Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

Melissa and Schuyler usually get autumn family photos every year, but between quarantines and blizzards, this year they had a very different look in their photos! Their fresh snowfall family photos gave the kids a chance to check out all the animal tracks in the untouched snow and have fun snow fights with each other.

Their youngest was full of laughter through the entire session, so I think he’ll grow into loving winter activities the most out of his siblings ;)

Melinda’s secret plan to propose to her boyfriend Gage during their session turned into an even bigger surprise for her with double proposal engagement photos!

As far as Gage knew (or so we thought), he and Melinda were going to have a couples photoshoot in the river bottom…

Elsa and Larry’s adorable interactions together stood out at a family member’s wedding last year when we first met them. I was so excited when they called me to photograph their own wedding. As I expected, they got even cuter when all the attention was on them! They were full of non-stop laughter during their Lethbridge winter engagement photos.

We chose the river bottom as their photo location because of the importance the area has to them. It’s been the location of their favourite dates and was where Larry popped the question. Elsa had a few spots in mind for their wedding photos later in the year, so we picked an alternative this time and ventured into the Helen Schuler Nature Reserve. It was such a gorgeous winter day, which was ironic since the wedding where I met them was much colder and snowier but in the autumn!

Our unusually warm January last year continued to surprise us with morning rain before Bill and Sue’s portraits. We nearly moved things indoors but the sun came out just in time for their Indian Battle Park warm winter photo session. The ladies showed off their intense hiking skills by traversing the river bottom’s many puddles, ice sheets, and mud patches in high heels.

I appreciated how committed they were to the photos! The wind was cold and the sun kept vanishing, but their jackets repeatedly came off for the sake of the photos.

This session was a much needed update for the family, now that they have added a son-in-law to their children!

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Candace and Davis wanted to keep their ceremony small and decided on an intimate Waterton United Church winter wedding. Their immediate family was there by their side, and everyone else will get to join them for a bigger party next year!

It was a beautiful day in Waterton with fresh snow and clear skies. We could see the amazing mountain views, and Candace surprised herself (and all of us) with how warm she was outside for photos in just her dress! The town workers were busy clearing paths around the park, allowing us to go to some of the most beautiful views despite the huge snowfall the day before.

Congratulations, Candace and Davis!

This may look like a Christmas wedding, but these snowy Norland wedding portraits were part of the wild fall weather we’ve had! Janita and William didn’t let the cold temperatures or second snowfall slow down their wedding plans. They were just as enthusiastic about the snow, which looked amazing with the rich reds in their colour scheme.

The wedding party and their spouses tag teamed keeping the couple warm by picking up hot chocolate, being ready with blankets behind the scenes of the photos, and parking their truck nearby so everyone could warm up in shifts.

Janita’s family lives just down the road from the Norland, plus the venue is only one block away from their church, so it was the perfect place to do their wedding photos! There were still a few autumn colours here and there while the beautiful beams of sunlight provided welcome relief from the cold for everyone.

From the time Janita’s father started laying on the dad jokes during getting ready photos to siblings lightly teasing the couple during their reception, everyone was in a constant state of laughter and joy all day long.

Congratulations, Janita & William!