Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

Some weddings just work so well as album designs, and Rebecca and Aaron’s Countryside Barn Venue wedding album was definitely one of those. The earthy tones of the brown aviator leather spine and oatmeal linen bag perfectly complemented the rustic vibe of their barn wedding. They went with a 20 page Modern+ album featuring highlights from throughout the wedding day at the Countryside Barn Venue. They let me choose the photos for their design, which always gives me a good feel of the challenge couples go through making those decisions. It’s very hard to narrow photos down!

Jillian and Keith held a Galt Museum evening wedding on what turned out to be an almost spring-like winter day. Jillian rocked a vintage movie star look while Keith let his personality out with a plaid suit and red shoes. The marriage represented the official joining of their families, so it was only fitting that their kids were the wedding party!

After a first look at their home and a couple portraits with their dogs, we took everyone to the coulees near their home to make use of the view in golden hour. Next we headed to The Galt Museum to get portraits around the museum’s architecture before their ceremony.

Their night time ceremony and reception was a beautiful tribute to the life they are building together and they were surrounded by the people who are most special to them.

Congratulations, Jillian and Keith!

I always love when a couple will do what it takes to get the shot, even when we can see our breath! Tracey and Mark fell in love with the architecture of the Norland as soon as they saw it, so it was an important focus point for their photos. After their private ceremony, I met their family at the venue to start their Norland Estate evening wedding portraits.

Their union was a celebration of their families coming together, so they had all of their children stand in as the wedding party and focused on the kids as much as themselves when it came time for photos.

Congratulations, Tracey & Mark!

Jacqueline and Matthew’s Galt Museum late autumn wedding couldn’t have fallen on a better year. The gorgeous fall we had meant they still had fall colours and (sort of) warm temperatures for their wedding day. They chose the exact date of their 10th anniversary to get married since the date was already so special to them. The couple went with a starry night theme with blues and purples, which looked beautiful with the autumn colours.

Their ceremony involved lightsabers and such a huge reaction from Matthew when he saw Jacqueline enter the aisle. So many family members couldn’t stop their happy tears, including Matthew’s grandma who I overheard several times exclaiming, “It’s just so beautiful!” Matthew’s sister performed the ceremony (and managed to just barely make it through without crying too much). Jacqueline has younger siblings so she was able to include them in the wedding party as an older flower girl and ring bearer, matching in the wedding colours. All siblings were included somehow in the ceremony!

Partway through photos, we had their dog Fenrir specially escorted to us. He was so excited to see them that we could hardly get him to sit still! Basically he had an even bigger reaction during his first look with Jacqueline than Matthew did ;)

Congratulations, Jacqueline & Matthew!

Alice and Aaron started their laidback day with Henderson Lake autumn wedding photos and a first look at the park. Aaron arrived in an orange Corvette belonging to Alice’s parents (which he drove very, very carefully) – a perfectly coloured car for a fall wedding!

This was my third time working with Alice’s extended family this year and I’m so honoured they have made me a part of their important moments like this. We had so much fun with this couple who kept us laughing the whole time! Within an hour we managed to crash a medieval club, almost cause a car accident (not our fault!), and witness a new record of tongues sticking out in family photos.

After photos were finished, they had their intimate ceremony in Firestone Restaurant‘s private room. It was the perfect size for their guests and a perfect match for the warm fall vibes of the day.

Congratulations, Alice & Aaron!

Sacha and Daniel considered getting married in the mountains, but opted to have a Vulcan backyard wedding ceremony to make sure all of their loved ones could be there. As a compromise, they brought the mountains to them! They had a large image of a mountainscape behind them during their ceremony, and the mountain theme carried through details in their cake and rings.

Their wedding day fell on their 10 year anniversary, making it an even bigger celebration. I had been looking forward to this wedding so much because I’ve been photographing their family since nearly the beginning of their relationship! With it being on September 30, incorporating orange into their wedding allowed them to honour National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and have many of the guests wearing orange shirts.

The day was a beautiful combination of autumn colours, their favourite interests, and the importance of their family, all with the intimacy that was a perfect fit in their small town.

Congratulations, Sacha and Daniel!