This Bride’s Reception Look Included a Second Dress—and a Surprise Haircut

Cortney and K’sean, attorneys from North Carolina and New York, respectively, were set up by mutual friends at a dinner at Mi Via at the Wharf. They hit it off, exchanged numbers, and began texting daily. “Soon,” they say, they “were in inseparable.” Three years later, K’sean proposed at a party for Cortney’s at 30th birthday brunch at La Vie amongst family and friends.

Their August wedding featured a “Secret Garden” theme designed in a palette of Champagne and sage, with 5-foot trees that served as a floral highlight.

The pair say they prioritized the guest experience, including a welcome event at the Hamilton the night before where wedding “newspapers” offered an itinerary for the weekend, featured the wedding party, and included other fun shoutouts for guests, like the couple who traveled the farthest to attend the wedding. Shuttle service from there ceremony to the reception was another thoughtful touch. At the ceremony, their parents and grandparents walked them down the aisle, their godmothers read scriptures, and, before they “jumped the broom” at the end, K’sean says their mothers used the broom to “metaphorically sweep our past troubles away, giving us a clean slate for our new marriage.”

One more fun surprise: After the dancing had begun at the reception, Cortney snuck out to another room where her hairstylist cut her hair into a bob. “I changed into a more modern, sleek dress to match the new hairstyle and made a second grand entrance into the dance floor with my bridesmaids,” she says. “I had so much fun and everyone loved the surprise hairstyle and new look!”

The next day, the newlyweds hosted loved ones for a farewell brunch at The Gathering Spot.

See the photos from the wedding day below.

The Details

Amy Moeller

Fashion & Weddings Editor

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.