About this vendor
With over 15 years of capturing moments behind the camera, my journey has been fueled by art, design, storytelling, and adventure.
Immersed in history, culture, and travel, I pursued a Bachelor's in Graphic Design at Kent State University and embarked on a transformative Master's in Fine Art, which I completed with Distinction in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
These profound experiences have shaped my approach to wedding photography and portraiture, driven by a deep fascination with love stories—their uniqueness, evolution, and their profound impact on the tapestry of the universe.
Each love story unfolds with serendipity, and I am constantly in awe of how a life dedicated to love can blossom. My clients quickly become like family, and I am honored to be there for them beyond their wedding day, witnessing their journey as their families grow. It's a privilege beyond my wildest imagination—where the joy only amplifies over time.
Let's create magic together.
http://www.weddingsbytara.com
https://www.instagram.com/weddingsbytara/
https://www.facebook.com/tararaftophoto
Details
Business Attributes
- Woman-owned Business
Destination Weddings
- Destination Wedding Packages
Photo Shoot Types
- Boudoir
- Bridal Portraits
- Day After Session
- Engagement
Photo & Video
- Digital Files
- Drone
- Film Photography
- Online Proofing
- Photo
- Printed Enlargements
Photo & Video Styles
- Artistic
- Classic
- Documentary
- Dramatic
- Lifestyle
- Modern
Wedding Activities
- Getting Engaged
- Rehearsals & Parties
- After Party
- Wedding
- After Party
Awards and Affiliations
3-Time 'Best of Weddings'
2022.2021.2020.
Best of Weddings
The Knot independently assesses vendors for this award—it’s never self-reported. We base it on firsthand experiences from real couples and guests, and they must have a 4.5-star average across 7+ reviews in the qualifying year.
Reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help
you make those big decisions with ease.
5
out of 5.025 reviews
Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 6
I absolutely loved having Tara as our wedding photographer and I can't say enough wonderful things about her. She is professional, organized, experienced, and SUCH a calming presen...
ce on the day-of the wedding. She has an amazing eye and was so encouraging throughout our day so my husband and I felt really comfortable (despite the chaos around us!). She's the absolute best and I'm obsessed with our wedding photos.
When we were researching photographers for our wedding, I wanted to find someone whose photos told a beautiful story from start to finish. I found Tara through raving reviews onlin...
e and after our initial meeting, she made her way out to Washington DC to shoot our engagement pictures. One pandemic and a full calendar year and some change later, we met again for our wedding day in Cleveland, Ohio. Words cannot express how wonderful Tara and Matt were. Tara's serene demeanor and Matt's easy-going personality made our wedding day a breeze. I very distinctly remember calling her two days before to iron out last-minute changes on my part and telling her how much calmer I was just hearing her voice. Tara has a way of capturing memories in the most beautiful way. Her photos are not only gorgeous, but looking at one single photo, she captures the energy and emotion in that moment. It's very clear she takes much pride in her work and treats her clients as family. There is no one else Jonathan and I would trust to capture the most precious and important memories in our lives than Tara.
Tara came into our lives very serendipitously and we could not have been more relieved or happier that she did! After our own photographer had to cancel on our three-day Indian wed...
ding event a week prior, Tara stepped in and saved the day. I am very detailed oriented so I wanted a photographer who would be able to digest and deliver on the details that were important to us (especially the cultural ones). We had two meetings set up that very week to discuss those details, and Tara embraced all of them in stride. I could tell that she had researched Indian weddings. When Tara showed up to our events it felt like we had been planning with her over the last two years. She is professional, kind, and made her presence at each event very discreet (in the best way). It felt like she was a part of our family all weekend. The photographs are absolutely stunning. We have so many favorites, I’m at a loss as to how to choose which ones to put on the walls or fit them into a single album. Her website is truly representative of the quality of her work. We give Tara our highest recommendation. We will definitely be continuing to have her photograph our family
Tara is a dream to work with!! She makes you feel comfortable in front of the camera and does such a great job directing without making you feel posed. Her sessions are relaxed and...
fun and so special! She really listens to get to know you and personalize the experience to truly capture you and your partner! The final product of her pictures are always such a joy to see, she puts such artistry into the shots and editing that they will just blow you away. All the love and happiness shine through her photos!
I literally cannot say enough about Tara. She is not only an amazing photographer, but she is such a warm and caring individual. She truly cares for you and wants to give you the b...
est experience. Our wedding reception day was in June 2021 and she captured our day beautifully, more than we ever could’ve imagined. We love you Tara!! - Lauren & Dillon
Tara was amazing! I loved working with her! She went above and beyond my expectations and I highly recommend her for your special day!!
