Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

Nicole and Brandon’s Italian Canadian Centre autumn wedding was well worth the wait! Their wedding planning started pre-COVID and they were finally able to have the wedding they wanted with all of their family and friends there.

Back in high school, they had made a bet with a staff member that if they got married, she would come to the wedding. That bet came to fruition, and they had her perform the marriage ceremony! Their vows were full of laughter and happy tears, especially when they first saw each other in the aisle. All of Brandon’s tension melted away when he had his first look at Nicole, and she was overcome with very teary smiles.

They booked a fantastic car to get around for their photos, a classic Lincoln from 94 Cabs, which made for amazing photos. This was the very first wedding the car has been used for since it was restored, so it was quite an honour to try it out. We had such a great time out for photos with them, especially thanks to their hilarious friends who had no shortage of great poses and jokes to make the couple laugh.

Congratulations, Nicole and Brandon!

p.s. A huge thank you to Matthew from Aspire Photography who helped me out when Cam wasn’t feeling well!

Andrea and Jeff had always planned to keep their Via Church autumn wedding small, but had no idea it was still going to fit within the new rules when they were only booking one month out! With just their immediate families and a few close friends in attendance at Via Church in north Lethbridge, they didn’t have to modify their guest list at all.

This was a very special ceremony for them. Jeff’s father is involved in the church and performed part of the ceremony. Andrea’s son was their ring bearer, a very important role when they otherwise didn’t have a wedding party.

After their ceremony, we headed to Pavan Park for family photos. All of the cousins loved playing together in between posing, and luckily everyone was a really good sport in the usual Lethbridge wind! Once their family headed out, Andrea and Jeff finally got to enjoy each other’s company and really relax together.

Congratulations, Andrea & Jeff!

Rebecca and Colin planned their Trinity Reformed Church autumn wedding with splashes of yellow, which worked out perfectly with the fall colours in Pavan Park that day! We were originally going to do portraits at Henderson Lake, but after a windy week I’m so glad we made the decision to switch spots.

I first met Rebecca at her sister’s wedding a few years ago, so it was amazing to see her again so in love. Her and Colin are a perfect match, constantly making each other laugh. I think there were a few times they got so caught up in the moment with each other that they forgot their wedding party was even there!

We did all of their portraits with their wedding party before their ceremony, which was a perfect way to spend the warm afternoon. Their families then met us at Trinity Reformed Church for their ceremony. The church’s long aisle and steps to the alter were perfect for showing off Rebecca’s beautiful long lace train on her wedding dress.

Congratulations, Rebecca and Colin!

Last fall I had another fun personal branding top up session with Renae from Beautiful Inside Academy.

While Renae is usually about cool neutral colours and a crisp, clean look, she needed something more seasonal she can use in the autumn. We picked a gorgeous day when the colours were vibrant to have some fun throwing leaves, playing on the swings, and hanging out in Pavan Park.

The background may not fit Renae’s brand, but the photos still show her approachable, warm personality and positive outlook. You may also remember her awesome sunglasses from her last session!

Haley and Ryan were met with a ton of challenges in planning their wedding. After a year long postponement due to COVID and having to change their outdoor venue from a local park to a private farm wedding ceremony, their wedding day brought a new challenge of rain! If rain on the wedding day is a sign of good luck, it seems even more fortunate that it would stop just as their ceremony began. Their location hosts did an amazing job running around drying off seats and it didn’t take long into the vows for their guests to be able to put their umbrellas away.

This year has been so fantastic for very personal wedding officiants. Ryan’s cousin performed their ceremony, which made it so much more special. Family played a vital role throughout the day as they also had all of their siblings and a number of cousins in their wedding party.

Portraits were done at Pavan Park where the group really got started partying, followed by their reception that night at the Italian Canadian Club. Everyone there was so happy and excited to celebrate the couple; as soon as the dance floor opened, it was packed!

Congratulations, Haley and Ryan!

Just before the polar vortex hit Lethbridge, it was welcomed in by a heavy blizzard. This happened to be exactly when Lindsay’s maternity photoshoot was booked! We decided to press on since her husband Terry was only back from work for a few more days (and -15C with snow sounded a lot better than -40C!). She ended up with some very snowy Pavan Park maternity photos.

In the beginning, the snow was so thick I could barely see them! Luckily it calmed down just enough to make the photos so wintery and dreamy. Lindsay was committed to her vision and took her huge coat off for photos. The colourful dress looked so amazing in the snow. Her maternity photoshoot will truly be a memorable experience!