Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

I went out for a bit of a drive to join Monica and Dave for their Claresholm ranch engagement photography a few miles outside of the town. We took their vehicle up to the rocky hill overlooking the ranch, through the herd of inquisitive cows enjoying their dinner. From up there we had sweeping views of the foothills surrounding their property, starting to pick up the soft green tones as spring began to spread throughout the fields.

Monica and Dave were so easy to photograph together. They are always making each other giggle and it’s probably lucky for me I was just out of earshot during when I’m pretty sure he was telling her dirty jokes to get more laughs! Even when my camera was placed down to plan the next photo, they’d pull each other in for another embrace and I’d quickly start snapping again.

I can’t wait to explore the area further on their wedding day this summer when they’re dressed all fancy!

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Erin and Taylor chose the most beautiful day to have their Lethbridge City Hall spring wedding. This was the first day of spring where it truly felt like summer was on its way and the air was filled with the sweet smell of tree blossoms everywhere we went.

We arrived in time for Erin to have her “assembly line” of first looks in her parents’ back yard. Her father got to have the first first look, followed by Taylor once he arrived with his groomsmen. Erin’s dad won the award for most crying during the first look :)

After portraits at Aperture Park, they headed to City Hall for their ceremony. Edgar the Barnowl presenting their wedding rings offered a unique touch to the day! He was very well behaved during the entire ceremony.

The day had already been filled with tons of laughter, but once the reception rolled around and everyone had time to relax and visit with each other, the laughter was non-stop! We had trouble prying ourselves away from all the happy dancers even after our photo coverage was over :)

Congratulations, Erin and Taylor!

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Bailey and Wes held their Lethbridge Pavan Park early spring wedding at the John Martin Recreation Area. They had a very intimate outdoor wedding ceremony with their immediate family and a handful of friends. They were so lucky with the weather, having a warm spring day with enough cloud cover to keep the temperature perfect while rain held off until much later in the evening.

Bailey wore a beautiful fitted lace dress. Their deep red accents really popped against the neutral warm tones in the river bottom. We managed to find a few spots where the leaves were starting to make their appearance in a subtle green glow.

It was hard to ever put our cameras down because this was probably the giggliest wedding we have ever done! Everyone included in their wedding was so positive and constantly making jokes. The wedding party had each other roaring with laughter non-stop. Any photo where everyone looks serious took intense concentration and usually ended with a smirk sneaking onto at least one person’s face. Surrounded by that much laughter, they are definitely going to have a happy marriage that is full of joy.

Congratulations, Bailey and Wes!

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Raiven and Jonathan couldn’t decide between a Galt Museum engagement session or one in the river bottom, so why not both? They picked a gorgeous spring evening for it too!

I loved watching how great Raiven and Jonathan are together. It’s obvious they are best friends; whenever we’d have a moment to pause between photos, they’d eagerly be telling each other stories and making each other laugh! I can’t wait to see how happy they are at their wedding later this year :)

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Alki and Sophia came down to visit Sophia’s home town area over Easter and see family while planning their wedding for this summer. As part of their wedding preparations, I met up with them for their early spring Lethbridge engagement photos at Aperture Park at the University and it was awesome to meet them in person after only talking to them on the phone! They are so adorable together. They really feed off of each other’s light hearted energy while still sharing these romantic, introspective moments together. If they are this happy together normally, I can’t wait to see how big those smiles will be on the wedding day!

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I really looked forward to seeing how Brittany and Sam would combine their cultural backgrounds for their Calgary Chinatown spring wedding. The beautiful event did not disappoint! They held their ceremony at the Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre downtown under the gorgeous domed ceiling.

The area along the river had no shortage of beautiful spots so we didn’t have to go very far for photos as we made our way to their reception at the Regency Palace Restaurant. They could not have asked for a nicer day, especially with all the blossoms still being out.

Brittany and Sam had such a romantic and timeless look to their wedding day style. Sam rocked his James Bond style tux and Brittany was stunning in her floral detail wedding gown (the first of three dresses she wore that day!). Their personalities are so in sync with each other and I loved watching how romantic they are together.

Congratulations, Brittany and Sam!

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