Courtney and Sam’s ballroom wedding featured a classic design and an in-the-round ceremony. See the details of their story, and their big day, below.
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Photographs by Birds of a Feather Photography
The Couple
Courtney, a speechwriter from Germantown, Tennessee, and Sam, a consultant from Clarksville, Maryland, met at a fraternity beach weekend function at Myrtle Beach their freshman year at Clemson.
They arrived as blind dates—to other people—but, they say, they immediately clicked and by the end of the weekend they were inseparable. “Conversation was easy, and we had a lot in common,” says Courtney. “Not to mention, Sam was the perfect gentleman. On the way home, Sam paid for my Bojangles combo meal and his real date’s combo meal.” Sam walked Courtney to her dorm room and she immediately called her twin sister to tell her about the guy she’d met.
She was smitten by his kindness and thoughtfulness—careful to bring everyone in the conversation, remembering small details about others, always smiling. He thought she was a “force of gravity,” and say he was drawn to her spirit and energy.
For they first real date, they headed to a hibachi restaurant in Clemson called Tokyo. Courtney had mentioned it was her favorite restaurant, but what she’d forgotten to mention was that because of her fear of fire, she hated sitting at the hibachi tables—a detail Sam could have probably used when he made their reservation for one. After the date, Courtney says, she came clean about the situation, they had a laugh, and Sam dropped her off at the library to study. When she got home she found that he’d dropped off flowers, chocolate, and a sweet note. “For a college kid, dinner, flowers, and chocolate seemed as special as …” a diamond ring, say Courtney.
Six years later, Sam proposed on Courtney’s family’s annual holiday cruise vacation the day after a big Clemson football win.
The Wedding Planning
In January, the pair initially landed on an April 2021 date, but later pushed the affair back to September 18, 2021 at the Willard—“I’ve always dreamed of dancing in a big, elegant ballroom in a big, elegant ball gown,” says Courtney.
For the design, they wanted classic decor in white, cream, and dusty rose for the wedding, followed by a speakeasy vibe for the afterparty.
The Design
Among Courtney’s favorite details was the display in honor of her father, who passed away when she was in college. Next to a spread of candles and a photo of Courtney as a child, with her father at a dance recital—she dressed as a bride and he as a groom—Courtney placed a note that read, “These candles burn for Glen Paul, who would be laughing the loudest, dancing the longest, and telling all the best stories. He cannot be here today, but he is with us in spirit and lives forever in our hearts.” The display, Courtney says, was placed next to the ceremony entrance, so it was the last thing she saw before walking down the aisle.
For Sam, the “in-the-round” ceremony set-up—which they say felt especially warm and intimate, and allowed them to make eye contact with loves ones through the ceremony—was the most special part of the day.
Leading to the reception, a wall of champagne glasses topped with the quote “Underneath the Mango Tree—a nod to their first dance song, Mango Tree by Zac Brown Band—led guests to their seats.
At the bar, a sign for the signature cocktails (a mint julep and a margarita) served a tribute to the couple’s dog, Vincent Van Goh. It said, “Just as strong and colorful as our beloved Vincent, these drinks are a work of art,” and accompanied a sketch of their pup. Two sets of cocktail napkins set the tone: first, one with the couple’s monogram and the wedding date; the second, which was handed out with drinks served past 9 p.m., had the Hawthorne logo along with the words “The party continues …” with the details for the afterparty.
Dinner included a choice of pepper-crusted filet mignon, pan-seared salmon, or vegetable strudel, and for late-night bites: pizzas, parmesan truffle fries, and chicken tenders. For dessert, the newlyweds sliced into a cake of earl gray vanilla, fresh strawberries, and Swiss meringue, layered with ginger-carrot-cake with lemon cream cheese buttercream.
Following the celebration, the newlyweds honeymoon in Jamaica.
The Details
Photography: Birds of a Feather Photography | Venue: The Willard Intercontinental | Planning and design: Roberts & Co. Events | Florist: Floral and Bloom | Invitations and day-of paper: Flourishing Penguin | Cake: Fancy Cakes Bakery | Hair and makeup: Modern Bridal Studio | Bride’s attire: Martina Liana (ceremony), Made With Love (reception), both from Maggie Louise Bridal Boutique | Groom’s attire: Suit Supply | Bridesmaids’ attire: Azazie | Groomsmen’s attire: The Black Tux | Music: Bachelor Boys | Transportation: Chariots for Hire | Lighting, dance floor, and chuppah: Dan Goldman Events | Tabletop rentals: Table Manners | Champagne escort wall: Revolution Event Design and Production
Amy leads Washingtonian Weddings and writes Style Setters for Washingtonian. Prior to joining Washingtonian in March 2016, she was the editor of Capitol File magazine in DC and before that, editor of What’s Up? Weddings in Annapolis.
