Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

Lindsay and Terry planned a beautiful summer wedding at the Norland Historic Estate. Their wedding date happened to take place on one of the most gorgeous days of the summer and their guests spent so much time laughing and socializing on the patio.

As we went through the day, it was apparent how valued the couple are to their friends and family. Their wedding party kept them laughing all day and were so thrilled about the love they have found in each other. Each bridesmaid gave a speech explaining how much Lindsay had touched their lives while the best man recounted his favorite adventures with Terry and the other groomsmen.

Lindsay and Terry’s ceremony was equally full of emotion and laughter. Grandparents were crying before anyone had even walked down the aisle, and Terry managed to hold it together better than one of the groomsmen (but just barely). Lindsay made the classic slip up of “my awfully wedded husband” which sent everyone into hysterical laughter.

However, the best was yet to come! As Lindsay walked down the aisle, she realized that she forgot Terry’s wedding ring in the Norland house. She played it cool through the whole ceremony until it was time for the ring exchange. Thinking on the spot, she quickly removed her engagement ring and placed it halfway down Terry’s pinky finger (the only finger where it would sort of fit). Their marriage commissioner, Carol, said it was the gesture that was the most important! Terry wore the engagement ring with pride until Lindsay was able to sneak away from their receiving line and grab the proper wedding band.

This was our first time back at the Norland Historic Estate since their massive renovation and ballroom expansion, and they’ve done an amazing job! The gazebo has been relocated to a much more photo friendly location (no more grooms in the blazing sun!), the ballroom can fit so many more guests, and the cozy patio area lets the party spill outdoors to take in the beautiful yard. Lindsay and Terry had perfect timing booking their wedding when they did to take advantage of all of the changes.

Congratulations, Lindsay and Terry!

Baby C was adorable at her photoshoot with her big blue eyes and toothy grin! We started with an indoor photo session in their home where Baby C is happiest. She loved rolling around on their big bed and grabbing her toes. Once she had her fill of kisses from mom and dad there, we headed outside for early morning Henderson Lake family photos. Not only was I in love with her smile, but I loved watching the joy she brings her parents when they interact with her. Their grins are even bigger than hers!

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Jannette and Adrian may be one of our most enthusiastic couples this year! They were both very excited about the photography planning from the very beginning and I loved Jannette’s level of involvement in all of her wedding details. Together we reached the decision of doing Nikka Yuko wedding photos for the majority of their portraits. As soon as they walked into the Japanese Gardens (the first time either of them had visited) and exclaimed, “Wow!” I knew we had chosen the perfect location!

The air was heavy with smoke that day but it didn’t get anyone’s spirits down. Everyone spent the day laughing and having fun, and the couple were so excited and willing to go along with every photo idea we had. This meant climbing over rocks in the water and spending a little extra time in a cathedral length veil that was struggling to survive the day!

We had a blast laughing with them all day and appreciated how much time they set aside for portraits, including an extra evening photography session around sunset.

Congratulations, Jannette and Adrian!

I was happy to return for my fifth year of photographing the Lethbridge MS Walk, held by the Lethbridge MS Society.

It definitely started out as one of the coldest walks I’ve attended! Despite the cold, the walk still had fantastic attendance and all participants were in great spirits. Before the walk the kids were kept entertained with balloons, face painting, and all the adorable dogs that attended the fundraiser. The children’s joy in turn was contagious!

Right as the walk began, the sun came out, warming up everyone enough to get their muscles moving. I quickly found my usual golf cart friend and had a great time capturing everyone having fun at Henderson Lake. The walk ended with its usual pizza lunch and still more sunshine, just narrowly missing the blizzard that arrived later that day!

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!

Betty has never had photos taken with just her, Doug, and their grandchildren. Her daughter surprised her with a special Henderson Lake winter photo session to do just that! I was told she was so excited even early on in the process when she started planning their outfits. It was pretty cold out in the snow but they braved the weather just along enough to go coatless for their photos. We had so much fun and the Lethbridge park was a perfect winter wonderland.

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