Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

Michaela and Jason are just the sweetest people so I was not surprised by the amount of happy tears throughout their Galt Museum spring wedding. Michaela started off the day by making everyone cry with their first looks. After her bridesmaids tried not to ruin their fresh makeup, Michaela and her mom met with her dad for an emotional first look in the atrium at the Sandman Signature. Next it was on to Jason seeing her walk down the aisle, but they managed to hold it together a little better and trade the tears for big laughter :)

I’m always amazed at how you can reconnect with people after so many years (which is especially easy in Lethbridge where everyone knows each other!). Back at the beginning of my photography journey, Jason was one of the local musicians I met when I was photographing live shows. I was so excited when after all these years he reached out to me to photograph his wedding to Michaela! And since Lethbridge is like this, Cam was surprised to find he knew one of the groomsmen from high school!

Congratulations, Michaela and Jason!

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!

Ashley and Stefan’s wedding may have set a new record for the amount of people crying at a wedding. I love all that emotion! Their Galt Museum ceremony and reception took place at the end of summer, where they travelled back to their hometown area of Lethbridge to be closer to family. This also meant access to gorgeous classic cars, and a stylized rental home for getting ready in!

It was such a pleasure to work with this family again. Although it was my first time meeting Ashley’s family, it was obvious why they are such a good fit with Stefan’s. Both families are so kind and welcoming, and also ready to break out into side splitting laughter. While listening to stories from early in Ashley and Stefan’s relationship, it was clear the couple prioritizes each other and knew what a perfect match they were right from the beginning. (Plus bonus points that they met how Cam and I met!)

Congratulations, Ashley and Stefan!

Prescilla and Dane planned their entire Payne Lake summer wedding so that they could enjoy the beautiful views outside of Waterton Park all day. They rented a property along the lake so that they could have everything in one place! After getting ready at the house, they had their ceremony at the lakeside with a tented outdoor reception right next to it. It’s so beautiful there that we didn’t even need to leave for photos in another location!

Their son Levi played an important part in the day, standing in the wedding party with Dane. We made sure he was included in a bunch of their portraits, and I only made him hold his mom’s hand a couple times! They are already established as a family, and this wedding was just to officially celebrate that.

The entire day was full of laughter and many failed attempts to keep things PG. Their dogs partied harder than all of the other guests combined and were passed out before the reception even started.

Congratulations, Prescilla and Dane!

Rebecca and Aaron’s Countryside Barn summer wedding was a family-focused event that included their children at the forefront and incorporated many of Aaron’s family’s cultural traditions. They chose their date to coincide with Rebecca’s parents’ anniversary and several family members’ birthdays, so as they carried the date through COVID delays, their final date ended up on a Monday.

Not a single attention to detail was overlooked. (Not surprising when they are teachers!) Their navy and gold colour scheme continued through every detail, even the flowers, and they ensured their guests had tons of activities to keep them entertained. The most central feature was the teepee, which was the most popular (especially with the kids!).

Even though they had a few stressful starts to the day, they were so laid back and able to ride the flow of the day and enjoy themselves. This was my first time doing a wedding at Countryside Barn Venue, and it couldn’t have been for a better couple :)

Congratulations, Rebecca and Aaron!

For their wedding, Pamela and Gary chose the mountainscapes of Waterton for the awe they inspire and how that relates back to how they feel about each other. Most of their Waterton Community Centre summer wedding was spent outdoors to take in the scenery. We did an incredible job avoiding the crowds on the Canada Day long weekend in Waterton! Not only did we manage to get romantic photos without too many people in the background, but we strategically found parking everywhere we went (the biggest challenge we faced that day).

Gary and Pamela’s daughter Rosie stole the show many times throughout their wedding day, which was only fitting when she is so central in their life together. It was a long day for a two year old, but she stayed awake for the whole day to enjoy every minute with their family members visiting from far away.

We took the couple away from their family for a bit to get some photos with mountain vistas, and were happy to discover the wild flowers were still in bloom. Even better, they matched the wedding colours!

Congratulations, Pamela and Gary!