Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

A chilly spring engagement shoot with Sam, Brietta and their trusty side-kick, Bakon the Dog

A surprise April snowfall didn’t dampen Brietta’s spirits when I told her the forecast.

“I bought a dress,” Brietta said. “I am going to wear it anyways! Haha.”

I’ve known Brietta for a few years, I first met her when she was the Event & Volunteer Engagement Coordinator for the MS Walk when I did volunteer photography for the walk. Brietta’s fiery; a go-getter. So her resolve to embrace the moment didn’t surprise me one bit!

Kristine and Kenneth decided that Alberta mountain engagement photos would be a fantastic idea. Neither of them are originally from Alberta and this landscape is one of our most defining features! We traveled to Coleman and Sentinel so we could take advantage of the forest along the Miner’s Path and the mountain vistas along Crowsnest Lake.

We were surprised with COLD. We were supposed to have one more day until the polar vortex swept through our edge of Alberta but it decided to come earlier! Despite the early spring look of everywhere we went, Kristine and Kenneth had to keep hiding their hands in each other’s pockets. At least it gave a perfect excuse for more snuggling!

They are so adorable together. Kenneth needed no direction to shower Kristine in cute kisses. All I really had to tell them was to keep looking like they were actually warm!

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My clients already put a lot of trust in me, but there is no trust quite like being in on a big secret! I was so excited when Kit contacted me to capture Lethbridge proposal photos of this important moment in her life. She planned to ask her girlfriend Tee to marry her on their anniversary. Kit decided on the Casa art gallery downtown with the ruse that they were simply having couples photos taken.

Jordanna and Deiter managed to sneak in vibrant Lethbridge autumn engagement photos before the snow arrived! We used lots of snuggling and hand holding to get them through the crisp cold that day. I think they did a great acting job making it look like a warm autumn evening. It definitely helps that they are so cute when they cuddle each other! I had a great time exploring the Helen Schuler Nature Reserve with this upbeat couple and can’t wait for their wedding in a few months.

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Part 2 of the year in review features the portrait side of things! This year marked a few firsts, including my first bunny session and my first family dressed in Batman costumes. I had so much fun with every group I worked with. Thank you for letting me bring your personalities out in your photo sessions!

This year for portraits I stayed pretty local in Lethbridge, but also took a few special trips to the Crowsnest Pass, Waterton, Claresholm, and Magrath. The yearend marks a very special occasion – the 10th anniversary of when I started my business! So many of the people in these photos have been with me for years and I couldn’t have made it this far without their love and support.

I hope you enjoy looking through our best portraits of 2018 as much as I liked choosing them!

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I was so excited to hear from Ami-Marie when she got engaged to Devin. I’ve photographed her friends and family, and now I get to photograph her in love! Her and Devin love the fall (it’s when they are having their wedding too) and decided on Indian Battle Park autumn engagement photos while all of the amazing colours were out. We explored the Helen Schuler Nature Reserve for the first part of their session and then visited downtown Lethbridge, which was just as vibrant. Ami-Marie and Devin are so cute together, full of snuggling and laughter. I’ve been told that Devin will need to lose his beard soon for work, so I’m glad we were able to capture its glory in this engagement session!

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