Tara was everything and more then we could hope for in our photographer!! She captured our engagement pictures perfectly, despite the cold weather that day, and made them so memora...
ble. For our wedding (July 2020), she worked with us to make sure all of the moments we wanted were planned for and put us at ease about the day. I could not recommend Tara enough - she is not only a phenomenal photographer, but
also genuine and caring. Tara is easy to communicate with, eager to explain things, and incredible at what she does. Above and beyond. We plan on having any future pictures taken by Tara!
Tara is absolutely incredible! She is professional, easy to communicate with, flexible, and truly gets to know you. In addition, Tara is poised and calming, which was very helpfu...
l, especially planning a wedding during a pandemic! She was able to capture our relationship through photos. We enjoyed working with her and highly recommend!
We booked Tara for our engagement session and wedding day. She and her team were amazing! I was rather camera shy, but Tara was able to coax us into comfort with her candid, calm,...
and inviting personality. She provides the perfect blend of structured poses and in the moment photography, capturing both with a unique yet classic artistry. She made sure we got all the shots we wanted - and the ones her professional eye suggested - so our memories would be complete. A fantastic photographer and a fantastic person.
Tara is the absolute best. She captured our special day perfectly. The love that my husband and I have for each other is so perfectly captured. Our love shines through her photos. ...
She is so organized and so easy to work with, she made getting all the family shots we wanted a breeze! I got numerous complements on both my photos and how great she was to work with and be around on our wedding day! Tara goes out of her way to learn the names of the key people in your wedding party before the event. This little touch makes the day go by so smoothly. Tara was incredibly flexible with all our ever changing plans. And she was there with us the whole day to capture each moment. I’m overjoyed by how great the photos came out and will cherish them forever. We can’t wait to use her again next year for our vow renewal party with all our friends and family!
This review for Tara is long overdue, mostly because we have been pouring over every detail of the gorgeous photos she took of our wedding. Her attention to detail, enthusiasm to c...
apture every precious moment, and artistic vision are positively unmatched. You absolutely cannot go wrong booking her to photograph your big day. She fit in seamlessly with our family and wedding party, all while doing a spectacular job! Seriously, everyone was raving about her. We are so jealous that you get to work with the most fabulous photographer ever!
Tara was amazing for both our engagement pictures and wedding. She came and took amazing pictures of everything from getting ready through the very end of the night and our sparkle...
r walk out. She was so sweet, and patient with our rowdy group and really helped capture all the big and small moments of the day. I've already referred her for family portraits for family members as well and those turned out excellent as well! I would recommend her 10 x over again!
I booked Tara for a Boudoir shoot and seriously it was the best decision! From the start of the booking process to sending me the final edited photos, she was a total professional ...
and so easy and fun to work with! Before shooting, she asked me to create a Pinterest board so I could share my vision for the shoot (such a good idea!!), and not only was she totally open to all of my ideas, but she really took them to the next level and I could not be happier with the results! She made me feel so comfortable the entire time, and honestly, the shoot just felt like hanging out with an old friend! She has a true talent and eye for this, and her friendly demeanor and sincere personality made a shoot like this, which could be awkward, just so much fun! Needless to say, I highly recommend!!
Tara is awesome! We decided to get married within 2 months, so Tara's responsiveness was greatly valued. She understood the urgency of our wedding & took every step on her part to ...
make it easier for us. She communicated quickly & with courtesy before, during & after the wedding - because we could rely on her, a huge burden was lifted. The most outstanding part of Tara's work was her ability to juggle /manage the personalities of our family members. It was a warm, sunny day & our parents/siblings/friends were growing irritable while having to pose for pictures. Tara took on this challenge with grace by rotating her subjects, being kind to everyone, working at a steady pace & gently reminding everyone to take in the moment & breath. I'll never be able to repay her for this. The end result of the photos were great & anything I didn't like, Tara has been able to quickly address through realistic photo shop. Highly recommend.
I truly cannot say enough great things about Tara. Two out of three of out wedding must-haves was a beautiful ambiance and artistic photos. Tara brought those two elements together...
so seamlessly. Her fine arts background is very present in her work. We originally thought we would just print our portraits, but now I guess we have to fill a wall with her architecture shots too! Outside of her clear talent, I cannot get over what a calming presence Tara was during out 5 stop wedding. She took all of the photos we wanted, and when we were ready for a break, she never pushed us. It really felt just like having a good friend around all day. Would very much recommend working with Tara!
I absolutely LOVE Tara! I don't even know how I came across her, but I am so happy that I did! Her all-inclusive package gave us everything we wanted within our budget. She worked ...
her magic during our engagement shoot and I pretty much loved every single photo she took. I appreciated that she didn't over direct . Instead, she just caught us in our element, being ourselves. She also worked with us when we were nearing the end of our session to find a "natural" setting for some additional pictures. She listens to our ideas, explains her process, and is so patient. Her entire presence is very welcoming, which allowed us to be completely comfortable. I would 100% recommend Tara to any bride/groom who is looking. I cannot wait to see what she does on our wedding day!
