Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

When distancing rules made it so that they couldn’t have the large traditional wedding they had originally planned in Lethbridge, Julie and Nathan turned their event into an intimate Alberta foothills ranch wedding.

After their church ceremony at home, the couple and their immediate families travelled out to a family ranch past Claresholm. The property overlooked a stunning view of the valley in multiple directions and had gorgeous forests and vistas we could easily hike to for photos.

Julie has been in a few of the wedding parties we have photographed so it was a blast to do her wedding this year! Her and Nathan were always excited to have their photos taken and their own wedding was no exception. Although their plans of having a 10 member wedding party fell through, most of their original party was still able to attend as guests and take part in a few photos.

Congratulations, Julie & Nathan!

All summer I’ve looked forward to returning to Monica and Dave’s beautiful property for their Claresholm outdoor ranch wedding. If the landscape looked that great for engagement photos, I couldn’t wait to see Monica in her dress there! (One amazing detail about their wedding is that Monica is very talented and made her own wedding dress.)

Monica and Dave chose the open field near the treeline to set up their reception tent and scenic ceremony, and invited their closest family members to witness the event. Their children stood with them as their wedding party and all played key roles in the ceremony. Monica’s son walked her down the aisle, Dave’s two boys read bible passages, and Dave’s daughter played guitar.

Their guests got to relax while we explored the ranch for photos and took in the amazing views. Monica and Dave were even more giggly when they looked at each other than at their engagement session!

Congratulations, Monica and Dave!

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I went out for a bit of a drive to join Monica and Dave for their Claresholm ranch engagement photography a few miles outside of the town. We took their vehicle up to the rocky hill overlooking the ranch, through the herd of inquisitive cows enjoying their dinner. From up there we had sweeping views of the foothills surrounding their property, starting to pick up the soft green tones as spring began to spread throughout the fields.

Monica and Dave were so easy to photograph together. They are always making each other giggle and it’s probably lucky for me I was just out of earshot during when I’m pretty sure he was telling her dirty jokes to get more laughs! Even when my camera was placed down to plan the next photo, they’d pull each other in for another embrace and I’d quickly start snapping again.

I can’t wait to explore the area further on their wedding day this summer when they’re dressed all fancy!

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