Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

Ami-Marie and Devin’s Readymade autumn wedding was full of laughter and happy tears… many, many happy tears. Ami-Marie spent a good chunk of the day reassuring people through her sobbing that she was very happy despite all the crying!

The couple met while working at the University of Lethbridge so we started the day there. For their first look, we picked the amazing staircase in the building where they first met. (With lots of tears, of course.) We later learned Ami-Marie would make special trips to visit Devin. They truly have a story of love at first sight!

They chose the Readymade Community Centre as both their ceremony and reception venue in large part because of its proximity to Ami’s family’s farm where she grew up. Their reception program highlighted parent speeches that felt more like comedy routines than a proper welcome to the family. It was quickly obvious where Ami-Marie and Devin get their senses of humour from!

It’s been ten years since I first met Ami-Marie at her friend’s wedding and I’m so happy to see her at this point in her life so in love with Devin!

Congratulations, Ami-Marie and Devin!

Martha is a very dear friend of one of my favorite university professors that I’ve ever had. I’ve seen so many photos of her and heard so many of their adventures that I almost felt like I knew her before I met her! As part of her graduation gift, Martha’s friend treated her to convocation portraits. This year Martha accomplished the huge achievement of graduating with a University of Lethbridge Masters Degree in Environmental Science.

We did the photos at the University of Lethbridge to honour the hard work she put in on campus. However, Martha was feeling a little done with her studies by that point so we stuck to more of the natural landscape around the university rather than looking at the buildings. The lilacs are amazing this year and were still in bloom on campus so we took full advantage of them.

Upon meeting Martha you can immediately sense how kind and positive she is. This was even more apparent in how happy she looked wearing several layers with her cap and gown in the heat! It was super hot that day – unbelievably so! – but Martha was full of smiles and laughter.

Congratulations on your graduation, Martha!

If we’re in Lethbridge over the Christmas holidays, I’m always happy to squeeze in families who are together for a few days. Chris and Udo had their daughters visit them for Christmas and took the opportunity to do Lethbridge indoor winter family photos at the University.

Grandma and Grandpa came along too! Grandma had the biggest smiles and was so happy to be around her beautiful granddaughters and their boyfriends.

Udo is significantly taller than everyone else in his family so he was like our anchor in every photo (while the family joked about always having him sit).

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I rang in the new year with west Lethbridge winter family photography of this lovely couple. I photographed their engagement session a few years ago and they’ve now added little Nathan to the family! Nathan is such a huge smiler. Any silly sound and face I made behind the camera had him squealing with delight!

We timed our session perfectly between the beautiful snowfall and wind that carried it away. A herd of deer were enjoying Aperture Park during our visit and Nathan loved watching them. One even joined our session!

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Tricia and Colin always love to work their geeky interests into their photography sessions. For a while, they were stuck on what theme to pick for their maternity photos for their second baby. Dinosaurs? Harry Potter? While teaching their little boy Thorin about where his new brother or sister is, he repeatedly pointed to Tricia’s belly and exclaimed, “Batman!” I am thus convinced they are having a Batman, and so they decided to go with a Batman themed maternity session!

Equipped with capes, masks, and custom made shirts where they each wear the emblem (including the Bat Baby), we kept warm inside at the university for their photos. Thorin loved looking at all the art sculptures there and getting to fly around (we didn’t have the heart to tell him Batman can’t fly on his own).

Since then, their new superhero has joined their family!

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Vanessa and Robbie planned an elegant Galt Museum ceremony and wedding reception on the cusp of autumn. With glimmering rose gold and soft pink accents and well tailored suits, their wedding party looked so sharp!

They started their day with a first look at Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden and had their family join them there for photos. After their romantic and joyfully emotional ceremony at the Galt, we headed to the University of Lethbridge, which is where their journey together began.

The couple placed so much importance on family, including all of their siblings in the wedding party and making sure everyone close to them felt as important as they are. They were so ecstatically happy all day! Even as the pre-dinner sleepiness started to set in, they were still elated to be in each other’s presence and couldn’t stop grinning.

Congratulations, Vanessa and Robbie!

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