Update: UPDATE: We were married 10/10/2020 and Tara and her crew lived up to everything I previously stated. My mother in law struggled to walk in the grass in heels AND TARA LENT HER SHOES OFF OF HER OWN FEET!! This woman is amazing, worth every penny, and will not disappoint. Ever highlight photo was perfect and I cannot wait to see the rest.
Tara is one of the most beautiful souls I have ever encountered. My original photographer unfortunately was diagnosed with a terminal illness and had to cancel. Tara – she saved th...
e day. As I rapidly “blasted” photographers from wedding websites, I got a response from Tara and Immediately, I felt calm and at ease. I don’t know what it is like to get a hug from a slightly older sister (since I am the oldest), but Tara’s response, felt like a loving embrace from a sister. She has exceeded my expectations, beyond belief. I am beyond privileged to have had her (and her assistant Megan, who is just as lovely), be apart of my special day. The level of professionalism is something of wonder and like nothing else I have ever experienced. I am beyond grateful that Tara and Megan were apart of my wedding day and I cannot wait to incorporate their brilliant photography as this chapter as a wife (and hopefully mother) begins.
It was important to my fiance and I to really capture our wedding day through photos, and having Tara as our photographer ensured that. We were able to spend some time with her pri...
or to the wedding to talk about our vision, and she could not have captured it any more perfectly. From the tiny details of our decorations, to the emotional first-looks, to the dancing and candid photos of our guests enjoying their time, Tara captured every moment. She was professional and timely. She visited the space prior to the wedding to start planning photo opportunities. She and her co-photographer were a great team, and captured the entire day - from makeup to late night dancing - we couldn't be happier with not only the quality of the photos, but the quantity! Tara made it impossible for us to choose a few of our favorites - there are truly so many beautiful, fun photos for us to enjoy for the rest of our days.
Tara was a joy to work with! She was patient & she picked the perfect locations. She was very Professional & friendly & she made it a fun & enjoyable experience. Our pictures came...
out beautifully, better than I could ever imagine. I would recommend Tara for any photos. I'll definitely be hiring her again.
Tara did a family session for us - our first formal pictures since my daughter was a newborn (she's over 2 now). It was so much fun and the pictures turned out beautiful! She kept ...
our daughter engaged and smiling, and perfectly captured her adventurous and energetic personality. I normally hate photos because they can feel so unnatural and staged, but Tara made us ALL feel at ease. Love her editing vision and her eye for poses that are candid but still beautiful.
Tara is an incredibly talented photographer, which is clearly evident in her work. Her pictures are strikingly beautiful, yet so candid and natural. I had no doubt that Tara would...
capture our wedding day perfectly, but I was pleasantly surprised by how she captured our guests. We have so many amazing pictures of our family and friends throughout that entire day- all these little moments I didn't get to see but I am so glad I have now. It's those pictures- my bridesmaid's newborn son with his dad, or my niece giving the sweetest smile before walking down the aisle that made our pictures that much more special. After our wedding we had multiple guests comment on how she and her second photographer blended in with everyone, never obnoxious or overly intrusive, and just seemed like another guest. Tara is a dream to work with and definitely someone you want with you on your wedding day.
Tara was amazing and professional. She made us feel very comfortable and did some quality work. Her video that she made of our wedding day makes me smile every time I watch it (whi...
ch is probably 100 times by now). I highly recommend Tara to anyone looking for excellent service on their big day.
Tara did our engagement photos and she’s an outstanding photographer and person. I (and my fiancé) we’re super nervous about the whole concept of engagement photos, but Tara made u...
s feel so comfortable. From our initial chats to actually meeting. She made our time feel like we were important. Then there are the actual pictures. They are stunning and she captures exactly what you’re hoping for. They make my heart smile.
Tara was amazing to work with, the day of our wedding she sent updates about when she would be arriving. She made my whole family comfortable and was so easy to work with. We could...
not have asked for a better photographer. When we received our photos we were over the moon. They were stunning. If you are looking for a great photographer to work with, Tara is it. The whole entire process with her was so easy, and her communication was great, from before wedding day until (and after) we received our prints and albums!
Tara is an amazing photographer. She is creative, artistic, and original when it comes to taking photographs. Tara took our engagement photos in Ireland and they exceeded our expec...
tations. We wanted our engagement photos to look casual, unstaged, and capture our favorite hobby of traveling. Tara was able to take our ideas, add her creative touch, and take the most beautiful engagement photos (see some of the photos below). Tara makes you feel comfortable while being photographed, has a calm presence, and takes photos from the most flattering angles to capture the perfect shot everytime. I would highly recommend Tara as a photographer for engagement photos, family photos, and your wedding day. She is truly the best.
Contact
Cleveland & Destination
Weddings by Tara's photos