Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

Christine and Joe planned their Galt Museum summer wedding ceremony and reception as a celebration of their families coming together. They each gained two amazing children out of their union, as well as all of the extended family that goes along with it.

Joe’s uncle graciously let us borrow their rural property for portraits and for Christine’s getting ready location, and what a stunning place it was! Only a few steps away we had wooden swings, cute bridges, and rustic walls. Christine and Joe began their portraits with a first look. They both did a wonderful job of keeping it together, especially when it was clear either could burst into happy tears at any moment.

Their children were hilarious! They all had the best silly faces, great attitude when I asked them to be super serious, and busted out their amazing dance moves the moment the music started at the reception. The strong friendship makes it nearly impossible to tell they are a blended family and not biological siblings.

Christine and Joe were all grins for each other right up until the end of the night. They are so perfect for each other. :)

Congratulations, Christine and Joe!

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Erin and Taylor chose the most beautiful day to have their Lethbridge City Hall spring wedding. This was the first day of spring where it truly felt like summer was on its way and the air was filled with the sweet smell of tree blossoms everywhere we went.

We arrived in time for Erin to have her “assembly line” of first looks in her parents’ back yard. Her father got to have the first first look, followed by Taylor once he arrived with his groomsmen. Erin’s dad won the award for most crying during the first look :)

After portraits at Aperture Park, they headed to City Hall for their ceremony. Edgar the Barnowl presenting their wedding rings offered a unique touch to the day! He was very well behaved during the entire ceremony.

The day had already been filled with tons of laughter, but once the reception rolled around and everyone had time to relax and visit with each other, the laughter was non-stop! We had trouble prying ourselves away from all the happy dancers even after our photo coverage was over :)

Congratulations, Erin and Taylor!

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Kelti and Matthew held their Gem of the West wedding ceremony on the cusp of autumn with the most important people in their lives in attendance. Kelti is heavily involved in the community so choosing a venue with so much historic value was such a perfect fit.

Kelti, Matthew, and all of their wedding party got ready at the Charles Street Suites, which is conveniently decorated in their wedding colours! They kept to separate floors so that they could share a first look on the staircase before heading out for photos.

Kelti and Matthew both give off so much positive energy and had us laughing all day. It was clear to see why they are so amazing together while watching them interact; they bounce that energy off each other nonstop and hardly ever quit smiling. They, their siblings, and their wedding party were constantly hilarious and never took anything too seriously – even when tackle chases gave way to ripped pants early in the day.

Congratulations, Kelti and Matthew!

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Adam and Dianne love the landscape around where they grew up and incorporated it into their Readymade Community Centre summer wedding. All of the rustic walls and buildings around Dianne’s family farm made for great photo backdrops, and her parents house with grand staircase was the perfect spot to have their first look.

Just around the corner from the farm are Readymade and Stafford Park so we didn’t have to go far (we only had to carefully photograph around the people tubing at the lake!). Just after photos, they had their ceremony at the Canadian Reformed Church in Coaldale.

Dianne looked so elegant in her lace wedding dress with a low back and her beautiful auburn hair let down. Adam could not stop grinning at her! He continued stealing glances at her through the whole ceremony even though they had spent the last three hours lovingly looking at each other for photos. In their reception program, they described Adam as “very tall” and Dianne as “not so tall” – so during portraits we made Adam be the one to bridge the height distance to kiss his gorgeous bride ;)

Congratulations, Dianne and Adam!

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We’re so lucky to be able to photograph so many of these dreamy, romantic weddings this year! Willene and Joel wanted the majority of their photos to be Norland summer wedding portraits so we started off with a first look at the Bed and Breakfast. Willene loves the gazebo at The Norland so we hid Joel away in there to greet his soon to be wife. The way they immediately melted into each other’s arms was so beautiful! They could barely look away from each other all day and were so sweet to each other.

Willene and Joel were smart to start photos in the morning. They managed to skip some of the hottest hours of the day in the comfort of the air conditioned church, and returned to portraits a little later in the day once the sun was lower. The heat made getting ice cream at Henderson Lake and dipping their feet in the lake that much better!

Congratulations, Willene and Joel!

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Jennifer and David have already built a life together but decided to make it official this year! They threw a party for their family and closest friends by having a Southern Alberta Art Gallery wedding.

The years they’ve already been together have only made their love grow deeper. They had the hugest grins when they saw each other during their first look and constantly fought back tears during the ceremony at the SAAG. They are such a sweet couple and are so perfect for each other.

Their reception at the SAAG was filled with lots of dancing and laughter. Instead of a sit down dinner, they served a spread of creative (and delicious!) appetizers from LA Chefs, allowing their guests more time to mingle.

Congratulations, Jennifer and David!

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