Allure on the Lake Wedding in Chesterton, Indiana | Mr. & Mrs. Clark

What was Megan Mussche and Noah Clark’s Allure on the Lake wedding like? Well, I think guests would agree that Megan and Noah’s celebration was as if the classiest Hallmark Christmas movie wedding came to life! 

I mean, between the lovely venue, gorgeous florals, packed dance floor, candy cane favors, a timeline that went exactly according to plan, and just who Megan and Noah are as people, the Clark’s Christmas wedding was flawless in every way. 

Personally, I cannot imagine a better way to wrap up the 2022 VRP wedding season. But, more importantly, Noah and Megan couldn’t have planned a better way to celebrate becoming husband and wife. And, now, I’m both excited and honored to share Mr. and Mrs. Clark’s winter Allure on the Lake wedding in Chesterton, Indiana on the blog!

Mr. & Mrs. Clark became husband & wife with a winter Allure on the Lake wedding in Chesterton, Indiana. 

While she’s a few years younger than I am, Megan and I went to the same high school, and I’ve had the pleasure of having Megan in front of the camera for family, graduation, and her brother’s wedding photos. As a result, I’ve known Megan for years, and I know how highly organized and detail oriented this VRP bride is. With that being said, I shouldn’t have been surprised that every aspect of Megan and Noah’s big day was utterly flawless! 

Noah and Megan’s winter wedding day began with Megan and her girls having their hair and makeup done in The Allure’s beautiful bridal suite. (Side note: The Allure on the Lake has a gorgeous bridal suite in a building that’s detached from the main building. This made keeping Noah and Megan apart in the morning easy and gave the girls a cozy place to get ready and relax, in matching PJs of course!)

Once hair and makeup were complete and all of Megan and Noah’s lovely details had been photographed, it was time for Megan’s getting ready photos. Megan and her girls started these photos with the cutest set of matching PJs. I mean, they matched all the way down to their socks, which is how on top of life Megan is! 

Wondering what details you should have your photographer photograph? Get the list I share with VRP brides!

Then, it was time for Megan—who has the most classic, elegant style—to put on her wedding dress with her mama’s help. And, just wait until you see these photos! I mean, not only does Megan look stunning, but you can just tell by the look on Joy’s (Megan’s mom’s) face that Joy is so proud of the woman Megan has become. 

After Megan was ready and bridal portraits were taken, Megan shared first looks with both her bridesmaids and her dad in The Allure’s bridal suite. And, I’ll just let the photos speak for themselves. Megan is such a wonderful friend, daughter, sister, and person, and it was amazing to see her surrounded by so much love from her friends and family. She deserved nothing less. 

Megan got to take a bit of a break from wedding photos after these first looks, and Megan Kendall (my second shooter) and I went into The Allure’s main building to meet up with Noah, his parents, and his groomsmen for Noah’s getting ready photos. And, guys, this group was such a good time! They had Megan Kendall and I laughing all day long!

Now, I feel like many wedding photographers fly through the groom’s getting ready photos, but these images are just as important as the bride’s. And, I don’t want to speak too soon, but when you scroll and see the sweet photos with Noah and his parents, you’ll understand exactly what I mean! 

After Noah and Megan were both ready, it was time for their first look. While this darling VRP bride and groom were prepared to be chilly for outdoor photos, the incredible natural light in The Allure’s ballroom made it possible for Noah and Megan’s first look and private vow reading to happen indoors—where Noah and Megan could be warm and still have this special moment captured well thanks to great natural light. 

On the fence about doing a first look? Here are 5 reasons to consider a first look on your wedding day!

Following their oh-so sweet first look, Megan Kendall and I took this classic VRP bride and groom (Seriously. Their wedding photos are never going to go out of style thanks to the truly timeless attire choices Megan and Noah made!) outside to The Allure’s patio for more portraits. Then, after popping back inside for a few minutes to warm up and grab some shots in front of Megan and Noah’s gorgeous floral altar installation (Sugarfield Flowers outdid themselves on every aspect of the florals!), it was time for bridal party photos. 

Now, I have to say that The Allure is truly a wonderful wedding venue in Chesterton, Indiana. And, while it’s great for all seasons, I think it’s safe to say that Noah, Megan, and their bridal party particularly appreciated the fact that this beautiful venue had easy access to outdoor photo spots. Essentially, because there are doors directly to the back patio, Megan, Noah, and their bridal party were able to take turns popping outside for photos and then going back inside The Allure to warm up. For winter wedding photos, it truly doesn’t get any better than that!

After bridal party photos, it was time for the most important part of this epic day: Noah and Megan’s ceremony. It was a beautiful ceremony—which I’ll share more about below. But, for now, just know that it was Christ-centered and beautifully intentional. 

Now, when we designed Megan and Noah’s timeline, Megan and I designed it so that she and Noah could take sunset photos immediately after their ceremony. With their ceremony ending at 4:00 pm CT and the sun setting at 4:19 pm, this gave us just enough time to get Noah and Megan outside for some oh-so-sweet just married photos. I mean, just wait until you see how elated these two were to be married! 

