to say i was beyond honored was an understatement.  when i received the invitation to shoot charlotte wedding magazine’s upcoming editorial feature i was ecstatic.  charlotte wedding is an up and coming north carolina wedding magazine that is chock-full of marital goodness.  from bridal fashion, diy ideas, and lots of decor inspiration, no wonder it can’t stay on the shelf!

the idea of this editorial was to pull inspiration from the series mad men, a 1960′s tv series featured on amc.  from skinny ties, retro jewels, & birdcage veils, the styling team of charlotte wedding took us back to a time when chic was the epitomy of style.  collaborating with the 1960′s styling, the charmed event, a hot hot hot wedding & event design company, added touches of whimsy to the shoot by incorporating throwback classics consisting of hip save the date cards, a vintage cocktail mini-bar, & a retro candy bar (i especially loved the candy cigarettes, which i haven’t seen in ages!  totally took me back to being a kid!!!)  delectables by holly created a unique 1960′s fare of mini beef wellington, oysters on the half shell, classic shrimp coctail, and so much more! and let us not forget the GORGEOUS cake made by my friend and fellow wedding vendor,  johnathan davis, owner of crumbs couture, YUMMY!   AND the AMAZING florals by todd crawford, of crawford & company florists…those poppies were to die for!!!  the shoot went on from early in the morning til later in the afternoon.  we hopped, skipped and jumped all over charlotte.  from south 21, the diamond, fuel pizza, to the charlotte city club…i loved our locations!  good times my friends…good times…

to all the ladies from charlotte wedding…THANK YOU for allowing me to be a part of such a cool & fun project.  i had a blast and can’t wait to work with you all again!

for more 1960′s goodness check out this magnificent mad men shoot by grabbing a copy of charlotte wedding magazine’s fall/winter issue today.

for a complete list of vendors click here.

like what you see?  let me know by leaving me some love…xoxo…t

after MANY MANY MANY months of meetings, careful decision making, and brainstorming, i am SO VERY PROUD to announce my new branding for tara mauldin photography.  i am THRILLED with the way it all turned out.  i wanted something that really resonated with who i am as a photographer, a person, and the way i wanted my company to be viewed.  for years and years i have been enamored with everything vintage & antique, as many of you already know.  i used to sell (and still do collect) antique and vintage jewelry, i am an avid collector of victorian & art deco purses, victorian tchotchkes, unusual vintage trinkets, stones & minerals, and boy, the list really goes on and on.  so i truly wanted this love to show through with my branding.  i wanted something romantic, beautiful, & timeless.  i believe it was all accomplished.  and it was only with the help of ryan hunley, owner of second street creative, that i was able to achieve it.  he is an AMAZING designer, thoughtful, introspective, and most of all one of the nicest people you will ever meet.  so easy to work with, accommodating, clever, and quite funny.  i had a blast working with him and his company.  i could not recommend him enough.   he created my branding, my logo, and my blog design.  love it!!!!  if any of you are struggling with your branding, take my advice…we as photographers think just because we know our way around photoshop that WE can design our own logos, work on our own branding…but TRUST ME…hire an expert.  they know what they are doing.  it keeps your wheels from spinning, your branding from continually changing (like mine did), and it will free up some much more of your time to do what we really love to do…work on our photography. 

so…i hope you enjoy the new look…let me know what you guys think?  would LOVE to hear some feedback!!!  xoxo…t

and no blog post is complete without a photo…so here’s a little something i am working on…stay tuned for this wedding blog…it’s a doozy!!! 

where has the time flown?  2010 went by sooooo fast.  it was filled with beautiful moments in my family, awesome clients, new friends & many challenges.  so what is in store for 2011 you may be asking?  for starters you will see a new brand for tara mauldin photography.  i have been working very hard with ryan hunley, of second street creative.  we have come up with new branding, an AWESOME new logo, and blog design.  i cannot WAIT to unveil!!!  also under construction will be a new website…*giddy*. 

and if that just isn’t enough…let’s throw in some new blogs!  yes yes yes…i know…i have not been the best blogger this past year…but that is all about to change!    i am going to try my best for photo blogs to keep my words to a minimum and let my photography do the talking.  i am going to have some Q&A from brides and grooms about their experience from their day and which are some of their favorite photos.  exciting stuff?  i think so! 

i want to thank each and every one of my past clients from 2010, and am really looking forward to working with each and every one of my new 2011 clients.  let’s make this a year to remember and have some fun along the way!  much love to you all…and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

xoxo…t

PLUS…what’s a blog post without some photos?  check out my little one’s photo session from Christmas Eve…last minute, yes, but done and done!!! 

meet the newest addition to the mauldin household…peanut!  isn’t she sweeeeeeeet?!!!!!!!!!

you may be wondering why so few of tate?  as much as i would love to say the little fella loves to have his photo made…it just isn’t so…maybe next time!  however my little misses knows how to work the camera…isn’t she lovely?  i’m partial i know…but i love those eyes! 

as most of you already know, blue orchid photography is saying goodbye.  here is a little excerpt from our website statement…

Greetings dear friends of Blue Orchid Photography-
     After long considerations, Tippy and I have decided to branch out from Blue Orchid to begin providing photography services individually.  This is a positive and ambicable decision and we are both very excited about our new endeavors.  Current clients of Blue Orchid can still access their galleries through this main website as before.  For any past or prospective clients, you have the option to contact myself, Tara, through my new website
www.taramauldin.com.  Or you can contact Tippy via tiffanyjonesphotography@gmail.com or 980.622.8509.
     We have thoroughly enjoyed working together as Blue Orchid, and have relished in the friendships we have made with our clients and wedding vendors.  We hope these relationships will continue in the future!  Best wishes to everyone!!!

i know alot of you are still in a bit of a shock, but believe me, new beginnings are fantastic!!!  we are both super stoked and can’t wait to see what the world holds for our new businesses! 

so, with that said, what’s a blog post without a great photo.  here is a pic that i took of my daughter mia and my husband when we traveled down to speed street not too long ago.  we tried to get in a great location to see one of the shows, but it was just too crowded for the kids.  so we found this primo spot, no pushing, no crowds…perfect!!!  obviously mia was enjoying herself…i love the raw innocence of the young…this is without a doubt one of my all-time  favorite photos of her and michael…enjoy!!!  tara

welcome to our new blog!!!  i am so excited to finally be able to post!!!  for the past several months, amid all the craziness of early spring, we have been working our hinies off with new marketing and branding for blue orchid, a new website, new blog, wedding shows, the day to day lives of 2 working mommies, and just trying to keep our creative outlooks widened.  we are planning many new things for the year 2009.  we have now started selling our digital negatives, so for any of you who have had previous sessions with us before, shout out if you would like the opportunity to buy yours.  we have brand spanking new wedding packages that are knock your socks off!  we also have a new printing & album companies that we are working with.  this means new awesome products, and albums that will blow you away!  so, make sure to check back often…we have sooooo many new posts for you guys.  and as always, leave us some blog love…we thrive off our blog comments and would love to know who is out there keeping up with us!  and just to leave you with some spring time happiness…my little one’s photo i took recently on a wonderful sunday springtime afternoon…enjoy!     -tara