Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

When Andrea and Jason planned their Bayshore Inn wedding elopement, it was important that their families be the main focus. Both were bringing their amazing daughters into this new family and they played an important part in the ceremony. Andrea and Jason each read special vows to their new daughters, and the girls then did a necklace ceremony for each other as a joining of new sisters. There was not a dry eye through the ceremony, with Jason’s parents and sister hugging the girls for comfort in this overwhelmingly happy event.

Rain did not damper anyone spirits, and the staff at the Bayshore graciously let us use their indoor space while we waited for the downpour to end. Everything cleared just in time for the outdoor wedding ceremony, with kisses of sunlight right as Andrea and Jason shared their first married kiss! Everyone shared a toast on the Bayshore Chophouse’s patio before we headed over for a few last photos at Cameron Falls.

Congratulations, Andrea and Jason!

I knew when Deandra excitedly started her early wedding planning that not a detail would be missed. Her and Phil’s elegant Bayshore Inn wedding did not disappoint! The beautiful touches of soft pink throughout the decor and wardrobe created a luxurious feel while the natural elements like pine cones and baby’s breath tied everything back into the mountain scenery.

Phil knew right from the start that Deandra was the woman he wanted to marry. It showed every time he looked at her and a smile instantly came across his face. Deandra took Phil’s breath away as her brothers walked her down the aisle. Deandra had the biggest smile come over her as she peeked around the corner of the aisle to catch her first glimpse of Phil.

Their dog Meeka was quite the show stealer throughout the day, joyfully rolling in the grass and getting pets from anyone who crossed paths with her. When Deandra and her bridesmaids first saw Meeka out with the groomsmen at the Bayshore, the room quickly turned into a chorus of, “Aww, Meeka!” from everyone there. Meeka was so chill about the event and probably thought the day was just for her.

Congratulations, Deandra and Phil!

What makes a couple decide to get in their car and drive all the way from Nebraska to have a Waterton wedding elopement? Aside from the views (they tell me their area of Nebraska is pretty boring), Catherine’s best friend was getting married in Canmore the week before. Her and Griffin figured why not get married while they were in the area?

After her friend’s wedding, they continued their roadtrip to Waterton where they got married at the Prince of Wales Hotel. They didn’t quite have the cliff behind the hotel to themselves, but with their wedding taking place on a Monday it was pretty close. As they shared their first kiss, a nearby child exclaimed, “They’re kissing!”

As we went around Waterton for their wedding photos, they got more and more casual and made their wedding day so much fun. This meant lots of Griffin piggybacking Catherine and scooping her up for kisses. Could they be more adorable? By the end, no one was wearing shoes, not even Griffin!

Congratulations, Catherine & Griffin!

I did a little jump for joy when Kendal and Mike first contacted me and let me know they were having a Harry Potter themed wedding in Waterton this summer. I was excited to see what they came up with, and they did not disappoint with their attention to detail. On the surface everything had a classic, romantic look with Harry Potterisms sprinkled throughout. Each bridesmaid had a bouquet in her own house colours. Their reception decorations were beautifully detailed, and the official soundtrack from the movies filled the room during dinner. We even worked a little magic casting into their wedding portraits. ;)

It came as no surprise then that Kendal, Mike, and their friends were going to be a fun group of people to hang out with! They have such a supportive group of people around them, lightening the mood whenever emotions became too overwhelming and being silly at all the right times (are there many wrong times for that, though?).

Kendal and Mike chose a wedding date of great importance to them. It was the anniversary of their first date as well as when Mike proposed. This meant having their wedding on a weekday for a much less busy Waterton! It gave them a little added privacy to get lost in each other.

Congratulations, Kendal & Mike!

Isabelle and Andrew love the serene beauty of Waterton Lakes National Park and knew there was no other place they could have their wedding. They chose to have their Waterton Catholic wedding ceremony at the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and then explore the park for portraits until their reception.

This time of year means lots of rain, but the rain didn’t slow us down at all! Their siblings tagged along during portraits and very graciously chased the couple with umbrellas in between photos. Isabelle chose a perfect hairstyle with a pretty fishtail braid which completely hid any effects of the rain on her hair. Luckily for us, the Prince of Wales Hotel had opened for the season the day before, so we were able to hide inside for portraits while the worst of the rain came down. And best of all, Isabelle and Andrew were carried through the day with so much intense joy that they hardly noticed the weather!

The most memorable part of their wedding day was how contagious their happiness was. Andrew’s nervous anticipation grins quickly turned to genuine smiles once he saw Isabelle walk into the church. I tried to get Isabelle to be straight-faced for a few photos and it was a struggle for her. She was just too happy! Even through their ceremony, they could not stop looking at each other and breaking out into giggles.

Congratulations, Isabelle and Andrew!

Kord contacted me to do surprise Waterton winter anniversary photos for himself and his girlfriend Jenny on their third anniversary. What a fun gift idea! Jenny was so happy with this perfect gift that she had a lot of trouble putting away her smile. Whenever I’d ask her to be serious for a photo, she would try then exclaim, “I can’t, I’m having too much fun!” (Good thing I’m fast… I got a few serious ones in there!).

This was a rare year that Waterton hasn’t yet experienced its snowpocalypse. We were very flexible in where we could do photos and even had trouble finding snow in a few places! The usual Waterton wind made things a little difficult on the cliffs and shoreline (as in I could barely stand up). On the plus side, we missed the hurricane force winds a few days later and the ridiculousness of the wind made Kord and Jenny laugh even harder as they tried to casually pose in it!

They are such a cute couple and I had a blast exploring Waterton with them. I wish them many more anniversaries!

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