Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

Jannette and Adrian may be one of our most enthusiastic couples this year! They were both very excited about the photography planning from the very beginning and I loved Jannette’s level of involvement in all of her wedding details. Together we reached the decision of doing Nikka Yuko wedding photos for the majority of their portraits. As soon as they walked into the Japanese Gardens (the first time either of them had visited) and exclaimed, “Wow!” I knew we had chosen the perfect location!

The air was heavy with smoke that day but it didn’t get anyone’s spirits down. Everyone spent the day laughing and having fun, and the couple were so excited and willing to go along with every photo idea we had. This meant climbing over rocks in the water and spending a little extra time in a cathedral length veil that was struggling to survive the day!

We had a blast laughing with them all day and appreciated how much time they set aside for portraits, including an extra evening photography session around sunset.

Congratulations, Jannette and Adrian!

When Jordanna and Deiter booked their Galt Museum winter wedding, they had their fingers crossed for a white wedding. You never know when you’ll get spring in February in Lethbridge! Even though it was cold, they missed the worst of our winter cold snap and were treated to a beautiful fresh coat of snow on the ground.

Jordanna wore a gorgeous red cape to stay warm in her wedding dress in the snow. Her dress itself was stunning, and a very proud internet order success story!

You’d never know by their faces how cold they were. Everyone was full of huge laughter all day and were incredible at tolerating the cold to get outdoor photography. Jordanna and Deiter were even more cute together than at their engagement session. This was especially true during their ceremony where they quickly switched back and forth from tearing up to huge grins.

After our very chilly photos outside, they warmed up with drinks at Italian Table before their reception back at the Galt Museum.

Congratulations, Jordanna & Deiter!

Stacie and Gerrit planned a romantic Lethbridge Sandman Signature Hotel autumn wedding with dark grays with deep red accents, all of which looked striking with the fall colours. In mid-October, we’re never quite sure what weather we’re going to get. Stacie and Gerrit were treated to all of the weather! The temperatures climbed early in the day, along with quite a windstorm that drove us indoors for family portraits. We refused to hide from the weather all day and sought shelter in the Helen Schuler Nature Reserve.

While Stacie and Gerrit laughed and had a great time with their wedding party in the river bottom (along with a lot of getting lost in each other’s eyes), the sky became blacker and blacker until we started hearing thunder and seeing lightning! We finished their photos in a downpour before rushing back to the safety of the hotel.

Their reception was filled with so many sweet stories from their families. Wedding receptions usually turn into a bit of a roast, but theirs was mostly a celebration of how loved they are by everyone around them (with a healthy dose of roasting from their siblings).

They took a break from their reception at the Sandman Signature Hotel (formerly the Lethbridge Lodge) for night time photos. Luckily by then the rain had stopped, and the snow hadn’t quite started yet! Stacie and Gerrit embraced tightly on the edge of the coulees – partly to stay warm but mostly because it meant they finally had a moment alone together :)

Congratulations, Stacie and Gerrit!

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Kendi and Roy had an intimate Lethbridge Sandman Signature Hotel late autumn wedding. Their immediate families and best friends got to take part in their ceremony in the hotel’s courtyard. It was such a quiet day at the hotel that it felt like they had the place all to themselves! They were all smiles and quietly joked with each other through facial expressions during the ceremony.

They made Roy’s daughter Cora an important part of their day, having her stand with them as the only member of the wedding party and then bringing her along for portraits. She even had awesome shoes to match Kendi’s!

After the family was sent off to get an early start on the reception, we headed to the Helen Schuler Nature Reserve on this beautiful day for their portraits. Now that the colours outside have subdued for the season, their red wedding accents really popped! Kendi and Roy were so easy to photograph when they spent the whole time snuggling and giggling together.

Congratulations, Kendi and Roy!

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I know it’s early in the year, but I think Kim and Nathaniel may be one of my most passionate couples this wedding season. The way they looked at each other and snuck kisses even when the camera was down was so romantic!

We started out the day greeting them as they arrived at the NRC church in Lethbridge and followed Kim as she walked down the aisle to her soon to be husband. For photo locations we focused on Lethbridge Research Centre wedding portraits, which was stunningly green this time of year, followed by a quick visit to Henderson Lake and the old red firehall downtown.

Kim and Nathaniel were surrounded by so much happiness and laughter throughout the day. From Nathaniel’s friends’ dry humor to Kim’s sisters’ theatrics, we rarely stopped laughing!

Congratulations, Kim and Nathaniel!

p.s. Thank you to Melanie from Photo Expressions for being my second shooter for the day!

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We met up with Janelle and Gerald for their Fort Macleod spring wedding photos just after their ceremony and luncheon in the town. We managed to squeeze in all the family photos just before it suddenly started raining! Janelle had totally planned ahead and picked out a fantastic hangar for indoor photos so we could stay dry.

Once the rain finally lifted, we headed back outside to get photos with the amazing vintage car they had for the wedding day. It took a little longer to drive from one point to another and Gerald had to carefully drive around bumps in the road, but it was *definitely* worth it to have such a sweet ride.

Janelle and Gerald kept their wedding intimate by not officially having a wedding party, but brought some of their closest friends along for photos. This gave us a little more time than normal to focus on the couple and how sweet they are together. I loved how classy they looked with how perfectly tailored the dress and suit were, especially next to the vintage car. Everything about the day was so romantic.

Congratulations, Janelle and Gerald!

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