Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

This was a wedding I’ve been looking forward to for a long time! Erin and Renzo first contacted me early last year all the way from San Diego as they planned their gorgeous Waterton destination wedding. I was even more excited when I met them on their planning visit to Canada – they were so pumped about their wedding and wanted to do their photos before the ceremony so everyone would look their best, not to mention how gorgeous they both are!

The day could not have been more perfect. Waterton was less crowded than normal and the heatwave broke for a day (though the church was still pretty warm!). Their large bridal party was so much fun to work with and they had the sweetest, most helpful families. I’m so happy we got to steal Erin and Renzo away for some early evening photos, which are by far my favorite of the day. With the ceremony and dinner finished they finally had a chance to relax and were absolutely beaming at each other.

It was so great getting to spend their reception with them; it ended up being one of the most fun and energetic ones I’ve ever photographed! The dance floor was constantly full all night long and all of their guests were just so happy.

Congratulations, Erin and Renzo! (more…)

What happens when you combine kilts, light sabers, and a Buddhist temple? Trent and Veronica’s wedding! The two of them planned such a fun little wedding that perfectly showed off their unique personalities (including many references to Trent’s geeky interests – that’s why I’m friends with him, after all!). They are so adorable, and the love between them so obvious (especially in Veronica’s beaming smile all day).

After their ceremony at the Lethbridge Buddhist Temple (where they exited under light sabers, of course!), they danced all night with their family at the Lethbridge Lodge – first with their choreographed dance they took lessons for, and then to the live music of Bandemonium.

Congratulations, Trent and Veronica! (more…)

What a fantastic first wedding of the season! Jamie and Jonathan were married at the beautiful Christ Church near downtown Calgary. We had a few challenges as the wedding fell exactly one week after the horrible flood in the city. A few of our planned locations got washed out (and we just made it to a playground before it got demolished!) but we all adjusted, figured out new routes, and the wedding went wonderfully!

I first met Jamie through work at the U of L and it was so great to see her find love in Jonathan. They just looked so unbelievably happy together all day long, and especially by the reception it was difficult to tear them apart.

Congratulations, Jamie and Jonathan! (more…)

My last big wedding of the year was Dan and Heather’s celebration with all of their family and friends (some even coming from Europe!). Their ceremony was held in the beautiful St. Basil’s Church, and we followed up with photos before their reception at the Coast Hotel. The reception was tons of fun, and it’s rare to see that many people constantly dancing!

Dan and Heather are such wonderful, down to earth people and were so easy to work with again. They are absolutely joyous together in everything from their smiles and laughter to their body language. Their bridal party clearly shared in their happiness and made it such a warm, loving day :)

Congratulations, Dan and Heather! (more…)

Jacob and Bryanne were married last week at Maranatha Reformed Church and had a beautiful wedding on an absolutely beautiful day. These two are super hot and were a dream to work with, and it doesn’t hurt that they are both so sweet :)

Since they were married on the west side and we had a lot of ideas to fit in, we did all the formals on that side of Lethbridge. I always feel like the west side doesn’t have enough locations, but with some special permissions her mom dug up and a few neat little nooks, we totally rocked it! (Although the bridal party was genuinely confused at first to be taken to Taco Bell.)

We had so much fun with everyone, especially when they all cut loose at the playground :) (more…)

Last summer I second shot for Michael Warf a few times, and I’ve finally had a chance to go through what I captured and pick out some favorite frames!

When I showed up for Allison and Brent’s wedding, I was greeted by a familiar face and wondered if perhaps one of these groomsmen just gets hired out for weddings. :) I was pretty stoked, because he proved to be exceptionally fun both times around.

We didn’t have the best weather for the photos and got stuck inside most of the time, but we made the best of it and still hit quite a few locations. Allison and Brent were super sweet, and their bridal party definitely kept the energy levels up even when they weren’t in the photos. (more…)