Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

Sacha and Daniel considered getting married in the mountains, but opted to have a Vulcan backyard wedding ceremony to make sure all of their loved ones could be there. As a compromise, they brought the mountains to them! They had a large image of a mountainscape behind them during their ceremony, and the mountain theme carried through details in their cake and rings.

Their wedding day fell on their 10 year anniversary, making it an even bigger celebration. I had been looking forward to this wedding so much because I’ve been photographing their family since nearly the beginning of their relationship! With it being on September 30, incorporating orange into their wedding allowed them to honour National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and have many of the guests wearing orange shirts.

The day was a beautiful combination of autumn colours, their favourite interests, and the importance of their family, all with the intimacy that was a perfect fit in their small town.

Congratulations, Sacha and Daniel!

Halloween is my favourite holiday so I jumped at the opportunity to second shoot for Melanie at Photo Expressions when she told me a Lethbridge Halloween themed wedding was in the works! Stephanie and Paul definitely agree with me about what an awesome holiday it is :) They loaded up on decorations last year when the Halloween stores had clearance in preparation for their big day the next year.

They started out the day in traditional wedding attire but chose Halloween colours as their accents. We had a gorgeous day to do photos out at Nicholas Sheran Lake, and even managed to find a few leaves left at the end of the month! Stephanie and Paul make each other laugh so hard that they almost collapse. There were very few moments when either of them didn’t have a huge grin on their faces.

Their reception was a costume party held at the Lethbridge Hungarian Club, and nearly every guest got in the spirit and dressed up! There were so many amazing costumes and everyone was so happy and energetic (I’m sure the Halloween candy bar helped with that).

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Kevin and Ashley chose an amazing time of year for their autumn Waterton Lakes wedding; the park was nearly empty, beautiful fall colors lined the mountains, and it was still warm enough to get married outside. Even the crazy wind couldn’t spoil their perfect day! With each gust, Ashley cheered like she was on an amusement park ride because she was so happy to be marrying the man of her dreams.

There was so much joy throughout the day, especially at the reception. The speeches were full of laughter and they both had the hugest grins during their first dance. They are so perfect together!

They held both their ceremony and reception Waterton Lakes Lodge with photos taken throughout the town site and at Cameron Lake.

Congratulations, Kevin and Ashley!

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It’s been quite a few years since I met them for his sister’s wedding, but I finally got to see Trevor’s family again when it was his turn to tie the knot! He and Andrea got married near Park Lake and had the whole family meet at the farm for photos. It was quite windy that day so we’re lucky no one blew away ;)

The farm has such beautiful, rustic spots for photos and I was thrilled to be able to shoot there again. The old barn is far enough away from everyone that Trevor and Andrea were able to have some romantic alone time (well, as romantic as it can be with two photographers spying on them!).

When we were finished at the farm, they headed to Lethbridge in the awesome old truck they borrowed. It very conveniently matched their wedding colors! Trevor and Andrea picked beautiful colors for late autumn Lethbridge wedding photos, choosing gray with bright orange accents.

We had fun with the bridal party at the Galt Museum, then they had a moment of not-so-fun when the truck wouldn’t start… but luckily it came through for them and we made it down to Pavan Park to take advantage of the autumn colors :)

Congratulations, Trevor & Andrea!

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It’s a little harsh to start your wedding day needing an EpiPen, but Cheryl and Josh are tough and had an awesome day despite the rocky beginning (plus it sure adds to the quirky memories of the day!). We had perfect weather for a sunny Lethbridge autumn wedding, with beautiful fall colors to make their vivid wedding party outfits really pop.

After the girls got ready, we headed over to the Immanuel Lutheran Church on the west side where the minister worked awesome Star Wars jokes into the ceremony. The west side had so many amazing locations this autumn that we didn’t even have to leave it until it was time to go to their reception at the Italian Canadian Club :)

There were a few wedding party crossovers from previous weddings and as usual, they were such a fun group! Cheryl and Josh are amazing in front of the camera and you can tell how madly in love they are every moment they are together.

Congratulations, Josh & Cheryl!

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Allen and Anna had both done the traditional wedding before and wanted something special this time around! By combining their love of camping and the outdoors, having the whole party in nature, and throwing in touches of a cute redneck theme, they ended up with a unique wedding that was totally them!

They held their Castle Mountain outdoor wedding at the Syncline group campsite just minutes from the ski hill, and what a gorgeous location it was! Their ceremony took place amongst the huge trees next to the river and they had a beautiful tent sent up nearby for their reception dinner. All of their guests were able to camp right on site making it super easy for everyone to attend.

Their wedding party members were very special to them, being made up mostly of their children (including fur baby Buster as the ring bearer, who rocked a matching vest). It was such a meaningful way to signify the blending of their families.

We went off site for a few photos at the old cabin on the highway and were definitely running back when we heard growling in the bushes! ;)

Congratulations, Allen & Anna!

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