Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

Amanda and Jason aren’t getting married for a while but wanted a headstart on their invitations and wedding website. We planned for a Lethbridge river bottom engagement session to make use of the space around the high level bridge, then headed to the Galt Museum. They love the look of old brick, and the Galt is one of the best places to find that!

If they hadn’t told me that Jason was new to having professional photos done and that Amanda hadn’t experienced them much more, I never would have known! The two followed directions so well and were able to switch from silly, cute, and cheesy to serious and romantic within moments. I definitely appreciate when couples will follow my instructions to “skip violently”!

Alina and Phil make it a priority to update their family photographs every few years. Their colourful summer family photos this year will be a great addition to the fun photo collage wall they have in their home. Their photo arrangement has lots of yellow accents and frames, so they dressed to match!

We started out in the Helen Schuler Nature Reserve during golden hour. Their session took place just before the summer heatwaves, so everything was such a lush vibrant green! The boys had a ton of fun climbing all the logs in between photos.

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!

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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!