tara mauldin photography

karen & dave – married! – part 2 | grassy creek wedding photographer

admin — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:00:29 +0000

part 2 continued…after karen & dave’s first look, we all went inside for a little cool-down intermission. the thing i loved and love about karen & dave is their ability to make someone feel completely at home. you see, their wedding day was our first actual meeting. they are both from raleigh, and although we had several phone consultations our first face to face was the morning of their wedding. they have such a calming sense about them.

i believe one of the sweetest things i have seen at a wedding was at this wedding. graham, karen’s 4 year old son, a toe-headed beauty, walked karen down the aisle. he was PRECIOUS!!! and his giggle…contagious.

because karen & dave did a first look, they were able to go straight into their cocktail hour with all their closest friends and family. it was flawless and effortless. the mood was light, happy, and without stress. just what a wedding should be like! having their cocktail hour on the banks of the river was just incredible. so serene and peaceful!!!

after the cocktail hour, we perused up into river house for the most AMAZING, repeat AMAZING dinner. it was my first time trying duck, and it really was quite good. thanks for the experience guys!!!

all in all, this wedding was one for my books. perfect beyond compare and so full of joy. a huge thank you to karen & dave for having me document your wedding. it was incredible and such an honor! love to you both.

here are a list of the vendors from this fete:

venue: the river house inn at grassy creek

gown & groom’s suit: jcrew

bridal shoes: steve madden

floral – bouts: diana renfro

brides paper bouquet & all handmade wooden signs: morgan hill designs

jewelry: vintage earrings & handmade cufflinks from etsy

caterer & cake: the river house inn

violinist: eva mowry

look at that face! in love…

a super sweet hug from karen’s dad…i love the look on his sweet face.

cocktail hour without a finger in the nose is no cocktail hour at all…in my humble opinion.

graham needed a little alone mommy time…

love this first dance shot…

karen & dave – married! – part 1 | river house inn – grassy creek wedding

admin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:00:57 +0000

loving. organic. natural. these are the words the come to mind when i reflect on karen & dave’s grassy creek destination wedding. it was a small intimate affair, 15 people, on the banks of the new river. grassy creek boasts the beautiful river house inn, a very special place where ceremonies & receptions alike leave their guests feeling like they just stepped out of a little fairy tale. karen & dave were married under a huge sycamore tree. as graham, karen’s 4 year old son walked her down the aisle, the smile on dave’s face could have lit up the whole of NC. these two are perfect together. they just make sense. a wonderful love that i had the perfect opportunity to capture. there were just too many photos to only have one post from this super sweet wedding. so without further ado, here is part 1… (a huge thanks to my second shooter beka…<3)

karen found her vintage pearl earrings on etsy…gosh i love that place.

karen you are simply divine…

dave, you looked incredible!!!

karen & dave decided on a first look…it was priceless.

the buildings on the river house property are a photographers dream…oh the light.

morgan & ross – married! part 2 | charlotte wedding photographer

admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:00:05 +0000

hi guys! so glad you all could make it back to view part 2 of morgan & ross’ GORGEOUS charlotte ballantyne wedding! the ceremony for their wedding had one of the most heartfelt exchange of vows i have ever had the privilege of witnessing. there were MANY MANY tears that flowed that day…tears from past trials, and from God’s sweet graces that have touched these two. not a dry eye in the house…and yes…i did cry…while camera was still being used.

the reception. wowzers. i have never seen so much dancing in all my life…and i mean…gooooooood dancing. the bride & groom’s friends and family definitely know how to shake a leg and a half! it was so much fun to photograph…kori (my second shooter) and i didn’t want to leave for the night!

morgan & ross…i wish many many blessing for the two of you. you totally complete each other and i can’t wait to see where your lives take you!!!

to my second shooter kori, you always rock my world with your awesome eye and unparalleled sense to know just where i need for you to be and what i need from you. thank you!

