Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

MJ and Dan decided to get all the big things out of the way at once by having their McKillop United Church wedding at the same time they are doing a massive garage renovation! You’d never know they had so much on their plate by how happy and laid back they were throughout the wedding day. They even had the added stress of their initial ceremony location falling through, but they rolled with the situation and McKillop United wonderfully came to the rescue at the last minute.

The couple chose a classic wedding look with a monochromatic colour scheme. MJ loves bling and choose the perfect dress and shoes to show that off! We had lots of time for photos so we were able to visit both Henderson Lake and the coulees before returning to their reception at the Coast. Dan is a car guy so it was an added bonus they had extra time to cruise around in their limo!

Congratulations, MJ & Dan!

Meaghan and James made their Canadian Reformed Church winter wedding extra personal by including family members in all of the important parts of the day. James’ older brother performed their ceremony, which made it more special but also meant a few hilarious jabs at James were included. Their twin nephews did an amazing job as ring bearers, and siblings were included in their wedding party so they could spend all day together. Meaghan’s little sister may be one of the youngest maid of honours we’ve had, and she did an amazing job helping her sister!

Both of them were a little nervous excited in the morning, but that all melted away once they saw each other at the church. James absolutely lit up once Meaghan and her father came through the doors. He looked like he was fighting back exclaiming, “Wow!” out loud. :)

After weeks of little to no snow, their wedding day ended up being one of those rare days the snow came down! Meaghan and James were able to get the winter wedding they had hoped for (who would have thought February would be so warm?). Luckily the sun was also out and the bridesmaids all had shawls. We appreciate everyone freezing to get such great photos in the river bottom :)

Congratulations, Meaghan and James!

Kaylyn and Clint had to account for many changes to their St. Augustine Catholic Church wedding throughout the pandemic. After the initial postponement, they decided to go ahead even if it meant their wedding would be smaller than anticipated. They also had the added difficulty of the groom coming from the United States!

With their day getting shuffled around, they decided to do some more relaxed but posed photos at St. Augustine Catholic Church rather than photos of the ceremony. It was fantastic having full run of the church and being able to work around the beautiful light there. We even staged a few key elements of the ceremony.

We spent the rest of the morning at the Taber MD Park for portraits. The perk of doing all the photos before their ceremony meant we avoided all the afternoon heat!

Having such an intimate day meant Kaylyn and Clint got to spend so much quality time together, a luxury a lot of couples don’t get with how hectic wedding days can be. We loved spending the morning with them.

Congratulations, Kaylyn and Clint!

After a few guest list adjustments, Elsa and Larry were able to have very close to the wedding they had planned out! Our most important stop of the day was for Indian Battle Park wedding photos. Larry had proposed to Elsa in the river bottom so it was a very special place for them (we even visited it for their engagement photos!).

Like every other time I’ve worked with them, Elsa and Larry constantly made each other laugh. Even with others vying for their attention, they rarely left each other’s side or stopped holding hands, which I think is absolutely adorable. :)

It was also a very emotional day as the family paid tribute to Elsa’s mother, who passed away less than a year ago. Her mother had traditionally written a poem to each of her children on their wedding day and started Elsa’s early so that she could have one as well. Elsa’s father gave a poignant reading of the poem during the reception. The couple are starting their newly married lives well backed by the support of this tightly knit family.

Congratulations, Elsa and Larry!

Kaylene and James held a Norland Estate 1920s themed wedding on the most memorable date of 2020 – the leap year! The girls rocked the vintage look the best of all with beautiful head piece jewellery and lots of fringe. Kaylene added a stunning beaded piece to her open backed wedding dress to tie everything together. They even loaded up on discount Halloween items the year before to supply their reception with themed props for their guests to wear!

We started the day at James’ parents’ acreage, then headed to the Norland where the girls were getting ready. I love that the Norland has such beautiful space to use for photos inside the house so we could protect everyone’s hair from the wind as much as possible. (If you were wondering why this winter wedding looks a lot like spring, the usual wind is to blame!)

Their couple’s portraits took place just as twilight was setting in and the pretty stringed lights around the Norland property had just turned on (which is so amazing for photos). Once away from the distraction of their guests, the sweetness of James and Kaylene’s relationship had a chance to shine. All of their silly faces at each other started to come out!

To maximize the number of guests who could party with them, Kaylene and James reserved the dinner time exclusively for their extended families and had the rest of their friends show up later in the night. Instead of staying for the big crowd, we planned a private fake first dance while they had the Norland’s reception room all to themselves! It’s pretty exciting being able to tell a couple directions as they are dancing ;)

Congratulations, Kaylene and James!

Candace and Davis wanted to keep their ceremony small and decided on an intimate Waterton United Church winter wedding. Their immediate family was there by their side, and everyone else will get to join them for a bigger party next year!

It was a beautiful day in Waterton with fresh snow and clear skies. We could see the amazing mountain views, and Candace surprised herself (and all of us) with how warm she was outside for photos in just her dress! The town workers were busy clearing paths around the park, allowing us to go to some of the most beautiful views despite the huge snowfall the day before.

Congratulations, Candace and Davis!