Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

Weddings and events may have been postponed in 2020 due to COVID, but once restrictions eased up in the summer, everyone was grateful to spend time outdoors with their families! I was so thankful we have such beautiful, wide open outdoor spaces around Lethbridge so I could keep photographing all of these awesome families. I ended up hoarse on many occasions from yelling through my mask, but it was always worth it.

Two of the biggest trends I noticed this year were all of the babies who arrived (and these aren’t even the quarantine babies yet!) and all of the larger families who made an effort to celebrate important anniversaries and birthdays. I adapted quickly by bringing most of the newborns outdoors on warm days and talking their parents through poses. Everyone did so well!

Some highlights from 2020 include not one but TWO marriage proposals, a cat birthday, and a few more secret projects to come that I can’t share yet, including album art for local musicians and a children’s book. Each season was so amazing this year, from the long blossom season we had to the vibrant colours in the fall. Even the early snow was warm enough for outdoor photos!

What a year 2020 was! By the time March rolled around, we weren’t sure if we were still going to be able to call ourselves “wedding photographers” this year, or if COVID was going to cancel weddings and events completely. Quite a few of our couples decided to postpone their weddings until 2021, but the rest decided to shake up their plans and go for it!

We saw a little less travelling this year, but still managed to visit Waterton many times and went as far as the Pioneers Cabin in Edmonton. Many of the weddings were made more personal by cancelling venue reservations and moving the festivities to family’s and friend’s farms and ranches, where we found some stunning views of the Alberta landscape.

With 2020 being such an oddball, it was totally fitting that it was also a leap year! We started out the year with James and Kaylene’s leap year / 1920s themed wedding before we had any idea of what was to come.

When Meagan wanted to ask her partner Shieghla to marry her, she decided it was going to be a group effort. After first asking Shieghla’s children for permission, she arranged a gift certificate with me. Their Waterton surprise proposal session was disguised as family photos for an anniversary gift. Meaghan then had oversized custom Scrabble tiles made by Nixynn Fine Wood Products – Scrabble is one of their favourite hobbies to do together – and came up with a plan for their family members to sneak the tiles into the session.

I met up with the family at Linnet Lake to start with regular portraits, and work through some of Meaghan’s nerves until she was ready to ask the question!

Finally it was time at the Prince of Wales! Meaghan and I had shared diagrams and code words before the proposal session. I asked the other family members to stand to the side while I took photos of the couple, giving them a chance to stealthily pull the Scrabble tiles out.

Shieghla was shocked and had never expected it! (Of course she said yes!) Her and Meagan were so lost in the moment, they didn’t even hear the onlooking tourists clapping for them!

Congratulations, Meagan and Shieghla!

When Emily and Cody’s plans for a destination wedding in 2020 didn’t pan out, they kept the idea of a destination but made it a little more local! Their families joined them for an outdoor Waterton autumn wedding at the Waterton Lakes Lodge Resort. With perfect weather, they were able to have their ceremony outside on the resort’s green space. Emily’s dad performed the ceremony, making it extra special. It was such a joyful day for everyone involved. The couple weren’t the only ones smiling and laughing non-stop!

Their wedding was incredibly timed with the fall colours this year! Waterton was covered in rich yellows, reds, and oranges with still a bit of green left, and all of the new growth is so vibrant as it bounces back from the Kenow Fire. We took them to the entrance of the Bertha Lake hike to take full advantage of the colour. Emily and Cody were totally down for a small hike! They even received a few bonus congratulations from the last hikers of the season.

Congratulations, Emily and Cody!

Vacationing more locally has surged in popularity (which is no surprise considering our circumstances!). Cheryl and Larry wanted to create special camping memories for their family, so they packed up their RV with their boys and headed south to Waterton. On one of their trips to the national park this summer, they made time one afternoon for a Waterton family photo session.

The family met me at the Prince of Wales on their bicycles. I’m sure all the tourists thought I was insane as I yelled about birds pooping on my head, but I’ll do whatever the kids find the funniest! The boys were also supposed to watch for the ghost behind me (they are currently into Scooby Doo in a big way, and if there’s going to be a ghost in Waterton, I’m sure it would live at the Prince of Wales).

After being engaged for several years, Alyssa and Israel had a big wedding planned… and then COVID hit! Not wanting to extend their engagement another year, they decided to turn their big wedding into a destination elopement in Waterton. They had their Waterton lakeshore elopement in the late afternoon. The spot they chose was their favourite view from their nearby accommodations at the Bayshore Inn, and conveniently the area had the fewest tourists!

Alyssa and Israel were adorable and fawning over each other from the moment I first met them in person. They constantly made each other laugh, could rarely be found not embracing, and Israel frequently stole kisses. Half the time I barely had to pose them because they’d naturally fall into each other’s arms once I told them where to stand! Their elopement was an amazing chance for them to get away for a weekend together and focus only on each other, which they were obviously very happy to do :)

Congratulations, Alyssa and Israel!