Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

Caroline and Darryl travelled several provinces over for their Waterton spring elopement. They love the beauty of the mountains and don’t get to take advantage of that from where they live!

They chose the best view in the national park for their ceremony, the hill behind the Prince of Wales overlooking the larger lakes. After their laid back ceremony, we drove around to some of our favourite places in Waterton. They got married at just the right time that the weather was great and Red Rock Canyon was open for the season. I love hearing clients say, “Wow!” when they see some of the views for the first time :)

Congratulations, Caroline & Darryl!

When Lexi and Aaron asked me to join them on their Window Mountain Lake adventure elopement, I jumped at the chance! They knew the Crowsnest Pass lake was where they needed to get married from the very first time they hiked to it.

They made use of the new temporary marriage commissioner license we have in the province for Lexi’s sister to perform the wedding, while Aaron’s sister and myself were their witnesses.

In the morning, we met up to begin the very bumpy ride up to the lake to save on hiking the extra distance.

After a beautiful hike to the lake, everyone (except for me) changed into their wedding clothes to have the ceremony in a special spot the couple had chosen on the lake. Everyone cried at least once during the ceremony. It was short but very emotional! As Lexi and Aaron shared their first kiss, we heard cheering and applause from across the lake. I guess their wedding wasn’t as private as we thought!

Lexi and Aaron did an incredible job somehow hiking back to the truck in their formal wear as we stopped for photos along the way. However, wearing hiking boots the whole day definitely helped with that!

Congratulations, Lexi and Aaron! And thank you for taking me on such a fun adventure :)

After being engaged for several years, Alyssa and Israel had a big wedding planned… and then COVID hit! Not wanting to extend their engagement another year, they decided to turn their big wedding into a destination elopement in Waterton. They had their Waterton lakeshore elopement in the late afternoon. The spot they chose was their favourite view from their nearby accommodations at the Bayshore Inn, and conveniently the area had the fewest tourists!

Alyssa and Israel were adorable and fawning over each other from the moment I first met them in person. They constantly made each other laugh, could rarely be found not embracing, and Israel frequently stole kisses. Half the time I barely had to pose them because they’d naturally fall into each other’s arms once I told them where to stand! Their elopement was an amazing chance for them to get away for a weekend together and focus only on each other, which they were obviously very happy to do :)

Congratulations, Alyssa and Israel!

Mackenzie and Scot knew they wanted their wedding to take place somewhere with a view of beautiful mountains. After hunting through the cutest places on Air BnB, they decided on a Twin Butte wedding elopement! They found an adorable cabin at the Drywood Creek Hide-A-Way, located in the foothills just outside of Pincher Creek.

Scot had been kicked out of the cabin just before I arrived so Mackenzie could get ready without spoiling her finished look. When she emerged and Scot saw her for the first time, a huge grin washed over his face! They had their private ceremony in front of the wood cabin, then we went right into photos.

The cabins are located down by the winding creek, and the nearby highway was just out of view. We found some beautiful pops of autumn colour that the snow hadn’t stolen, and Mackenzie and Scot kept each other warm with lots of snuggles and a blanket on hand nearby.

If you know that area, you know it’s windy, and that day was no exception! Mackenzie wore a cathedral length veil that was so perfectly dramatic in the wind. We were also on high alert and had to chase it several times when the wind tore it out of her hair! We saved the windiest spot, the mountain view, for last and it was worth every gust we had to endure.

Congratulations, Mackenzie & Scot!

Amberlea and Kevin knew they wanted their wedding ceremony somewhere beautiful outdoors while still making everything easy for their small guest list. A rooftop garden was the perfect solution! They decided on a Helen Schuler wedding elopement. Only their limited guests, mostly made up of their parents and children, knew the big secret… until Amberlea posted the news on Facebook to invite everyone to their reception at the Owl Acoustic Lounge later that night!

After their emotional rooftop wedding, they headed downtown for photos of just the two of them. Their vintage Chevy owning friend met us by Drunken Sailor, a very special place to Amberlea who used to work there. It’s also where she bought her wedding dress! We had a bit of a scare when the truck wouldn’t start but it pulled through just in time for us to use it in the nearby alley.

Congratulations, Amberlea and Kevin!

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!