Tara Parker Photography | NC Wedding Photography | Holly Springs NC Photography | Raleigh NC Photographer | Cary NC Photographer | Fuquay-Varina NC Photography | Children's, Newborn, Family, Engagement, Maternity and Wedding Photography » Wedding Photography

Sarah + Matt | Chapel Hill, NC Engagement Portraits

admin — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 12:57:46 +0000

It is so funny being able to work with so many different people- with different styles, with different personalities, with different comfort levels in front of the camera. With a lot of people, it takes a while to get comfortable in front of the camera before you know you are getting the “real” interactions and/or the “real” smiles. Sarah and Matt were complete NATURALS!! From the moment we started, they both seemed confident and at ease and they just relaxed into each other and loved on one another and we were golden! Sarah is so naturally and classically beautiful (not to mention she has eyes and skin to die for!) and the camera just loved her! I was particularly impressed with Matt because typically grooms tend be really nervous and sometimes stiff but he was totally up for anything I asked him to do and seemed very relaxed and natural. One of the reasons why I love engagement sessions is that it not only gives me an opportunity to get to know a couple before their wedding day, but it also lets me know how much “coaching”, if any, that a couple will need on their wedding day in order for us to get awesome portraits of them in a short amount of time. Sarah and Matt… they’ve got “it” and there will be very little coaching needed- they will make our jobs very easy! We can’t wait for their October wedding at The Cotton Room in Durham, NC! It is sure to be an amazing day!

Anna + Dan | Engaged | Durham, NC Photographer

admin — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 15:14:49 +0000

Anna and Dan currently live in Texas but will be getting married in Durham in June! Anna contacted me last summer regarding shooting their wedding at Duke Chapel with their reception following at The Cotton Room in Durham, NC. I am often nervous about booking weddings without being able to meet the bride and groom in person because I feel like it is really important for a couple and their wedding photographer to click. I also think it is just as important that I am comfortable with the bride and groom as it is that the bride and groom are comfortable with me. Just by talking on the phone, I knew that I would LOVE Anna! I could tell by our short phone conversation, that she was the kind of bride that I would love to spend a day with! When she and Dan flew up from Texas for their engagement session in February, my feelings were confirmed and I found that I love Dan every bit as much as I love Anna! Not to mention, I love them together!! I can’t wait until they come back in June for the wedding!

Jade + Jay | Durham, NC Engagement Portraits

admin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:32:18 +0000

Things were so hectic during the end of 2011, that we have gotten behind on our blogging! It’s a new year and it is time to get caught up! Jade, Jay and I got together in Durham, NC during the end of October for their engagement session. We started at Duke Gardens hoping to get some fall foliage in the shots but the leaves changed unseasonably late this year so we were still a bit too early even at the very end of October! Regardless of the lack of fall colors, we still had a great time and got to know one another a little better! Jade and Jay will be getting married in Durham in July of this year. We are really looking forward to it!

Jenna + Charlie | Wilmington, NC Engagement Portraits

admin — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 21:32:15 +0000

In October, Dave and I had the pleasure of heading down to Wilmington for the weekend to photograph Jenna and Charlie. Jenna is my sister in law’s best friend and has been following our work since we first began. Jenna has always been so complimentary of our work as our business has grown and it was a true honor to be able to photograph her and her fiancé, Charlie. We met in downtown Wilmington for their session and it was quite cold and windy! One good thing about cold weather is it is easy to get natural snuggly and cuddly pictures! Despite the cold, we had a lot of fun! Thank you Hollie for setting this session up for Jenna and Charlie. Unfortunately, we will not be photographing their upcoming wedding in May, but we wish them both the very best as they begin their lives together!

