Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

Earlier this year I had another opportunity to second shoot for the lovely Photography by Andrea Hulst when she invited me to Henk and Melinda’s wedding. We started the morning in Picture Butte while the couple got ready at their family homes and then joined them at the Netherlands Reformed Congregation for their ceremony. We spent the rest of the afternoon doing their early spring Lethbridge wedding photography around the river bottom parks, hunting for the first signs of spring that were starting to appear.

Congratulations, Melinda and Henk!

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Mandy and Chris had an intimate Southminster United Church chapel wedding in the evening. They included so many unique touches in their ceremony. In place of a sand ceremony, they poured their favorite gummy candies together with their boys, and at the end served their guests champagne in custom flutes with a toast to their friends and family.

After the ceremony, we went out for photos with them and their boys. The boys had so much fun exploring the coulees that their clean suits didn’t stay that way for very long! All it did was add to the realism of what daily life is like ;)

Despite the smokey air, Mandy and Chris were in amazing spirits and so elated to be in each other’s company. Mandy was constantly bursting into happy laughter whenever Chris held or kissed her!

Congratulations, Mandy and Chris!

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Raylene and Mitchell chose an amazing location with their Flumerfelt Park outdoor wedding ceremony at the entrance to the Miner’s Path in Coleman. Surrounded by trees and their favorite people, they said their I do’s while constantly grinning at each other. When Raylene reached the top of the aisle, Mitchell took her hand, faced their guests, and gestured to her saying, “Wow! Am I right?”

Their ceremony location made it super easy to start photos after! We headed down the Miner’s Path with their hilarious wedding party who knew how to flawlessly switch between smiles and super serious intense model posing ;)

Next we took the couple over to Crowsnest Lake where they could have a little more romantic alone time. To finish off their day, they met back up with their friends and family for the reception at the Bamboo Bistro in Blairmore.

Congratulations, Raylene and Mitchell!

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Erik and Alena began planning their Mount Norquay Banff wedding well in advance. It was so exciting when the date finally arrived as this was our first time photographing a wedding in Banff!

The couple got ready in adjacent rooms at the Hidden Ridge Resort so we were able to easily bounce back and forth between them. While we were there they opened heart felt gifts from each other. They hadn’t even seen each other yet and the tears were starting!

Their ceremony took place outdoors at Norquay under the gorgeous mountain vistas. Everything was so beautiful there that we didn’t need to travel very far for their portraits! Wind blew smoke from the forest fires to line the mountain tops, but enough of the amazing view still peeked through the haze. The best spot to make use of this was when we rode the chairlift up to the Cliffhouse Bistro. Even with the smoke hugging the mountains, it was so scenic. While up there, Alena and Erik were serenaded by some tourists who gave their well wishes. :)

Alena and Erik are so perfect together. I loved watching the kind way they interact and the twinkling in their eyes when they look at each other. It was amazing for them to be surrounded by their dearest friends, especially since it’s all thanks to these friends that the two of them met in the first place!

Congratulations, Erik and Alena!

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After meeting in New Zealand, where Steven is originally from, he and Willianne chose Canada as the perfect place to have their wedding. The couple moved back to Alberta in the days leading up to the event and many of their friends and Steven’s family made the long trip to join them on this special day.

They began the morning with their Southminster United Church wedding ceremony. Since their wedding had hints of a country feel interspersed throughout the day, the church perfectly complemented it with its vintage wood detailing.

After a family lunch in Indian Battle Park, we set off for photos. We were lucky again to work with a couple who had such a romantic feel to their interactions and their entire day! Willianne and Steven radiate a peacefulness when they are in each other’s arms and were so sweet to watch.

Willianne chose her parents’ yard for their outdoor reception. What a gorgeous venue it made! Their beautifully landscaped yard in the country side was set up with a large decorated tent, different treat stations, and a BBQ dinner prepared on site. It was a perfect venue for mingling and laughter on such a nice summer evening.

Congratulations, Willianne and Steven!

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Nicole and Derek planned for their beautiful day to take place in Waterton, a favourite travel destination for them, with a Bayshore Inn outdoor summer wedding. Their theme of “Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars” was gorgeously put together with star decorations, motifs of constellations, and a blue colour scheme to reflect the dusk sky.

They are both so easy going and able to laugh about things that go wrong. This came in handy with some of the memories they made that day! The mere 30 minutes it rained all fell on their outdoor ceremony, but with enough umbrellas and speedy vows, they didn’t have to compromise and move the wedding indoors. Just when they thought that was enough of a challenge, Nicole angered an entire colony of ants who got trapped in the lacy layers of her dress! She rolled with it and once we teamed up to clear them out, she was happy and ready to go for photos again :)

We spent the day with them and their fun wedding party visiting Red Rock Canyon and Cameron Lake. The free Canadian parks this year meant these beautiful locations were packed with tourists, but we used photography magic the best we could to make it look like Nicole and Derek were sharing private, intimate moments without a hundred eyes watching them!

Congratulations, Nicole and Derek!

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