Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

Koralee and Colin looked gorgeous for their summer wedding! We met up with them and their family at Henderson Lake, just after their ceremony and lunch, and were greeted with a beautiful sunny day.

The highlight of their day were their Diamond City cattle ranch wedding photos, kindly coordinated by one of the groomsmen and his connections. The location had everything Koralee was looking for: sprawling fields, groves of trees, coulee cliffs, and some local residents (of the cow variety plus one protective horse) to add some character to the background. We went off-roading with their driver from California Dream Limo to get there and had so many great spots to work with!

Their wedding party were hilarious and kept them giggling all day. The guys were great sports coming up with poses for holding the bouquets and the girls pulled all their strength together to lift up Colin. Every once in a while we’d send them off into the shade so Kora and Colin could have a few private moments together without teasing ;)

Congratulations, Koralee and Colin!

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I know it’s early in the year, but I think Kim and Nathaniel may be one of my most passionate couples this wedding season. The way they looked at each other and snuck kisses even when the camera was down was so romantic!

We started out the day greeting them as they arrived at the NRC church in Lethbridge and followed Kim as she walked down the aisle to her soon to be husband. For photo locations we focused on Lethbridge Research Centre wedding portraits, which was stunningly green this time of year, followed by a quick visit to Henderson Lake and the old red firehall downtown.

Kim and Nathaniel were surrounded by so much happiness and laughter throughout the day. From Nathaniel’s friends’ dry humor to Kim’s sisters’ theatrics, we rarely stopped laughing!

Congratulations, Kim and Nathaniel!

p.s. Thank you to Melanie from Photo Expressions for being my second shooter for the day!

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Cayley and Kyle put so much thought and hard work into planning a Pavan Park carnival wedding, and they really went all out! John Martin Recreation Area in Pavan Park was the perfect location for their carnival when it was already equipped with a playground, horseshoe pits, and a volleyball court. All they had to do was bring a few more games to complete the fair grounds. In addition to the games, they had face painting, fun props for photos, and carnival themed food like popcorn, cotton candy, and hot dogs.

They included so many other personal details throughout the day. The cake and cupcakes were made by family members, while Cayley and her friends made all of the flowers themselves out of paper, some of which came from books belonging to Cayley’s grandmother.

After all that hard work, they were able to let loose and have so much fun! Despite the on-again, off-again rain, everyone was so happy and full of excitement throughout the day. The wedding party loved being in front of the camera. Cayley and Kyle have really found kindred spirits in each other with their playful, youthful personalities. It was so much fun to finish off the day with their wedding mosh pit!

Congratulations, Cayley and Kyle!

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Occasionally I love to take a back seat in the process and second shoot for other photographers. Chaisson and Krystal’s Coaldale warm winter wedding at the Canadian Reformed Church was my first time working with Andrea Hulst… at least in this way! She was a bridesmaid in one of my weddings last summer so it was really neat to work with her in a totally different way!

Despite the wedding taking place in February, the weather was like spring, allowing us to go outside for gorgeous golden photos.

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Early on it seemed like nature was conspiring against Jori and Shawn’s Castle Mountain summer wedding. On Thursday the air was hazy with smoke from the forest fires, and on Friday everyone had the shock of August snow! When Saturday rolled around, they got the beautiful summer weather they had hoped for with clear sunny skies.

Jori and Shawn are so passionate together, having their portraits secluded in the forest was just such a natural fit for them. I had immediately noticed how romantic they were at their engagement session, but it was even more so with all of the wedding day emotions.

Castle Mountain Resort was such a beautiful choice for their wedding venue and I hope we can go back there soon.

Congratulations, Shawn and Jori!

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I’ve been looking forward to Don and Cathy’s Lethbridge Grandstand summer wedding for a long time now – not just because they were the first wedding booked for this year, but because I’ve been dancing with Cathy for many years now! Her and Don have been a family for quite a while now and decided to make it official with a party for their closest friends and family.

They held both their ceremony and reception on the bright upper level of the Grandstand. Having Norma officiate the wedding was a perfect fit as she’s one of our “dance moms.”

The hazy skies and summer heat made everything look dreamy and warm outside. It was a perfect complement to the natural color scheme of green, orange, and brown they chose for their wedding colors. They looked gorgeous and were so joyous all day!

Congratulations, Don and Cathy!

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