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Home · Weddings

Bridal Bliss: Dawn and Derrin

Bridal Bliss: Dawn and Derrin
By · July 27, 2010October 29, 2020
01
Endless Love

New York marketing mavens Dawn Baxter and Derrin Woodhouse tied the knot with a traditional ceremony at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Englewood, New Jersey, followed by a lavish soiree in North Bergen. Share their love.

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
02
All Dressed Up

Dawn’s mother, sister, and friends help her get dressed for her big day.

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
03
The Little Details

It was important for Dawn to support minority vendors. She bought her wedding gown from the Black-owned Mark Ingram Bridal Atelier.

“I had a really great experience,” she remembers. “When I tried on my dress and I saw the look on my sister’s face it hit me like, ‘This is my dress.’ It felt like me, very relaxed. It was so comfortable I wore it the whole night.”

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
04
Stylish Man

Derrin and Dawn are a stylish couple. The groom showed off his creative style with a silk bow tie and a custom-designed vest with four pockets.

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
05
Blue and Red

Navy was one of Dawn and Derrin’s primary wedding colors. Her something blue had ‘red bottoms,’ as she chose satin, peep-toe, Christian Louboutin heels to walk down the aisle in.

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
06
The Stone

Dawn’s platinum engagement ring features a two-carat radiant cut center stone with two baguettes on each side.

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
07
Happy Feet

Derrin made sure he was fly from his head to his toes in a pair of Prada shoes.

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
08
Love Text

As Derrin got dressed for his big day, he began to get nervous. Just then his bride sent him BBM asking him how he was doing?

“It was good to get that and it kind of just reassured me that everything was going to be OK.”

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
09
She’s Got the Look

Dawn’s natural beauty look was created by Nichole Cambridge and her sophisticated up-do was styled by Clark Vincent of Ken Barboza Associates.

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
10
Even Keeled

“He’s a good balance for me,” Dawn reveals of her new husband. “I feel like we do a good job of balancing one another.”

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
11
Love Lives On

“I come from a place where marriage is a good thing — a place where people have been successful at it,” Dawn says. Here, she poses with her parents before walking down the aisle.

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
12
Long-lasting Love

Both Dawn’s and Derrin’s parents have been married for over 40 years. Here, the bride poses with her in-laws.

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
13
Sister, Sister

Dawn’s sister Dana, public relations rep for ESSENCE, was her maid of honor.

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
14
Time with Dad

“I was glad that she got a chance to walk down the aisle with her dad,” Derrin says. “I knew she was getting what she always wanted.”

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
15
All Smiles

“I thought I would be crying during my vows,” Dawn says, “but we spent a lot of time smiling. We were very happy.”

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
16
Sparks Fly

“When we actually kissed I was like, ‘Wow. This is it! We’re really married,’” Dawn exclaims.

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
17
Light Up My Life

The newlyweds solidify their bond by lighting a unity candle.

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
18
You Complete Me

“I felt a great sense of joy and a great sense of being complete,” Derrin says of finally being married to Dawn.

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
19
I Thee Wed

Derrin’s wedding ring is a white gold wedding band with yellow gold trimming and Dawn’s is a platinum ring with three radiant-cut stones and two baguettes to match her engagement ring.

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
20
The Dotted Line

Derrin looks over his new wife’s shoulder as she signs the marriage certificate.

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
21
Family Planning

“We definitely want to have a family,” Dawn says. “I look forward to us growing as a couple and making our family bigger.”

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
22
Do You Love Me?

Derrin says he fell in love with Dawn for her “commitment to her friends and family, her sense of style and her sense of overall caring.”

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
23
Smorgasboard

The Waterside restaurant in North Bergen, New Jersey, created a splendid spread for Dawn and Derrin’s cocktail hour including a seafood station.

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
24
Me, Myself and I

“I felt like I could let my guard down with Derrin,” Dawn says of why she fell for her groom. “With Woody I feel like I can just be me.”

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
25
Perfect Arrangement

The wedding’s flower arrangements were created by Collin Abraham of Pollen Nation in Harlem, NYC.

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
26
Dance the Night Away

Derrin and Dawn savored their first dance to “This is For the Lover in You” by Shalamar.

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
27
Dance with My Father

Dawn held her father close and danced to “Isn’t She Lovely” by Stevie Wonder.

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
28
There For You

Derrin and his mother smiled and swayed through “I’ll Be There,” by the Jackson Five.

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
29
Sisterly Love

Dana wishes her sister Dawn and her new brother-in-law Derrin a life of love and happiness.

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
30
Trust In Me

“There’s a sense that, I’m responsible for this person and this person is responsible for me. There’s security in that and I look forward to the responsibility as well,” Dawn says.

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
31
Sweet Love

Dawn and Derrin’s wedding cake was designed by Palermo Bakery in Ridgefield, New Jersey, and featured two tiers of yellow cake with hazelnut filling and two layers of chocolate cake with fudge filling.

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
32
Top It Off

The top of Dawn and Derrin’s wedding cake was custom made to look just like them. They even included their dog.

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
33
Togetherness

“I’m looking forward to growing old with Dawn and having a companion to share my experiences with and to grow with as a unit,” Derrin says.

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
34
Just Do It

Since Dawn is a marketing manager at Nike, it makes sense that she and Derrin are all about their kicks.

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
35
Future Looks Bright

“It’s about enjoying life and moving forward with each other,” Dawn says of enjoying the rest of her days with Derrin.

Dawn and Derrin’s wedding was coordinated by David Watkins of The Watkins Project.

All photos by Jose Reyes at Jose Reyes Photography.

Jose Reyes of Jose Reyes Photography
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