Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

I’m always so excited to do animal rescue dog photography to help our four legged friends find their forever homes. One of the last dogs I got to photograph was gentle giant Twister. Her and her foster family met me at Park Lake for her adoption profile photos. She didn’t mind one bit that there were other people and dogs at the lake. She was too focused on all the awesome sticks and my funny noises!

Twister was very quickly adopted through the Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society (AARCS).

It was so exciting to see Chelsey have her turn in a wedding dress after photographing her sister’s wedding a few years ago! Chelsey looked stunning in her mermaid-style dress. Her and Rick were great sports through the sweltering heat and swarms of mosquitoes we encountered that day. They powered through their photos with very few AC breaks and were in such great spirits.

We first met with their families at Park Lake (land of mosquitoes). Not only were they lucky with beautiful weather, but the long weekend crowds hadn’t arrived at the lake yet and we had unlimited space for photos!

Next we made our way into Lethbridge to take them closer to their reception, starting with Nicholas Sheran wedding photos and then visiting the university. The groomsmen hilariously took over my job once in a while and called out instructions for the couple to kiss or laugh. Rick and Chelsey had such a fun afternoon spending the time laughing with their friends.

Congratulations, Chelsey and Rick!

After meeting in New Zealand, where Steven is originally from, he and Willianne chose Canada as the perfect place to have their wedding. The couple moved back to Alberta in the days leading up to the event and many of their friends and Steven’s family made the long trip to join them on this special day.

They began the morning with their Southminster United Church wedding ceremony. Since their wedding had hints of a country feel interspersed throughout the day, the church perfectly complemented it with its vintage wood detailing.

After a family lunch in Indian Battle Park, we set off for photos. We were lucky again to work with a couple who had such a romantic feel to their interactions and their entire day! Willianne and Steven radiate a peacefulness when they are in each other’s arms and were so sweet to watch.

Willianne chose her parents’ yard for their outdoor reception. What a gorgeous venue it made! Their beautifully landscaped yard in the country side was set up with a large decorated tent, different treat stations, and a BBQ dinner prepared on site. It was a perfect venue for mingling and laughter on such a nice summer evening.

Congratulations, Willianne and Steven!

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To celebrate Lourens’ 50th birthday, his children all got together for Park Lake multi-generation family photos. The family coordinated so well for their blue color scheme and even the little kids matched! This was a wonderful idea for his wife Peggy to put together :)

Even as their children grow and move on to start families of their own, the closeness between them remains strong. The siblings interact no differently in their joking and teasing each other than if they were still kids living under the same roof!

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Janine and Travis chose a gorgeous day to get married and spent it with all the people who love them the most. Their wedding party was so energetic and happy throughout the day, and always ready to help Janine with her dress. Janine and Travis are so passionate together and I had to be careful not to direct them too kiss too often, because it was hard to get them to stop!

We started off the day with Park Lake summer wedding photos of them and their families. The lake was nice and quiet (except for the mosquitoes) so we got to have free reign of the place.

Everyone then piled in the limo to head to Lethbridge for photos in the coulees (I’m always so impressed with the ease at which the girls travel down in their heels!) and some urban shots in Crossings.

Congratulations, Janine and Travis!

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Denise and Koos wanted country-inspired photos but loved the idea of going to the lake, so we combined them into a Park Lake country engagement session! It was such a beautiful evening at Park Lake and felt like summer was finally here :)

I couldn’t get over how sweet Denise and Koos are together. Their love was so obvious even though they are a quiet and reserved couple. You can see it in the way they embrace and the way they smile at each other. Plus, you know how crazy Koos is for Denise when he hates having his photo taken but did awesome through the session!

I can’t wait for their wedding this spring!

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