Tara Arseven Photography

I photographed Paulina and Sam's proposal long before I photographed their wedding, so standing there when Sam took her hand under the chuppah at Temple Emanu-El felt like watching a whole story come full circle.🤭

Their day had it all. Matching blue pajamas and a very competitive chess game during getting ready, three first looks that completely wrecked me, a chuppah covered in blush and cornflower blue, the glass break, and a hora that nearly took the roof off The Room on Main.

I put my favorites up on the blog. 🥹 Go see these two!

Congratulations, Paulina and Sam. Here's to the Cassells! 🥂

Temple Emanu-El Wedding | The Room on Main Dallas Paulina and Sam's Jewish wedding at Temple Emanu-El and The Room on Main in Dallas, from the chuppah to the hora, by Dallas wedding photographer Tara Arseven.

Natalie walked down the aisle carrying a heart hand-sewn from her dad’s shirt. He isn’t here with us anymore, and someone who loved them both made sure he was anyway. I saw it right before the ceremony and had to physically collect myself, as I also lost my dad, and some moments just hit different when you know exactly how they feel. I was NOT about to start a cry train and help ruin her makeup before she even made it to the altar. 🥴
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She made it. Spencer saw her for the first time as she walked down holding her brother’s arm, and his whole face just lit up. They said their vows, they cried, they laughed, we chased the most beautiful Texas golden hour light across the ranch, and then Natalie proceeded to absolutely destroy the dance floor at nearly 7 months pregnant with zero hesitation and zero regrets. 💃🏻
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I shot this one solo because the day was intimate enough that I could be everywhere at once, and I am so glad I was. This little family is just getting started. Baby, if you ever see these photos someday, your parents had the best day.
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Congratulations, you three. 🥹
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Magnolia Creek Ranch, Princeton TX. 05.16.26 🤍
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Get yourself a wedding photographer who shows up like nothing happened, even after slipping in the hotel shower the night before, landing flat on her bum, hitting her head on the wall so hard she went in with two brain cells and came out with one. That last one’s still hangin’ in there 💀🫡
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And this 14 hour wedding day is proof I can still do my job on a single brain cell 😎 🤣🤣
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Ana, you cried during your first look, during your vows, while FaceTime’ing with your friend, during the ceremony, the toasts, your private last dance… You went through MULTIPLE boxes of tissues and somehow your makeup looked just as flawless at midnight as it did at sunrise. , you are a literal magician and I will be raving about you for the rest of time. 👏
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Ari, the way you look at her is something I’ll be thinking about for a while 🥹 The many butterfly kisses, the hugs, the way you tuck her hair behind her ear, and hold her… The two of you, together, is everything a wedding photographer can dream to work with 🧡
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And I can’t not mention Maria, certified G.O.A.T. of all mothers of the bride, who kept pulling surprise after surprise out of her sleeve… AND, plot twist of the century 🤪 she’s the mom who told her daughter to SHORTEN the family formal list. From 77 down to 33. Other MOBs are out here ADDING names and Maria said “no babe, less is more.” You set a bar no other MOB will ever clear. I bow to you 🙇‍♀️ (Dear future mothers-of-the-bride… take notes 📝)
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Venue + Catering:
Planning, Coordination + Florals:
DJ + Uplighting:
Hair + Makeup (the unsung hero):
Live Painter:
Pedicab:
Gown:
Officiant: Payam Pourjavad
Cake: Carol Li (friend with TALENT)
Sofreh decor: Maria Seifi (the G.O.A.T. herself)
Photo + Video: yours truly 📸🎥
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Rachel and Tanner got married yesterday and I haven’t put my camera down long enough to process it yet. 🥹

Hot pink tablecloths. Disco balls in the centerpieces. A custom suit hand-painted with roses. Vows that made people cry. A first kiss that got a standing ovation. This wedding had a whole entire personality and I loved every second of it.

More coming soon, but I literally could not wait. 🤩

Okay, also, Sunday morning PSA: 2026 is filling up way faster than I expected. I have two fall weekends left, one New Year’s Eve slot, and early 2027 dates open. If you just got engaged, congrats, hi, this is your sign. Inquiry link in bio and let’s see if we’re a match. 🤭🙌🏻

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It’s not every day someone slides into my DMs and says “let’s do something weird.” 👀

Challenge accepted. And I had the TIME of my life. 🤩 10/10 would absof**kinlutely do it again!!

What do you think? 🎈🖤

Slide 1 — “Perpetual Ballet” by Hyperstudio + Mauro Pace
Slide 2 — “BB Series” by Tadao Cern
Slide 3 — “Hyperfrequency” by Hyperstudio + Bruno Ribeiro
Slide 4 — “Swing” by Motorefisico

📍 Balloon Museum Dallas, Tx

⚠️Vulnerable post ahead. Proceed with caution ⚠️

March tried to take me out. And honestly? It almost had a case.

Within the span of a few days, I lost my close friend Su, who was based in Türkiye. Got dumped by someone I genuinely cared about, who was figuring out what they wanted for themselves. (Respect the journey, hate the timing.) And got a test result that had my doctor wanting to look closer, just to rule some things out. All in the same week. Back to back to back. The universe said “here’s a combo meal you didn’t order” and slid it right across the counter.

I spent a lot of time alone in my loft spiraling into my own head. Did I miss signs? Could I have done something differently? Should I call my attorney about a will? (That last one is still on my actual to-do list. Hi, Hershel, if you’re reading this.)

But honestly? This isn’t even close to the hardest thing I’ve survived. Life has handed me some genuinely brutal chapters. Losses that gutted me. Relationships that broke me down to nothing. Starting over so many times I lost count, in different cities, different countries, different versions of myself. There were seasons I didn’t think I was going to make it through.

And every single time, without fail, my work saved me. My humans saved me.

We belly laugh, joke around, have a great time, and every single problem I have on my plate just... vanishes. I don’t know how to explain it except that it works, every time, without fail.
They don’t know they’re saving me. But I feel it every single time.

So to every human who has trusted me with their love, their body, their brand, their joy, over these 19 years: thank you. You have poured into me more than you will ever know. I genuinely don’t know where I’d be without you, and I don’t want to find out.

I’m okay. Getting better every day. Can’t wait to see you out there.