Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

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!

(more…)

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.

(more…)

Garrett and Heather held a summer Waterton Community Center wedding on the lawn below the mountains. It was a beautiful day for their intimate wedding and we managed to keep the day calm by avoiding all of the crowds in the park.

In the evening we returned to the Waterton Community Center for their reception, which was deliciously catered by The Great Canadian Barn Dance.

Heather and Garrett are such happy and silly people (at one point they complained how hard it was when I asked them to be serious for a photo!) that you couldn’t help but feel joyous being around them all day. They just couldn’t stop smiling! It was obvious where they inherit these traits from… everyone in their families was so warm and inviting and had great senses of humor.

Congratulations, Garrett & Heather!

(more…)

Ryan and Jen had a summer Waterton mountain wedding, which is always one of our favorite places to visit! Both their ceremony and reception were held at the Waterton Community Center, with their ceremony taking place on the lawn outside overlooking the gorgeous mountains that surround the townsite.

They were hilarious with their wedding party, and Ryan was especially all about jumping into silly poses. We are very grateful to them that they handled the wind so well seeing as how the prettiest places were the ones where the wind could almost knock you down that day!

Congratulations, Ryan and Jen!

(more…)

When Chelsea contacted me to do Waterton family photos, I was so excited! I’m normally only there for weddings when we have a tight schedule, but for family portraits we could take our time and explore as much as needed. Her and Brendon, along with their sweet children Alexis and Liam (some of the most well behaved kids I’ve ever met!), met with me one summer afternoon and enjoyed the beautiful day with me.

It was such a gorgeous day in Waterton… sunny but not too hot, and all the colors were so vibrant, especially in the wildflowers that were in bloom. We went on a few mini hikes exploring the park and the kids got to have a fun wagon ride to get there.

(more…)

When Michael and Chantelle told me that their dog Wyatt was going to be a big part of their wedding day I knew we would have a lot of fun! We started out their casual Waterton wedding day with an intimate ceremony at Linnett Lake on the docks with a background of changing autumn leaves and spent the afternoon taking photos around Waterton. I was so happy that they scheduled so much of their day for photos! We didn’t have to feel rushed at all and got to visit so many different locations.

We finished up at Red Rock Canyon just as a few rain/snow clouds rolled in, but luckily it’s still only up in the mountains that the season is really changing! In the evening they held their reception at the old school house in Waterton with lots of dancing and delicious food.

They were so much fun to work with and since they are huge outdoor enthusiasts (both in their careers and hobbies), they were totally fine with hiking to the best spots. Wyatt came along all day and was such a good model, even if he’s a little excitable most of the time :)

Congratulations, Michael and Chantelle! (more…)