What a beautiful Spring day! Maybe its a little too warm for this time of year...but the trees and flowers are blooming around The Carolina Inn...which will make our brides VERY happy. I guess that the weather has put me in the mood to share a lighthearted love story. I hear many of them..but I especially love the two people who created this one.
Tara and Mark..from one northerner to another...thanks for letting me share your story.
Tara and Mark
Aren't they cute? (they are really fun too)
About Tara...
Growing up in Newtown, CT, Tara started playing golf when she was 9, giving her a roughly 21 year head start on Mark. Golf took her all over and ultimately led her to Brown, where she captained the women's golf team. After working in sports marketing and as a pharmaceutical sales rep for Pfizer, Tara had a calling for higher education. As she headed south, some described her as "picky." Tara likes to say she knew what she wanted and she was willing to wait.
About Mark...
Hailing from Big Flats, NY, Mark spent most of his youth getting lost in sports. Whatever the sport, he'd try it. That doesn't mean he was good at it, but he loved to compete. When he got to Princeton, he tried rowing to get Jason's (his brother) friends off his back. Eleven years later, he retired from working hard in a "row boat." A short stint in Chapel Hill followed, where Tara and Mark met. Described by others as "picky," Mark likes to say he knew what he wanted and he was willing to wait.
Hailing from Big Flats, NY, Mark spent most of his youth getting lost in sports. Whatever the sport, he'd try it. That doesn't mean he was good at it, but he loved to compete. When he got to Princeton, he tried rowing to get Jason's (his brother) friends off his back. Eleven years later, he retired from working hard in a "row boat." A short stint in Chapel Hill followed, where Tara and Mark met. Described by others as "picky," Mark likes to say he knew what he wanted and he was willing to wait.
~~~~~~~~
How We Met....
On a sunny morning in April of 2009, unbeknownst to each other, Tara and Mark headed to Kenan-Flagler Business School for an admitted students weekend. Tara was firmly committed to school in North Carolina while Mark was still up in the air. As Mark moved through the crowded breakfast buffet line to get a stale bagel, he bumped into Tara, who was doing the same. After a quick introduction, they hit it off and spent much of the next couple of days checking in and hanging out. At the end of the weekend, Tara asked Mark what his business school decision was. Mark replied that he was still unsure. As an added perk, Tara promised to get Mark's golf score under 100, hoping to tip the scale in UNC's favor. Mark, being an honest man, gave Tara a chance to retract her commitment, since she did not realize how far from 100 he really was. Tara responded by saying, "Do you doubt my abilities as a coach?" And so the relationship began...
When it Happened...
Saturday, May 07, 2011
Are You Ready to Order?
As Mark and Tara prepared for their graduation from business school, Mark had an additional trick up his sleeve. Knowing that he wanted to be with Tara for the rest of his life, it was time to ask "the question." Mark also knew that he wanted to surprise Tara, a particularly difficult task in and of itself. In order to pull it off, "the question" had to be asked when everyone least expected it: in the middle of the graduation weekend. Hours before a dinner between both families, Mark snuck off to "run some errands" (it was Mother's Day weekend after all), secretly having a rendezvous with Tara's dad over a Yuengling. With his blessing, a few hours later Mark proposed a toast to everyone at dinner, and then he proposed to Tara. What happened next was not on any page of Mark's playbook. Tara thought he was joking. After a few slaps and a romantic shove or two, Mark finally got through to Tara that he was serious, and that he would not get up until she said "yes" or "no." Many "yeses" followed, and there was much rejoicing. The restaurant cheered, suddenly there was champagne, and a wonderful dinner followed.
As Mark and Tara prepared for their graduation from business school, Mark had an additional trick up his sleeve. Knowing that he wanted to be with Tara for the rest of his life, it was time to ask "the question." Mark also knew that he wanted to surprise Tara, a particularly difficult task in and of itself. In order to pull it off, "the question" had to be asked when everyone least expected it: in the middle of the graduation weekend. Hours before a dinner between both families, Mark snuck off to "run some errands" (it was Mother's Day weekend after all), secretly having a rendezvous with Tara's dad over a Yuengling. With his blessing, a few hours later Mark proposed a toast to everyone at dinner, and then he proposed to Tara. What happened next was not on any page of Mark's playbook. Tara thought he was joking. After a few slaps and a romantic shove or two, Mark finally got through to Tara that he was serious, and that he would not get up until she said "yes" or "no." Many "yeses" followed, and there was much rejoicing. The restaurant cheered, suddenly there was champagne, and a wonderful dinner followed.
And...the rest of the story lead them to The Carolina Inn....
Tara and Mark..I am really looking forward to the "aura of good times" that your party will be having here at The Carolina Inn the last weekend of May!
So here's to your pink and orange, your grits(your northern friends will love them), your great gift bags, your outstanding energy, and your great sense of style. I can't wait to see your special day unfold!
May 27, 2012
66 Days and Counting...
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