Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

Morgan and Cameron travelled south to Morgan’s family acreage to hold their Fort Macleod backyard wedding ceremony. Their perfect sunny day really made the cotton candy pink and blue color scheme pop! I loved how they mix and matched the colors throughout the wedding party and their children, with their daughter lucky enough to get the most colorful poofy dress that was a mix of both.

They kept their wedding very small with immediate family, which made the day so special and intimate. Their DIY touches were put together so well… Morgan made the bouquets and flower girl dress herself!

After all the years their relationship goes back, the deep intimacy and comfort they share together was obvious.

Congratulations, Cameron and Morgan!

(more…)

It’s already an honour to be asked to take part in such memorable days in people’s lives, but even more so when that day is exceptionally intimate. Becky and Ryan travelled to Waterton all the way from the Eastern US to have their Prince of Wales wedding elopement. Only the two of them, myself, and their officiant were present for the beautiful ceremony. (I won’t count the group of tourists yelling about a bear in the distance… they were far enough away!) They took their time to take in the scenery, sharing many quiet moments together most couples don’t have a chance to experience during their ceremonies.

It was such a still day behind the Prince of Wales Hotel, the first time this year I’ve been lucky enough to experience this! They could not have asked for more perfect weather. After their ceremony and a few photos around the hotel, we headed over to Red Rock Canyon. Not being from the area, they trusted me to choose our photo locations and I knew I made a good choice when they first approached the canyon and exclaimed, “Wow!”

As much as they have a quiet, nurturing presence around each other, they also have a silly side that I loved to see. Their hiking boots were a perfect touch to bring their interests into the photos AND make climbing into the canyon that much easier.

Congratulations, Ryan and Becky!

(more…)

A lot of love and hard work went into creating Christina and Joshua’s wedding. Nearly every little detail was created by them or their friends and family! Most notably, their bouquets were all handmade; Christina’s aunt performed the ceremony; and Christina baked almost every item on the dessert table, with her bridesmaids filling out the rest such as their cake.

Their wedding day was so joyous. Everyone was constantly joking, laughing, and hugging. Christina and Joshua lit up every time they were together and totally melted into each other arms. It was so fantastic that their children could spend the entire day with them.

The rain held off just long enough for them to get the Norland summer wedding photos they had hoped for. When we finally had a moment to go outside for some evening photos, luck would have it that that’s when it decided to rain! Christina’s parasol fortunately doubled as an umbrella and they were awesome being willing to stand out in the rain for a few minutes to get those pictures.

At the end of the day they held their reception in the new ballroom at The Norland Bed and Breakfast. The entire room smelled like Christina’s homemade cookies :)

Congratulations, Joshua and Christina!

(more…)

Henry and Shana already share a deep commitment by having a family together but chose to put together a dream wedding to officially unite their families. Every part of their day was thought out in romantic details, from Shana’s elegant flowing dress to their Norland outdoor wedding ceremony to their decorations covered in subdued flowers and pearls. Despite the years they have already shared together, they still look at each other with such passion.

After the crazy heat the day before, it was a perfect day at The Norland with just a hint of shade to keep things cool. All of the children in attendance adored the location… we couldn’t pinpoint their locations for very long because they were having so much fun running around the trees and swinging from the hammock!

Since Henry and Shana first met while salsa dancing, it was fitting that they had Latin music playing at their wedding reception! DJ Tizio (the DJ behind all of the salsa nights in Lethbridge) was the obvious choice to keep their party going all night.

Congratulations, Henry and Shana!

(more…)

While most of our weddings this year had a huge chance of being rained out, Shelly and Mark’s Paradise Canyon summer wedding never once had that threat. Instead they had an amazing hot day for their outdoor ceremony at the golf course.

They chose to hold both their ceremony and reception at the scenic Paradise Canyon Golf Resort, overlooking the coulees. With Mark’s family travelling a far distance to attend the wedding, it was fitting they got to spend this special day in such a distinct Lethbridge landscape!

It was amazing seeing Shelly and Mark interact with each other. While they are normally very collected people, they couldn’t hold back their emotions at times like seeing each other down the aisle and sharing emotional speeches. I love photographing criers ;)

Congratulations, Mark and Shelly!

(more…)

Monika and Peter love the outdoors so it was no surprise that Waterton was the perfect fit for their wedding. Their Bayshore Inn outdoor yard ceremony took place in such gorgeous weather with their closest friends and family in attendance. All day they were surrounded by so much love!

They subtly worked a couple of their geeky interests into the wedding with superhero socks, cufflinks, and even underwear, plus a Star Wars wedding band. The rest of their theme had a romantic look with subdued colors and beautiful white wild flowers.

Videography that day was provided by their adorable dog Brian. I’m not sure they’ll be hiring him again after he missed part of their ceremony by rolling upside down ;)

I loved watching Monika and Peter interact with each other. They are so comfortable together and naturally melted into each other’s arms for every photo.

Congratulations, Peter and Monika!

(more…)