Erin + Tim | The Highgrove | Fuquay-Varina, NC

admin — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 00:21:00 +0000

I can’t tell you how much I love Erin and Tim! Their relationship reminds me so much of my relationship with Dave! We met up together to eat sushi the week before the wedding and I laughed at how Tim would excitedly tell me about all of his little plans for the wedding day including many different Star Wars details, and Erin would just sit next to him, smile, and shake her head quietly. I feel like that is how Dave and I operate on a daily basis! Haha! Erin and Tim are one of those couples that I wish I could stick in my pocket and take home with me because I just enjoy being around them! Erin and Tim were married in October at The Highgrove in Fuquay-Varina, NC one of my VERY favorite wedding venues! I loved editing this wedding because you could see in the way that Tim looks at Erin and the way he smiles at her that her loves her endlessly and she loves him the same. Tim is a big Star Wars fan and I loved the tiny Star Wars details that were strewn in throughout the day. We had Darth on the garter, Star Wars cufflinks, and an R2D2 groom’s cake. We even allowed some of the Star Wars characters be to be guests at different portions of the wedding day. It was a lot of fun! I also have to call attention to the GORGEOUS florals by Flowers on Broad Street! Erin’s bouquet is my absolute favorite bouquet ever and I just couldn’t stop taking pictures of it! It was stunning, but not half as stunning as the bride that was carrying it! Congratulations Tim and Erin! We were so thrilled to have been your wedding photographers and we wish you the VERY best!

Ceremony + Reception Venue : The Highgrove

Food: The Highgrove

Flowers: Flowers on Broad Street

DJ: Jim with Joe Bunn DJ

Cupcakes: Ashley’s Cake

Lauren + Dale | The Highgrove | Fuquay-Varina Wedding Photographers

admin — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 01:37:40 +0000

I don’t know what I can say about Lauren + Dale! They are the type of couple that you just want to pinch their cheeks because they are so darn cute! And if you think they are cute individually, you should see them together! The cuteness compounds exponentially! Dave and I talk all the time about how with some couples, the love they have for one another is just evident- it’s plain for everyone to see. It just pours out with every glance they give one another, with every touch, with every playful nudge, with every crinkle of their noses. Dale and Lauren have this and then some and it is a joy to watch! I knew that I liked Dale and Lauren from the first time that I met with them, but every time we got together for either their engagement session or their pre-wedding meeting, I got to know them more, and I liked them more and more. Even though I was busy photographing during the ceremony, it was touching to hear the pastor talk about Lauren and Dale and their relationship. One of their first “dates” was when Dale asked Lauren to go to church with him… how sweet is that?! You want to pinch his cheeks now too, don’t you?! Lauren and Dale got married at The Highgrove on a beautiful day last month. Every moment of the day was filled with love and laughter and it was one of my favorite weddings to date!

I love this picture of the girls peeking as the boys arrived at The Highgrove! Lauren was a stunning bride! Like I am talking…. STUH-NING!!! I bet Dale would agree! As you look through the ceremony pictures, please take note of the picture of the flower girl during the processional AND the recessional…. CLASSIC!!
During the father daughter dance, Dave (who is not a very emotional person whatsoever) got a bit choked up because he said that just by seeing the look on Lauren’s dad’s face while he danced with her, Dave could feel the pride that Lauren’s dad must have felt as her father on that special day. The love in the room was palpable! It was a beautiful thing to watch! After all of the special dances, it was time to party!

The bridesmaid and groomsman that caught the bouquet and garter put on quite the show when the groomsman had to then put the garter on the bridesmaid’s leg! I guess I should say that the groomsman (the groom’s brother) was the one really putting on the show! Let’s just say that he did a good job to put the garter nice and high so that it wouldn’t fall off! And I even heard later on in the night that he was the quiet brother! You would have never known! Haha!
Thank you SOOOO much Lauren + Dale! I am so sad that the wedding is over because I so thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you guys! You are both beautiful inside and out and we wish nothing but the best for both of you as you start your lives together!