Following these bride and groom photos, we went back inside to take family photos. And, while we’re on the subject, I want to give big shoutouts to both the Mussches and the Clarks. Megan and Noah’s parents and siblings were just so kind, wonderful, and helpful all day long, and it was such a pleasure for me to get to see the Mussches again and to get to know the Clarks. 

Wondering who should be included in family photos on your wedding day? Find a sample family photo shot list here!

After family photos, it was time to party! And, party is exactly what Megan, Noah, and their guests did! I mean, between the hype men that make up Arrested Sounds and how excited Megan and Noah’s loved ones clearly were for these newlyweds, the dance floor was packed ALL night long. 

Now, if you want to know what my favorite part of the reception was, it would definitely have to be when Noah got in the middle of the dance circle and just killed it. I mean, you’ll see what I mean. There are photos below!

Noah & Megan used their wedding day to share their faith. 

For so many reasons, Noah and Megan’s wedding day was wonderful. But, we cannot possibly wrap up this blog post without mentioning what I feel many of Noah and Megan’s guests would agree was the most beautiful part of Noah and Megan’s wedding day. And, that is how Noah and Megan used their wedding day to:

1. Not only commit their lives to one another but also to commit their marriage to God
2. Share the Gospel with their loved ones

If you know Noah and Megan, you know how important their faith is to both of them. You can see this in the conversations they openly have, the way they treat others, and the way they treat one another. 

Noah and Megan value their faith above all else, and as a result, their relationship has been built upon their faith, and they wanted to use their ceremony as an opportunity to share the Gospel with all of those present. Now, all wedding ceremonies are beautiful, but I think Megan and Noah’s guests would agree that Megan and Noah’s intentionality made their ceremony and Allure on the Lake wedding especially lovely and meaningful. 

Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Clark!

Noah and Megan, it’s been a few days now, but I still cannot believe how perfect your winter wedding was! I mean, every detail was so thoughtful, but more importantly, the two of you clearly entered into marriage with the utmost intentionality. It was such an honor to be your wedding photographer. Thank you for trusting Megan Kendall and I to capture your first day of marriage. 

Now, Mr. and Mrs. Clark, I know you’re in the midst of your honeymoon and then coming home just in time for your first married Christmas. But, when you have a chance to check out this post, I hope you love these previews from your winter Allure on the Lake wedding! I think Noah and Megan’s timeliness invitation suite really set the tone of their wedding day, and the clippings Sugarfield Flowers provided for us to use for detail photos were amazing. Honestly, this was one of my favorite flatlays to ever put together! Megan is so on top of things that she even had matching socks for her bridesmaids! Also, how  cute are these PJs? I’m sure all of these ladies will certainly be wearing these again! Can we talk about Megan’s boots for a second? I mean, they were so classy but also allowed Megan to have warm toes during her winter wedding! Megan is just one of the classiest women you’ll ever meet, and it was so much fun to see how her style came through with her wedding dress. I mean, with her timeless gown and updo by Modish Salon and Spa, Megan and Noah’s wedding photos will never go out of style! THIS is why groom getting ready photos are also important. Just like the bride and her parents, grooms and their parents deserve this bit of family time before the big day is in full swing! Like I mentioned above, The Allure on the Lake has wonderful natural light in their ballroom. This allowed Noah and Megan to do their first look and private vow reading indoors in beautiful light. Great light is so important for all photos but especially first look photos, because for many couples, this is one of their favorite parts of their wedding day, and this moment deserves to be captured well. I couldn’t help grabbing a quick photo with these TWO VRP brides! I’ve now had the pleasure of photographing two weddings for the Mussche family, and I’m so thankful for that. In case you’d like a little throwback, check out Chad and LauraJane Mussche’s 2020 wedding! Can we talk about Megan and Noah’s altar for a second? I mean, Sugarfield Flowers truly outdid themselves with every arrangement, but Megan and Noah’s altar was truly incredible! After Megan and Noah’s ceremony, we had just enough time to pop outside for sunset photos by the lake. Don’t Mr. and Mrs. Clark clearly look so happy to be married?! Megan, Noah, and their guests hit the dance floor hard, and like I mentioned above, a highlight of their reception was certainly getting to witness Noah break it down in the middle of the dance circle! Want to see more of Megan & Noah? Check out their engagement photos at Purdue University!

Creative Team

Venue: The Allure on the Lake

Officiant: Foster Toft

Wedding Dress Boutique: Gretchen’s Bridal Gallery

Seamstress: Sherri Bone Alterations

Hair & Makeup: Modish Salon and Spa

Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal

Tuxedos: Louie’s Tux Shop

Florist: Sugarfield Flowers

Baker: Val’s Custom Cakes

Ice Cream Bar: Valpo Velvet

DJ: Arrested Sounds

String Quartet: Silver Strings Quartet

Invitations: Minted

Rings: Stall & Kesslers

Photographer: Victoria Rayburn Photography