Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

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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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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Chris and Dara had an intimate Waterton Lakes Lodge patio wedding with a handful of the people closest to them. Their ceremony was very emotional with both of them fighting back happy tears and really showed the deep love they share.

The weather that day let them have their outdoor ceremony, though we had to run in at one point when it started hailing during the paper signing! Family photos were then met with a very brief downpour and the rest of the day was like someone flicking a light switch between sun and clouds. Luckily Chris and Dara were so easy going that the weather didn’t phase them at all. Rain or shine, they happily went through their day without so much as an umbrella! All that mattered was each other :)

Once we finished their portraits, they headed back to the Waterton Lakes Lodge for a late sunlit lunch with their family.

Congratulations, Dara and Chris!

p.s. Thank you to Melanie at Photo Expressions for helping out!

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I love going to Waterton for weddings, so it was impossible to say no when Lorelei Hoffarth asked me to help her second shoot Kaitlin and Riley’s wedding there. (Plus Lorelei is awesome to work with!)

I started out the day several hours earlier than I’m used to getting up (and survived!) to capture the guys getting ready in Lethbridge before the limo arrived, then hopped on board with them to the gorgeous national park. They had their Waterton morning ceremony on the cliffs behind the Prince of Wales Hotel and it was such a beautiful day for the wedding. Kaitlin and Riley are a gorgeous couple and judging by Riley’s emotional response to seeing her walk down the aisle, their love is so strong.

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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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Freddie and Stef wanted their laid-back attitudes and love of the outdoors to come through when planning their big day and fittingly decided on a Racehorse Creek outdoor wedding at one of their favorite camping and dirt biking locations.

They chose a gorgeous clearing in the Racehorse Creek area just north of the Crowsnest Pass where all of their friends and family could camp for the weekend celebrations. Of course they brought along all of their “toys” and even included their dirt bikes in the wedding :)

Stef was jaw-dropping in her corseted dress. All of the tears and laughter shared between her and Freddie throughout the day made it so obvious how in love they are.

Their day brought a sampling of all of Alberta’s weather: smoke, sun, wind, rain, and concluding with a dramatic sunset so beautiful that they quickly changed back into their wedding clothes to take advantage of it.

Congratulations, Freddie and Stef!

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