Daughter of Dale Earnhardt gets married

Taylor Earnhardt and her husband, Brandon Putnam, at their wedding Saturday. (Photo courtesy of Christian Oth Studios).


I received an interesting email tonight from a New York PR firm that represents Taylor Earnhardt, the youngest of the late Dale Earnhardt Sr's four children.

Taylor Nicole Earnhardt -- the only child Dale Sr. had with his third wife Teresa Earnhardt -- got married Saturday in the Mooresville area. See above for the picture the PR firm sent out and below for the text of the wedding annnouncement. Her father, Dale, died in a last-lap crash at the Daytona 500 in 2001. Taylor, who has always loved horses and is an excellent rodeo competitor, was 12 at the time.

Taylor Nicole Earnhardt and Brandon Samuel Putnam were married on the 26th of May, 2012 at the Earnhardt Estate in Mooresville, North Carolina.

Earnhardt, 23, is a professional rodeo competitor and devotes herself to supporting the Dale Earnhardt Foundation, a charitable organization that is dedicated to children, education and wildlife preservation. She is also the Director of Equestrian Development for Dale Earnhardt Incorporated. She is currently studying in equine business, reproduction and training to use in her future endeavors.

She is the daughter of Dale and Teresa Earnhardt of Mooresville, North Carolina. Her father, seven-time NASCAR Champion Dale Earnhardt, was the co-founder of Dale Earnhardt Incorporated. Her mother Teresa is the co-founder and current CEO of Dale Earnhardt Incorporated based in Mooresville, North Carolina.

Putnam, 25, is the owner of Hi Tech Incorporated, a grading and trucking company in Charlotte, North Carolina. He also competes in rodeo professionally and is an avid hunter. He graduated from Central Piedmont Community College and received a degree in Fire Science. He is the son of Sam and Julie Putnam of Charlotte, North Carolina. His father Sam is a retired landscape and grading company owner and CEO, and his mother Julie is an accountant and financial manager for several grading and land care companies in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The PR firm later sent out more details about the ceremony, if you're into that sort of thing (i.e. men, pass this along to the females in your family, because it's not exactly a Cam Newton-vs-Alex-Smith feud -- see previous post if you don't know what I'm talking about). Here's the second PR release that followed, presented without comment:

Taylor Nicole Earnhardt, daughter of Teresa Earnhardt and 7-time NASCAR Champion, Dale Earnhardt was married on Saturday evening to Mr. Brandon Samuel Putnam in Mooresville, North Carolina.

The southern elegance inspired wedding was designed by celebrity event planner David Tutera and took place at the Earnhardt’s private estate. The couple exchanged their vows in a romantic outdoor evening ceremony, in a lakeside arbor nestled under the trees with stained glass panels suspended from surrounding trees.

The bride arrived at the ceremony in a horse-drawn carriage that was a gift from her father when she was a little girl. Taylor wore a customized lace wedding gown by Rivini and walked down the aisle to “Bless the Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts, performed by an eight-piece string ensemble. After saying their “I Do’s,” the couple rode to their reception in a vintage 1946 cherry red pickup truck that was from Dale Earnhardt's Classic Car Collection.

Taylor and Brandon’s guests were escorted by horse and carriage to the reception space on the estate, where they celebrated under a rustic open air pavilion that had been constructed especially for the wedding.

Guests were treated to hand-rolled cigars, a fine whiskey tasting bar and a bespoke perfume bar, along with entertainment by country artist Jared Ashley.

The custom pavilion where the reception was held is now available to the public to rent for weddings and other special events. The unique space has a rustic, southern elegant feel, adorned with specially-commissioned antiqued stained glass windows by local artists, vaulted ceilings, custom woodwork and crystal chandeliers. The newly constructed space opens up to a back terrace overlooking a lake and is the only open air structure of its kind that includes heated flooring, so guests can dance the night away no matter the weather.