Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

When I first planned out a photoshoot with Shaw & Associates Chartered Accountants, they had been using mismatched cell phone photos on the staff portion of their website and wanted a more cohesive, professional look. We set out downtown to update their accounting staff headshots to give the photos a natural, approachable feel. I based their wardrobe suggestions off of the colours of their website and they did a great job coordinating so many people’s outfits. Every staff member now has a matching photo on their site that compliments the design. Even Chase, their office greeter dog, got a headshot of his own for the website!

(more…)

Jody & Corné’s wedding took place on one of the warmest and most calm days this summer, fitting the mood of their laid back wedding. After their ceremony at the Lethbridge NRC Church, we met back up for portraits to make use of the beautiful weather. Their Henderson Lake wedding photos were a perfect place to start as their first date had taken place at the lake. We visited the bridge that Jody best remembered from that day. It was such a cute way to come full circle!

Their small wedding party were fantastic supports for the day. They picked up milkshakes for everyone when the sun got too hot and were constantly joking with the couple throughout photos. However, when they weren’t around, Jody & Corné had no trouble making each other laugh and smile!

Congratulations, Jody & Corné!

Fiona and David’s family love celebrating their heritage. One of their favorite ways to do so is with the Scottish Highland Ball that is held in Lethbridge.

The dance, put on by the Lethbridge Scottish Country Dance Club, is a big affair including a grand march led by a piper, dancing to a live band, and a delicious dinner at the Sandman Signature Hotel.

For the event, everyone dresses in full kilts and ball gowns. Even the little kids take part! This makes the day a perfect opportunity to update their family photos.

Brittany and Brent had the honor of being the very first wedding to take place at Nikka Yuko this spring. Their Japanese Garden morning wedding photos took place half an hour after the garden opened for the season!

Since their ceremony was not until the late afternoon, Brittany and Brent opted to have a first look in the morning. Rather than see each other for the first time in church, the first look allowed for intimate photos of the exact moment they see each on the wedding day. (We love this because it usually means less stress for the couple, fresher makeup and flowers, and a more relaxed timeline.) We had Brent turn around when Brittany was only a few meters from him. You could see the exact moment the corners of his mouth started to curl up into a smile! Brittany swears his tears were on their way, but Brent held it together!

After the Japanese Garden photos, we headed west for some views of the coulees and then family photos in Indian Battle Park before the couple was on their way to their ceremony. We had so many great moments to pull them away from their friends and family. I couldn’t get enough of how adoringly they looked at each other all day.

Congratulations, Brittany and Brent!

When Jordanna and Deiter booked their Galt Museum winter wedding, they had their fingers crossed for a white wedding. You never know when you’ll get spring in February in Lethbridge! Even though it was cold, they missed the worst of our winter cold snap and were treated to a beautiful fresh coat of snow on the ground.

Jordanna wore a gorgeous red cape to stay warm in her wedding dress in the snow. Her dress itself was stunning, and a very proud internet order success story!

You’d never know by their faces how cold they were. Everyone was full of huge laughter all day and were incredible at tolerating the cold to get outdoor photography. Jordanna and Deiter were even more cute together than at their engagement session. This was especially true during their ceremony where they quickly switched back and forth from tearing up to huge grins.

After our very chilly photos outside, they warmed up with drinks at Italian Table before their reception back at the Galt Museum.

Congratulations, Jordanna & Deiter!

2018 was a great year! Cam and I spent so much of the year with people totally in love and the joy was contagious. These probably aren’t truly our best wedding photos from the last year, but they definitely made me smile going back through the memories!

This year we saw a bride ride a horse for the first time ever in her wedding dress, photographed through smoky skies, and laughed at far more hilarious kids than any past year. Like, so many kids let loose this year that there must have been some memo passed around at the beginning of the wedding season.

Even though I picked most of these out of my blog edits, I made it a goal to choose photos that have never been on social media! There’s a good chance you’ve never seen most of these. Unless you’re my mom – she reads and likes pretty much everything I post. (Hi, Mom!)

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

(more…)