Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

Our last few weddings at this amazing venue were forced into the greenhouse because of rain, but Amanda and Jesse got lucky and had the SpringBreak Flower Farm outdoor ceremony they planned for!

We met up with the girls at the flower farm’s bed and breakfast where Brio Salon and Katt Panic were finishing making them all look stunning. Amanda and Jesse were both so excited to see each other that they were full of nervous jitters before the ceremony. Amanda, her mom, and her bridesmaids had to keep distracting themselves so they wouldn’t tear up, and Jesse could hardly contain himself while he watched Amanda walk down the aisle.

For photos they brought along their adorable corgi Sadie. She had a great time exploring and didn’t seem too phased by her mom wearing a big white dress ;) Sadie was cheered on by the entire wedding party every time she was a good girl for her photos.

After photos, they headed back to the SpringBreak Garden Centre where they celebrated their reception with food from Country Encounters and music from Prime Entertainment.

Congratulations, Amanda and Jesse!

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Amanda and Jesse decided to do Lundbreck Falls summer engagement photos to make use of the beautiful weather we had this summer. It also gave us an excuse to go on a bit of an adventure for photos as their wedding will be taking place in the city. They are so comfortable in each other’s arms and exude happiness together. They are such a perfect couple!

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Just because you are planning a low key, intimate wedding, it doesn’t mean it can’t be elegant and gorgeously put together! Levi and Heather made great use of the rental property his parents run when they planned their Goat Mountain Getaway autumn wedding. The property was closed to vacationers for the weekend while Heather, Levi, and their closest friends and family gathered outside (and shed many happy tears) for their ceremony and reception. They could not have picked a more perfect weekend to capture the fall colours in the Crowsnest Pass. As a special touch, Levi’s father performed the ceremony (and was restricted to no more than three f-bombs!).

I loved how many amazing locations we were able to use at Goat Mountain Getaway. Although the property is fairly small, it was compressed with forests, mountain views, a teepee and even a tire swing! It was then so easy to drive a minute across the highway for the amazing views on Old Frank Road before we headed over to Lundbreck Falls.

We really appreciated being able to spend so much time with just Heather and Levi (who chose not to have a wedding party). The two of them are so madly in love and natural together, constantly melting into each other arms. Levi’s range of emotions and Heather’s ear to ear grin as she approached him in the aisle really showed how crazy they are for each other.

Congratulations, Levi and Heather!

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When I first visited Fleurie for her newborn photos, our plan had been to focus on her in her home then go outside to get scenic photos with her mom and dad. That didn’t work out when it poured that whole weekend! We figured we’d have better luck waiting a little later into the summer, but sure enough it happened to rain again. The weather did not seem to like us! However, everything worked out perfectly by waiting till the next morning for their Hillcrest Mines family photos. We had beautiful weather, were sheltered from the wind down in the trees, and the grass seemed to grow inches taller after all that extra water.

Fleurie was not as excited about the weather as we were. She took a little offence to being awoken from her nap, but luckily we knew how to calm her down from last time. With the right amount of bouncing and a soother on hand, the problem was solved!

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When Stephanie and I rode the school bus together many years ago, I never imagined I’d one day be rolling around in the damp grass photographing her wedding! Her and Travis had a gorgeous SpringBreak Flower Farm wedding and though their ceremony was forced inside from the threat of rain, we were lucky to be able to do all their photos outside. We were especially lucky seeing as how the day before there were tornado warnings!

It was amazing watching the interactions they had with their friends and family as they got ready for the day. I can’t count the number of times people almost broke out in tears, but always managed to catch themselves just in time not to wreck their makeup ;)

One very special part of the day was the inclusion of their dogs (their babies, of course!) Lucky and Luka. The dogs even had a special part in the ceremony as they walked down the aisle inside of SpringBreak garden centre and stood alongside the wedding party.

This was such a happy day for them and their wedding party was so energetic and happy, so they never had a chance to stop laughing.

Congratulations, Travis and Stephanie!

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Shaun and Jill had a rough start to their year but their wedding more than made up for that with how flawlessly it went, thanks in huge part to the many hours both of their mothers spent planning and organizing!

They held a Crowsnest Pass private estate outdoor wedding ceremony under Turtle Mountain in Jill’s parents’ yard. I refer to their ceremony venue as a “private estate” not because it technically is one, but because the term “backyard” doesn’t do it justice! This amazing property is beautifully landscaped and runs along the Crowsnest River. Jill’s family put so much work into getting the property set up for the wedding, with huge tents for the guests to sit under, ample parking, and refreshments. I love how they set the guests away from the ceremony so that it still had a very intimate feel.

Jill and Shaun are both very down to earth, happy people, making it such a pleasure to be around them for the day. Their commitment is so strong after already being together for a number of years and they are so comfortable with each other.

One very special part of the day was that they hired a bagpiper to celebrate Jill’s Scottish heritage and they got him to come along for extra photos, giving us a custom soundtrack for the day!

After portraits, we headed to the MDM Community Centre (the old elementary school of both me and Jill!) for their reception.

Congratulations, Jill and Shaun!

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