Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

If you are planning a local wedding, your engagement photos are a great chance to go out on a photo adventure! Emily & Benjamin had a Crowsnest Pass wild flower engagement session in advance of their Lethbridge wedding to make use of our nearby mountain landscapes.

Emily and Ben loved the look of the field at the end of Willow Drive in Coleman, so we did all their photos there. Waterton may be known for its wild flower season, but the flowers in the Crowsnest Pass last spring were just as incredible! We got so lucky with the day we chose for their engagement session. It was just a coincidence we chose the best spot to see them. :)

This year I was asked to photograph Lula and Jarvis for the Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society (AARCS) annual fundraiser calendar and much to our surprise, Lula made the cover of the calendar! Lula is the perfect poster child/puppy for a rescue success case, going from being found with a leash lacerated into her neck, to being the happiest dog with her forever family. Her fur brother Jarvis came from a similar background, making them such a perfect match to be together. Jarvis was honoured with his own special appearance in the calendar too, and this pair had fun getting lots of treats at their photoshoot.

Calendars can still be purchased through AARCS, so get one while you can for this great cause! Rescues are really struggling this year so any help makes a huge difference.

Learn a little more about Jarvis and Lula’s stories here.

There is way too much cute in this photoshoot! Charlie never stopped grinning during his Crowsnest Pass autumn family photos. He loved giving his dog Riley hugs, being swung around by his parents, and playing with his grandpa and grandma in the forest along the Miner’s Path in Coleman.

We hiked along the path towards the creek and bridge, finding Charlie lots of rocks and logs to climb on. His grandparents were so great for encouraging him along his adventures. It probably felt more like a one hour play time than a photoshoot to him!

Gerda and Jonathan wanted to go on a day trip adventure with their kids, so we decided to do Coleman summer family photos instead of sticking around the Lethbridge area! It was a really big deal to me to get to photograph them again and keep following as their family grows. The couple was celebrating their 11 year wedding anniversary and were one of the very earliest weddings I got to photograph!

Their family loves the Crowsnest Pass, so we travelled to the Miner’s Path to get beautiful forest shots. The location is very dog friendly as locals walk their dogs there, so it was perfect for their dog Bella the puggle to come along! The kids loved climbing on the fallen logs, finding the best sticks the pathway could offer, and chasing each other to get those sticks.

Jessica and Tyler wanted to announce their pregnancy to Jessica’s family in a very memorable way. These surprise maternity announcement photos were disguised as a family session with Jessica’s parents. A few friends joined at the end to supposedly help with a photo for the couple’s wedding invitations. That’s when the big reveal came!

The couple travelled to Jessica’s hometown of the Crowsnest Pass to tell her parents the big news. She made the excuse that they needed updated family photos, so we spent the first part of the session doing just that! We went to the Miner’s Path with their dogs Trip and Chloe and acted like everything was totally normal. I had to try so hard not to laugh when Jessica’s mom told me the dogs were her grandkids because that’s all Jessica was giving her!

Hannah and Mark’s Springbreak Flower Farm greenhouse wedding centred around their love of adventuring outdoors. They chose their mountain venue in the Crowsnest Pass and wore hiking boots with their wedding attire. Any adventure they’ve embarked on with hiking boots has worked out, so why not extend those good vibes to their marriage? :)

The couple opted to have a first look in the greenhouse before their early evening ceremony, and we visited the nearby waterfall for their portraits. Their hiking boots meant we could get right up to the falls.

After the outdoor ceremony, their reception started with speeches inside the greenhouse, and finished off the night with one of the most active dance floors we’ve seen!

They had such huge smiles on their faces through the entire day that we barely needed to direct them. It’s so amazing to see high school sweethearts have a love that flourishes into such a happy life together. They are such sweet, caring people surrounded by that same love from their family and friends, and we were so grateful they extended that warmness to us sharing the day with them.

Congratulations, Hannah and Mark!