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Date: March 23
Her story: Tiane Johnson, 32, grew up in Washington. She attended Goucher College in Towson, where she received a bachelor's degree in communications, and then graduated with a master's degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park. She is a media coordinator at the CNN Washington bureau. Her parents, Diane Johnson Arrington and Kenny Arrington, live in Seat Pleasant.
His story: Charles Austin, 33, grew up in Columbia. He graduated from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law in 2012. He is a law clerk for a federal judge in Richmond, Va. His parents, Larry and Patricia Austin, live in Ellicott City.
Their story: In the spring of 2006, Tiane and Charles were hired one month apart at WJLA-TV, the ABC news affiliate in Washington. They met when Charles was assigned to train Tiane during her first few weeks on the job. They became close friends and had their first date in August — bowling at the AMF Lanes in Alexandria, Va. Their relationship became official in March 2007.
Charles lives in Richmond for work but will join Tiane in Washington in the summer.
The proposal: Charles proposed on March 17, 2012. He and Tiane visited the blossoming cherry trees in Washington that afternoon, which they say is something they had wanted to do together for years but never had the chance.
Charles, who says he has a penchant for quoting movies and songs, wrote a poem beforehand that would play a part in the proposal. As they were walking through the Hains Point area south of the Tidal Basin, Charles casually incorporated lines of his poem into the conversation. He timed the poem to end as they stopped at a tree that was in full bloom. When Tiane turned her head away to look at the tree, Charles got down on one knee, took the ring out, and recited the final line of the poem: "Tiane Johnson, will you marry me?"
"I am a planner and I pay very close attention to detail," Tiane says. "There was never a thought that that would be the day that would change my life, and so I was very, very excited and proud of him for surprising me."
The venue: The ceremony at Asbury United Methodist Church in Washington was attended by 180 guests. A reception followed at the Prince George's Ballroom in Landover.
Decor and flowers: The color palette for the wedding was silver, black and purple with accents of red. Tiane wanted her bouquet and her bridesmaids' bouquets to remain as keepsakes after the wedding, so she chose silk flowers in purple, white and black instead of live flowers.
Tiane's mother made the bouquets and boutonnieres. Her mother's nickname for Tiane is "butterfly," and Tiane loves the insect, so her bouquet was accented with a silver butterfly.
Each centerpiece featured a different picture of the couple. Tiane's mother made poster-sized collages of pictures from the couple's dates, anniversaries and other milestones to place around the reception.
Her dress: The bride wore a strapless organza, mermaid-style gown with a sweetheart neckline, pleated bodice and beaded embroidery by David Tutera for Mon Cheri from Couture Miss Bridal and Formal in Upper Marlboro.
She wore baby-blue rhinestone high heels from DSW as her "something blue" and a pair of her grandmother's earrings as her "something old" and "something borrowed." She wore a rhinestone necklace and bracelet from Charming Charlie as her "something new."
Instead of a veil, Tiane wore a butterfly hair piece that was handmade by her mom to match the butterfly in her bouquet.
Bridesmaids' dresses: The women wore purple convertible dresses from henkaa.com. The customizable dresses can be twisted into numerous styles depending on preference.
The women also wore silver rhinestone earrings and initial necklaces that were gifts from Tiane.
Men's attire: Charles wore a black tuxedo, purple vest and silver tie from Men's Wearhouse. The groomsmen wore gray tuxedos with purple vests and ties, also from Men's Wearhouse.
Music: DJ Are G. Busy of Baltimore, Charles' friend from college, entertained the guests. The couple's first dance was to a mashup of three songs: "All of Me" by John Legend, "Golden" by Chrisette Michele, and "Spend My Life" by Eric Benet and Tamia.
Food and dessert: Culinary Innovations Catering in Randallstown provided salmon, honey-roasted chicken and sirloin for dinner. The three-layer yellow cake, made by Renold Cakes by Renold, was decorated with purple silk flowers cascading down the side.
Weekend Watch
Favors: Guests received small boxes that were filled with red, silver and purple Hershey's Kisses. Each box was decorated with a love poem accented by a purple flower and red ribbon.
Special touches: Tiane's fellow Delta Sigma Theta sorority members, including her grandmother, Carolyn Preston, serenaded Tiane with the sorority's sweetheart song, which is performed at weddings and special events.
During the reception, Tiane and Charles paid tribute to their boss from WJLA-TV for introducing them. "She's the one who pulled our resumes and interviewed us, and she hired us," Tiane says. "She's like our Cupid."
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