Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

MJ and Dan decided to get all the big things out of the way at once by having their McKillop United Church wedding at the same time they are doing a massive garage renovation! You’d never know they had so much on their plate by how happy and laid back they were throughout the wedding day. They even had the added stress of their initial ceremony location falling through, but they rolled with the situation and McKillop United wonderfully came to the rescue at the last minute.

The couple chose a classic wedding look with a monochromatic colour scheme. MJ loves bling and choose the perfect dress and shoes to show that off! We had lots of time for photos so we were able to visit both Henderson Lake and the coulees before returning to their reception at the Coast. Dan is a car guy so it was an added bonus they had extra time to cruise around in their limo!

Congratulations, MJ & Dan!

Ami-Marie and Devin’s Readymade autumn wedding was full of laughter and happy tears… many, many happy tears. Ami-Marie spent a good chunk of the day reassuring people through her sobbing that she was very happy despite all the crying!

The couple met while working at the University of Lethbridge so we started the day there. For their first look, we picked the amazing staircase in the building where they first met. (With lots of tears, of course.) We later learned Ami-Marie would make special trips to visit Devin. They truly have a story of love at first sight!

They chose the Readymade Community Centre as both their ceremony and reception venue in large part because of its proximity to Ami’s family’s farm where she grew up. Their reception program highlighted parent speeches that felt more like comedy routines than a proper welcome to the family. It was quickly obvious where Ami-Marie and Devin get their senses of humour from!

It’s been ten years since I first met Ami-Marie at her friend’s wedding and I’m so happy to see her at this point in her life so in love with Devin!

Congratulations, Ami-Marie and Devin!

Josh and Roxy are high school sweethearts who understand the value of patience. Once they finished university, moved apart and then back together again, and got a house, they decided it was time to take the next step and get married! They planned a laid back De Winton Community Hall wedding with beer coolers and lawn games to keep their guests entertained.

After their outdoor ceremony and some hiding indoors from a thunder shower, we explored the town of De Winton for some major rustic feeling. From grain elevators to canola fields, Roxy and Josh had a country wedding with the Calgary skyline visible in the background. With a handful of siblings in the wedding party to keep teasing them and some long time friends to keep them laughing, Roxy and Josh had the party vibe of the day follow them everywhere they went.

Roxy first came into my life when I photographed her best friend’s wedding six years ago. Their group of friends has been tightly knit since college so there were a lot of familiar faces from the last wedding, with one notable exception! The absence of the maid of honour on Roxy’s wedding day was bittersweet. While she missed her bestie’s wedding day, it was because she went into labour the night before! The wedding day was full of gossip among the guests… “Did the baby arrive yet?” Luckily Roxy came prepared with two best friends assigned to that role and her man of honour did a fantastic job filling both roles (including standing in the rain holding an umbrella over the bride).

Congratulations, Roxy and Josh!

Stacie and Gerrit planned a romantic Lethbridge Sandman Signature Hotel autumn wedding with dark grays with deep red accents, all of which looked striking with the fall colours. In mid-October, we’re never quite sure what weather we’re going to get. Stacie and Gerrit were treated to all of the weather! The temperatures climbed early in the day, along with quite a windstorm that drove us indoors for family portraits. We refused to hide from the weather all day and sought shelter in the Helen Schuler Nature Reserve.

While Stacie and Gerrit laughed and had a great time with their wedding party in the river bottom (along with a lot of getting lost in each other’s eyes), the sky became blacker and blacker until we started hearing thunder and seeing lightning! We finished their photos in a downpour before rushing back to the safety of the hotel.

Their reception was filled with so many sweet stories from their families. Wedding receptions usually turn into a bit of a roast, but theirs was mostly a celebration of how loved they are by everyone around them (with a healthy dose of roasting from their siblings).

They took a break from their reception at the Sandman Signature Hotel (formerly the Lethbridge Lodge) for night time photos. Luckily by then the rain had stopped, and the snow hadn’t quite started yet! Stacie and Gerrit embraced tightly on the edge of the coulees – partly to stay warm but mostly because it meant they finally had a moment alone together :)

Congratulations, Stacie and Gerrit!

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During a rare weekend off last summer, I had the opportunity to second shoot for Melanie at Photo Expressions Photography for Quintina and Mike’s wedding. Quintina and Mike had a Readymade outdoor wedding ceremony followed by portraits around the Coaldale area. They were such a happy couple with just as happy friends and spent the whole day smiling and laughing! Even better, they brought their puppy along for the whole day.

Congratulations, Quintina and Mike!

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When Denise and Koos planned their wedding, I think they were expecting a little more spring than the winter wonderland they received! The tiffany blue and gray color theme they chose looked gorgeous for their Lethbridge snowy late winter wedding, offering a great compliment to the cool hues and bit of blue popping out of the sky.

After their ceremony at the Lethbridge Netherlands Reformed Congregation, we met with them and their family and luckily could keep everyone inside and warm for their portraits. Next we were off to the Broxburn Cafe who generously let us take a few photos inside to warm up. Everything about that location looked fantastic with the wedding colors and their rustic touches. The wedding party was so awesome about sticking it out in the cold and smiling despite the temperatures!

Denise and Koos were so lost in each other throughout the day that they hardly noticed the cold. Their embraces kept them warm and showed off how sweet and caring their relationship is.

At the end of the night we returned to their reception at the Lethbridge Lodge where they had both hilarious comedy sketches and moving presentations from the family.

Thanks to Melanie at Photo Expressions for assisting that day.

Congratulations, Koos and Denise!

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