than County Line Orchard in Hobart, Indiana. This was the perfect venue to showcase Todd and Cassie's outdoor lifestyles. He is a hunter and fisherman and I can just picture Cassie and her adorable daughter Chloe strolling through the apple fields during the Fall season. Their November wedding ceremony and reception took place inside the iconic Northwest Indiana wedding venue.

We started our day with hair and make up at Portage salon Hair Express where I entered the room to lots of smiles and laughter.

The bride smiles as she looks over her hair while getting ready for her wedding.

The sister of the bride smiles as she watches her sibling get her hair and makeup done.

Make up artist Carrie from Sta Glam took care of beauty while I chatted with Cassie's girls about the big day. I even had several customers in the salon ask me to take their before and after photographs. No problem, but let me finish up this wedding here first!! :)

A make up artist from Sta-glam applies make up to the bride.

Eye make up gets applied to the bride at a salon in Portage.

The bride's wedding ring is displayed in this getting ready close up photo.

Before I left to take detail shots at the Orchard, I gathered this fun bunch for a group hug photo.

Bridesmaids gather around the bride for a group hug on her big day.

I definitely wanted to capture the rustic glory that is County Line Orchard and one of the first things my assistant and I did was display the bride's dress in the bridal suite loft that overlooked the main floor where the ceremony and reception would be held.

The wedding dress hangs in front of the window inside the silo bridal suite at County Line Orchard.

The structure there is just beautiful and I couldn't resist having our lovely bride underneath the lights in the suite. Cassie's flowers had not arrived yet, so we went for sexy, sassy bride photographs until we could put a bouquet of flowers in her hands.

The bride stands beneath a lighted chandelier inside the bridal suite at County Line Orchard in Hobart, Indiana.

The staircase on the big barn's main floor seemed like the perfect place to once again show our lovely bride against the rustic surroundings. Soon she would be walking down these very stairs to greet friends, family and her new husband.

A bride stands alone on the staircase at County Line Orchard.

I met Cassie and Todd at the venue earlier in the year and we agreed that the silo in the back part of the building would be a perfect spot for a first look. Keep in mind that the temperature was 21 degrees with gusty winds on wedding day. I was told that Todd loves the cold, but I don't think Cassie does and I sure don't. Nonetheless, we toughed it out. Of course, I had a coat to wear and not a strapless wedding dress!! I can't say enough about this couple that they were willing to go along with my craziness and take these shots. We eventually pulled the wedding party out for a few as well.

A bride and groom take their first look underneath the silo at County Line Orchard.

The bride and groom see each other for the first time outside County Line Orchard in Hobart, Indiana.

We strolled out to the apple fields for some couple's shots right after the first look...

The bride and groom share a kiss amidst the Fall color of the apple fields at County Line Orchard.

After family photos were done, it was ceremony time where friends and family saw the bride in her dress for the first time.

The bride is escorted down the rustic stair case by her brother during her winter wedding.

The loft at the Orchard gave me a nice bird's eye view of the ceremony and another great opportunity to show off the wonderful venue.

A wedding ceremony photo taken from the balcony of the barn at County Line Orchard.

The couple's daughter was the flower girl and she loved the attention as she got wheeled in atop a wagon...

The flower girl enjoys the attention as she rides in via a red wagon.

A couple exchanges vows during a wedding ceremony at County Line Orchard.

The reception decorations continued the outdoor theme of the wedding and Todd's love of hunting and fishing.

Hunting and fishing themed wedding decorations.

The bride's dance with her father was very touching as friends and family looked on...

The bride dances with her father at a rustic barn wedding reception.

If I found Cassie to be a bit nervous during the Getting Ready part of the day (I did, it's okay - it's normal), all that was gone for bridal party introductions at the reception. Now it was time to let loose and have fun...

The bride and groom get introuduced at their wedding reception at the rustic looking apple orchard.

A bridesmaid raiser her glass in celebration of the bride and groom.

The bride and groom are the center of attention during their first dance at County Line Orchard.

I'm not afraid to get out on the dance floor with the guests. In this photo, one of the bridesmaids offers to clean my camera lens...

Girls have fun on the dance floor at a wedding reception in Hobart, Indiana.

This was a cool, unique way of tossing the bouquet and garter. I shot this super wide to capture all of the raised hands and the flying bouquet.

A crowd of women await on the dance floor as the bride tosses her bouquet from the balcony.

It's going to be a while yet before Chloe is eligible to catch the bouquet, so for now it's just photo booth fun with mom inside the Memories in Minutes Booth.

Mom and daughter enjoy the Memories in Minutes Photo booth.

DJ Keith from Hired Powered Entertainment had the wobble going at full volume as the reception celebration carried on into the night...

Guests dance the wobble at a Northwest Indiana wedding reception.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek at Cassie and Todd's wedding at County Line Orchard in Hobart, Indiana. For more updates, stay tuned here and give a like to the Region Weddings Facebook Page.