here are a list of the many vendors that made this wedding possible:

venue: ballantyne hotel

event planner: carolina wedding design

gown: kleinfeld

floral: the place for flowers

caterer & cake: ballantyne hotel

entertainment: split second sound

videography: crown alley films

morgan & ross – married! – part 1 | charlotte wedding photographer

admin — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:27:31 +0000

hi friends! i want you to meet two very special people, morgan & ross thompson. (check out morgan’s bridal session here-it’s stunning!) these two lovebirds hale from the big apple, but chose to say their vows down south, here in charlotte, where their families reside. their ballantyne hotel wedding was EXCEPTIONAL in every way. from their super heart-felt wedding vows (yes, i totally did cry), to their over-the-top fun wedding reception, it was a wedding that i truly will never forget.

morgan & ross’ wedding was…well…sinful, but in a good way. morgan hired the uber talented girls of carolina wedding design. heather bryson headed up the team who created this ever-so-lavish and over-the-top GORGEOUS wedding. she incorporated hues of purple, lots of bling-bling, and rich combinations of linens to create a truly decadent feast for the eyes. i also think it was incredible the way that the CWD girls transformed one of the ballantyne ballrooms into the ceremony site with pipe and drape, lighting, hanging roses, crystals, and then completely FLIPPED that space into their reception area. it was unreal and done with such precision. i’m telling all you brides to be…if you even THINK you need a planner, you should totally hook up with these ladies…they are one of the BEST!!!

so without further ado…here is part one of morgan & ross’ wedding story…

happy new year! – 2011 year in review | charlotte wedding photographer

admin — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 13:00:02 +0000

happy happy new year friends! to say that i am blessed beyond belief is truly an understatement. from an awesome family, wonderful friends, and totally fantastic clients, God has blessed me with immeasurable gifts. so to ring in the new year, i wanted to share some of my favorite photos from this past year. peruse, enjoy, and contemplate what 2012 has in store for all of us. i feel like it’s going to be a great new year…xoxo…t

merry merry merry…

admin — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 17:09:10 +0000

for those of you who know me, you are aware i am in LOVE with Christmas. well this year was no exception. i was like martha stewart on crack. hahaha! i had the best time with the kids, doing all sorts of fun crafts, lots of baking, and just hanging with my precious family. i hope you all had as wonderful of a Christmas as we did here.

the kids made some kick a** gingerbread houses. they did an awesome job for sure. my mom hung with us on all those late night shenanigans…it was so much fun!

when we were at my aunt linda’s house, she found out some GLORIOUS news…my cousin blair is with child again, so check out the photos of linda finding out for the first time (blair gave her a snowglobe with a sonogram photo inside…so cool!!!).

my brother always gets the gag gift from linda…this year…batman underwear…she totally hit the nail on the head…dun nun nun nun nun nun…BATMAN!!!

so enjoy a little peak into what our Christmas fetes are like…hope you enjoy!!!

xoxo…t

melissa & biren – married – part 2 | hickory hindu indian wedding photographer

admin — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:00:57 +0000

see…i knew you’d come back…ha! you just couldn’t resist huh? i told ya…much eye candy…so…on with the show…

i love love love it when a groom sees his soon to be wife walking down the aisle for the first time. but do you know what i love even more than that? when the groom has his face covered and his bride is on the other side of the veil…then the veil drops and they see each other for the first time…yes sir. it was PRE-T awesome. the rest of the ceremony was just the same…

during the vidai was a super emotional moment. melissa‘s family truly love her. so during this portion of the ceremony, her parents say “goodbye” to her, in turn, giving her to biren. many many tears were shed.

their ceremony was some kind of party!!! biren‘s side of the family did a flippin‘ awesome job during a musical tribute to him…it was hilarious! and then the dancing! the music was fantastic…a mixture between indian, pop, and a little disco…loved it!!!

so as you can tell…i pretty much loved the entire experience of my first hindu wedding. it was everything and more that i thought it would be. so…to melissa and biren…a super heartfelt thank you for allowing me the opportunity to be a part of your wedding weekend. it was unreal and so much fun! many hugs and kisses to you both!!! a huge shout out to my second shooter for this wedding, beka. you were a trooper!!! thank you bunches!

here’s a list of vendors from this fab wedding:

venue: rock barn golf & spa
caterer: bombay grille
music: dj don
videography: crown alley films - alan daly you are da bomb!

