Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

I was pretty sad to learn that one of my favourite Lethbridge families was moving to Calgary. However, things still managed to align during their first year in their new home and we were able to schedule a session while I was passing through the city! Melissa suggested Fish Creek Park as a potential location and I got to work researching what would be the best spot in this large nature reserve. Once I found the beautiful forest backgrounds, I knew we had to do Shannon Terrace family photos!

This part of the park looks like a forest in the mountains. I was shocked that this existed right in Calgary. Everywhere we wandered we found huge trees, views of the creek, and fun fallen logs to climb on. The kids may be hitting age ranges where they have more disagreements with their siblings than affection, but they could all agree that the exploring was still fun to do together :)

When Daenerys arrived, her parents debated between bringing her to their hometown of Lethbridge for a photo session or staying at their new home together in Calgary. I’m so glad they chose the latter for her St. Patrick’s Island newborn photos because it was gorgeous there!

The park is conveniently next door to their neighbourhood of Inglewood. It wasn’t too busy when we went out, but it was a lovely warm day (perfect for diaper shots) with lots of lush greenery.

Daenerys loved going on the stroller ride to her photo spot. Any time she fussed, a quick bounce with her parents was all the movement she needed to calm down. She stayed awake for most of the newborn session so she could fully enjoy all the cuddles she received, but once we set off in the stroller again, she was quickly asleep!

2019 was a busy one for us with Cam and I travelling all over the province! We got to take photos in some fun new places this year, including Heritage Acres and Boulder Run in Pincher Creek, the town of De Winton, and the rooftop patio of the Helen Schuler Nature Centre. Waterton was a very popular destination this year and we spent so much time there, I considered setting up a tent!

The winter weddings started in September with our first huge snowfall of the season, giving their Brazilian guests a real taste of Canada.

Animals stole the show many times this year. One couple was stalked by a cat, another bride included her pet cow in photos, and so many dogs got to witness their people get married.

From a red wedding dress to Harry Potter magic to alleyway beer shotgunning, 2019 was an unforgettable year.

I hope you enjoy looking through our best wedding photos of 2019 as much as I liked choosing them!

Lisa and Skylar had a romantic and festive Lougheed House evening wedding in Calgary. The Christmas decor of the Lougheed House matched their red colour scheme and Lisa’s gorgeous red wedding dress. With the historic site already being decorated for the holidays, no extra decorating was needed for their wedding!

The wedding festivities began just after dusk with their ceremony. Their 14 year relationship in no way diminished their passion for each other, judging by their reactions! Skylar started loudly sobbing when he saw Lisa walk down the aisle, which resulted in her sobbing, and I almost joined them it was so intense! The crying soon turned to laughter as Lisa’s brother David performed the hilarious first part of the ceremony. Not only was it the funniest wedding ceremony I have ever attended, but it definitely hit a record for the most swearing during a ceremony!

After a quick toast to their guests, we explored the house with Lisa and Skylar for their photos. Luckily the weather was just warm enough to get a few photos with the beautiful exterior of the historic house.

We finished off the evening with their over the top family speeches which had everyone in tears of laughter, followed by some equally hilarious dance moves for the first dances. Lisa, Skylar, and their families fully embrace their humour and wackiness and it made for such a joyful wedding!

Congratulations, Lisa and Skylar!

Josh and Roxy are high school sweethearts who understand the value of patience. Once they finished university, moved apart and then back together again, and got a house, they decided it was time to take the next step and get married! They planned a laid back De Winton Community Hall wedding with beer coolers and lawn games to keep their guests entertained.

After their outdoor ceremony and some hiding indoors from a thunder shower, we explored the town of De Winton for some major rustic feeling. From grain elevators to canola fields, Roxy and Josh had a country wedding with the Calgary skyline visible in the background. With a handful of siblings in the wedding party to keep teasing them and some long time friends to keep them laughing, Roxy and Josh had the party vibe of the day follow them everywhere they went.

Roxy first came into my life when I photographed her best friend’s wedding six years ago. Their group of friends has been tightly knit since college so there were a lot of familiar faces from the last wedding, with one notable exception! The absence of the maid of honour on Roxy’s wedding day was bittersweet. While she missed her bestie’s wedding day, it was because she went into labour the night before! The wedding day was full of gossip among the guests… “Did the baby arrive yet?” Luckily Roxy came prepared with two best friends assigned to that role and her man of honour did a fantastic job filling both roles (including standing in the rain holding an umbrella over the bride).

Congratulations, Roxy and Josh!

It’s never too late to get an album! Edina had planned on creating her own, but a few years (and kids) later, she passed the torch back to me to help her out. I had to go back in the archives a bit to create Edina and Eric’s Calgary Lougheed House wedding album and loved revisiting this beautiful wedding. This is still one of my favorite winter weddings to date!

Edina and Eric chose some of the more dramatic black and white images that were taken inside the historic Lougheed House. These made for gorgeous large featured images.

This is an example of the Modern+ Wedding Album with a charcoal leather spine.

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