25/02/2022
This is an uncharacteristically personal (and long) post, but tonight my heart is broken. My dear, dear friend and beautiful bride Tama has passed from this life into the next, following a long battle with cancer. Her beaming face and joyous pink balloon-filled California wedding will be familiar to many of you, as I have shared images from it regularly as one of my favourite weddings ever. What many people won’t know is that this was my very first solo wedding.
Friends for more than 20 years through her daughter Kristen, who is one of my dearest friends, when Tama got in touch and said ‘I’m getting married and I need you!’ I flew halfway around the world and even got on a boat for the ceremony! Only Tama could achieve such a feat, given my absolute terror of water! This is just one example of the power of Tama’s unique magic. I wouldn’t have done this for just anyone! A true Southern Lady, she was a force of nature; equal parts chaos and charm, wrapped in love and kindness.
In her wedding vows she promised her beloved Daniel to fill his life with ‘pies and whimsy’ and this was how she moved through the world – filling it with deliciousness and delight.
Deeply kind and generous, a fiercely loving single mother to Kristen and Ned, she loved nothing more than spoiling ‘her babies’ which encompassed mainly her children and much adored grandchildren, but also any of her kids’ adult friends who happened to be in the vicinity (me included!). I remember her particular glee in Las Vegas at her son’s wedding weekend, her skipping around the casino with handfuls of cash, stuffing the machines with notes as we each lost game after game! She didn’t want to gamble, but she wanted to make sure WE had fun!
She was Pixar’s ‘Joy’ personified. Described by Kristen as “Part fae, part dream, part myth” she was a beautiful, glamorous, sprite of happiness. With Tiffany blue painted nails, fabulous hair and always wearing pearls, she was who we all wanted to be when we grew up.
She loved Dan so much. Both of them told me, at separate times prior to their wedding, that they felt they won the lottery in finding each other.
Looking at the last message exchange we had, her last words to me were ‘I love you darlin’, which was so typical of her. She was the first to say ‘I love you’, the last to let go of a hug.
Her & Daniel’s beautiful wedding reception was decorated with pitchers of roses, homemade pies and strings of ‘pearls’, which after an impromptu ‘first dance’ she adorned many of us at the end of their celebrations like Mardi Gras beads!
I’ve carried these beads with me in my camera bag for every wedding I’ve ever done to this day, meaning every couple I’ve ever photographed has been blessed with a little of Tama’s magical fairydust! And will be forever.
Please join me in sending Daniel, Kristen, Ned, Andrew, Alexandra, family and friends so much love and support.
Goodnight Tama,
I love you darlin'