published! – the knot north carolina featured wedding at castle mcculloch

admin — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 15:00:16 +0000

i feel truly honored to be a part of a staple of wedding goodness!!! when the knot north carolina contacted me about featuring brittany and gray’s wedding (in case you missed their wedding check it out here) in their spring/summer 2012 issue, i was thrilled. their wedding was undeniably sensational and soooooo pretty! now tons of brides can get beau-coups of inspiration from their wedding too! congrats brittany and gray on getting published, i’m so happy i could help make it happen! xoxo…t

***brides to be: this issue is on newstands today! go buy a copy and support our NC magazines!

melissa & biren – married – part 1 | hickory hindu indian wedding photographer

admin — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 14:00:47 +0000

when melissa first contacted me to document her and biren’s hindu wedding ceremony, i was ECSTATIC!!! it has always been a photography dream of mine to photograph an indian wedding. they are so steeped with old traditions, beautiful colors, intricate details. my dream was realized, but what i also happily encountered, was 2 families of lovely, open armed people, who wanted to include me in all of their festivities. i fell in love with melissa & biren’s families to be sure…

mel & b are from d.c. their first real date was a movie to see slumdog millionaire…friends if you haven’t seen this movie…GO WATCH IT NOW. it is phenomenal to be sure. since melissa’s parents live in hickory, it was a natural decision to have the wedding there locally. melissa’s vidhi was held at her parent’s home. wow…i was in for a real treat during this tradition. the maharaj, the hindu priest who presided over the ceremony was just a peach!!! he was so sweet and funny, plus he really took the time to translate alot of the ceremony from sanskrit to english, so others who were not hindu could really understand everything that was being said. one of my favorite parts of the vidhi was when all of melissa’s bridesmaids walked up to the house with colorful indian pots held on top of their heads. they were all so gorgeous in their different colored gowns. melissa had a wonderful set of girls who supported her during the whole weekend. after the vidhi, melissa’s parents hosted a reception for friends and family to enjoy some indian cuisine and fellowship. the food was incredible…i especially loved the…well i loved it ALL!!! hahaha!

we started off preparing at 730am…yes you read that CORRECT…730!!! in the morning. hahaha…it was definitely a first for me getting started that early for a wedding…no worries though…it was WELL worth the extra time. melissa’s bridal gown & jewelry were to die for. seriously…i think my heart stopped beating a few beats when i was photographing them. simply gorgeous. and when melissa finished preparing, we took a few photos of her before leaving for the ceremony. i kept telling her she looked like an indian princess…and she reallllllly did. melissa you are seriously so beautiful. inside and out i must say.

the ceremony and reception was held at the beautiful rock barn golf and spa in hickory. it was my first time documenting a wedding at this venue, so i was like a kid in a candy store. lots of great nooks and crannies for photos. this leads us up to the barat. the barat is a part of the hindu wedding ceremony where biren showed up on horseback, with drums sounding, surrounded by his friends and family, all dancing and singing. it was spectacular!!! i loved documenting all the different dances that his friends did…and man they could realllly dance. it was so much fun to experience!!! once biren was whisked away towards to mandap (the alter), it was then melissa’s time to shine…to see these photos you will have to return for tomorrow’s conclusion of this delicious hindu wedding. til then, sit back, and enjoy all of this hindu wedding eye candy!!!

xoxo…t

melissa & her parent’s hands…a favorite of mine to be sure.

published! – smitten magazine feature wedding at daniel stowe botanical gardens

admin — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 01:38:13 +0000

wow! i am extremely honored to have one of my weddings featured in the insanely gorgeous smitten magazine. in smitten’s 3rd edition, you will find the lovely vintage inspired wedding of kim & michael. this adorable couple chose daniel stowe botanical gardens as their venue of choice. along with wedding planner’s - blush wedding & events, floral designers – the place for flowers, caterers – best impressions, cake designer - for goodness cakes, make-up & hair designer – lindsey regan thorne, plus a SLEW of others, this couple’s vendors created a wedding that kim & michael will be able to relive forever. take a look see at this little snippet!!! congrats kim & michael!!!