Venue: The Highgrove

Catering: The Highgrove

DJ: Island Sound DJ

Flowers: Flowers on Broad Street

Janet + Eric | Duke Gardens + The Cotton Room | Durham, NC Wedding Photographers

admin — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 23:44:50 +0000

What a beautiful day Janet and Eric had for their wedding day! It was positively gorgeous in Durham when Janet and Eric began their lives together! They had a beautiful and heartfelt ceremony at the pergola in Duke Gardens followed by a STUNNING reception held at The Cotton Room in downtown Durham.

I love the two pictures of Janet’s parents right above! I can only imagine how I will feel on the day that my boys get married but I am certain I will feel all of the emotion that Janet’s parent’s felt on that day- pride, love, and a little bit of sadness as they head off to give their little girl away!

This group was a lot of fun! They specially requested to do a number of pictures with really funny faces and they were hilarious!

This one makes me laugh so much!! When I told them to give me a funny face, they hit these faces without even thinking! They remind me of some sort of cartoon character! When we arrived at The Cotton Room for the reception, I was taken back with how beautifully they had decorated the already gorgeous reception venue! The purples and greens were just stunning and I absolutely loved the one long table for the bridal party filled with all of the glassware and flowers!

Thank you so much for allowing us to photography your big day, Janet + Eric! You know how to throw a great party!

Ceremony: Duke Gardens

Reception: The Cotton Room

Flowers: The Cotton Room

DJ: All Around Raleigh DJ

Flowers on Broad Street and The Highgrove | Fuquay-Varina, NC Wedding Photographers

admin — Fri, 13 May 2011 20:40:57 +0000

A couple of weeks ago, I was contacted by Donna Pierce at Flowers on Broad Street. If you are not familiar with their work, you are in for a treat and if you are getting married…. set up a consultation because their work is GORGEOUS! The Highgrove, a beautiful an elegant wedding venue in Fuquay-Varina, recently completed major renovations which included replacing their outdoor tent with an amazing garden ballroom complete with beautiful windows, french doors, gorgeous chandeliers, and a beautiful fireplace. The Highgrove was hosting a tasting for their current and prospective couples and Flowers on Broad Street was creating all of the floral centerpieces for the event. It was such an honor that Donna asked me to run over before it began to photograph the centerpieces and thank you so much to the staff at The Highgrove for being so welcoming and accommodating! If you are looking for a stunning venue to host your wedding, you should definitely check them out!

Whitney + Wayne | Durham, NC Engagement Portraits

admin — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 18:51:31 +0000

OH. MY. GOODNESS.

I cannot WAIT for Whitney and Wayne’s wedding in April! I had not met with Whitney and Wayne prior to their engagement session, so I had no idea when I was heading to the shoot, all of the fun and laughter I was in for! Whitney and I had been emailing back and forth for a couple of weeks regarding prop ideas and locations for the session so I knew that their session would be full of personality… but I just have to say that I have a photographer crush on Whitney and Wayne!! They made me laugh so hard, I had a stomach ache on the drive home. They were so playful with one another that they just seem like a couple that you want to be friends with. They were so fun and unique and I think that it is a point scored for fate that these two found each other because they truly are made for one another! Whitney and Wayne came armed with all sorts of fun props like mustaches, googley eyes, and smoochie big lips! Too fun!
I am convinced that Whitney and Wayne need their own cartoon! They have such animated faces!Wayne brought a book that his mother used to read to him when he was a kid. He was so cute while he was reading it to Whitney and I can totally envision him reading this book for many years to come with their own kids. Can’t you?! Towards the end of the session, Wayne was looking like he needed to burn off some energy so I put him to work! Wayne, you’ve got mad ups!!See what I mean??

CANNOT WAIT for the wedding guys! Thank you for an afternoon full of laughs!!!

Kristen + Quentin | Holly Springs, NC Wedding Photography | Devil’s Ridge Golf Course

admin — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 00:33:30 +0000

Fifteen years in the making. Fifteen years of memories. Fifteen years of love. Fifteen years of hope. All leading to this day. Kristen and Quentin met in freshman biology and soon after Kristen persuaded a classmate to tell Quentin that she thought he was “cute”. They dated for a couple of years but eventually went their separate ways. Both Kristen and Quentin had growing to do and lives to lead so they could eventually get to the point they are at today. They were apart for a number of years and Kristen always wondered how Quentin was doing and Quentin was always in the back of her mind. One day, Kristen decided to drop by Quentin’s mother’s house to see how he was doing and she left her phone number for Quentin to call. Kristen remembers feeling short of breath when she heard Quentin’s voice on the other end of the phone when he called that evening. They went out on a date that following Saturday, and the rest, as they say, is history! They were together for eight years when Quentin proposed. It was a day that Kristen won’t soon forget, because it was the culmination of years of wishing, dreaming, and hoping. It was so amazing to be a part of the day that constituted the beginning of the rest of their lives together! The day was filled with so much emotion and so much support from those that love them. Kristen was an absolutely stunning bride and I think you would have to be blind to not see how much Kristen and Quentin love one another! Kristen and Quentin were married at the Devil’s Ridge Golf Course on October 9, 2010. The venue coordinator, Pamela Classey, and the staff did an amazing job to create a magical environment for the bride and groom’s big day!

I loved the colors that Kristen chose for the wedding. I knew that the colors were going to be hot pink and black, but Donna of Flowers on Broad Street, did an amazing job of incorporating pops of green that were gorgeous! The flowers were amazing! It was my first time working with Flowers on Broad Street and they really made a stunning environment! Dave and I marveled at how many roses it must take to get the number of rose petals that lined the aisle at the ceremony. It was beautiful!

Kristen had her two sisters as her bridesmaids on the wedding day. Unfortunately, her brother passed away a couple of years ago and couldn’t be a part of the celebration in person. Kristen had his picture attached to her bouquet so that he would be with them while they promised to love one another forever. It was a beautiful tribute to him and I know that he was there somewhere, watching Kristen on the happiest day of her life.

I have to tell you, that after spending the day with Kristen and her sisters Sharli and Shanna, it made me really wish that I had sisters. They have such a connection with one another. They laugh together and they cry together and it is evident how much they support one another in their day to day lives. It was really nice to watch! There were a couple of interactions between the three of them throughout the day that even made me tear up a bit!

It was also so nice to watch Kristen with her son, Kaelob. As I was going through all of the images from the wedding day, I can across a number of images like the one below, where Kristen gives Kaelob a squeeze every chance she gets. Kaelob is such a fun and vibrant kid and I know that he was super excited about the beginning of his new “now official” family.

So I have seen a number of flower girls who get stage fright at the last moment and get to the beginning of the aisle and need to be prodded down the aisle or bail all together. Their nerves get the best of them I suppose seeing all of those faces staring at you. Well not this little lady! She walked straight out of the double doors, walked right up to the edge of the stairs, and proceeded to lift her dress over her head! It was probably one of the funniest things I have seen at a wedding! The funniest I had seen until about 30 seconds later when she made it down the aisle and then her diaper fell off and hit the ground. It was definitely a moment that I am sure the family will be talking about for years to come, and now her mother will have these pictures to pull out for her future boyfriends to do the obligatory motherly embarrassment thing. Too funny!!

The way they look at one another could just make you melt couldn’t it? So sweet!

It was such a tender moment during the ceremony when Kristen and Quentin presented Kaelob with a gift after they exchanged their own rings. Although they have been a family for a long time, it was at this moment, that I think it became official.

And a sweet and tender first kiss as man and wife…

And look at these two! How sweet was this?! Even though she got nudged out of the catch with the bouquet toss… from the way they look, there could be another wedding in the family’s future! What do you think? I love LOVE!

Thank you so much Kristen and Quentin for allowing Dave and I to be a part of your big day! It was beautiful and touching and we wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

Venue: Devils Ridge Golf Course Holly Springs, NC

Event Coordination: Pamela Classey

Flower: Flowers on Broad Street

DJ: Tim Classey of Classey Occasions

Cake: Cinda’s Creative Cakes

Makeup: Maureen Murray