Dawn Chavous and Kenyatta Johnson exchanged wedding vows on Dec. 18, a day before Dawn’s birthday, at Ebenezer Seventh-Day Adventist Church in South Philadelphia. Pastor Pete Palmer of Germantown SDA Church officiated the wedding and Pastor James Lovett from Tasker Street Baptist Church performed the vows. The gracious bride said, “We were very thankful to Pastor Samuel Hutchins and the Ebenezer Church family for hosting our wedding and ensuring we had a perfect day!”
Dawn was absolutely exquisite in an ivory silk, A-line sleeveless couture gown with two trains, one of which was detachable. It was accented with jeweled beading on the bodice and waist. The back was designed with an elegant low corset accented with ruching throughout. Her gown was selected from Bijou Bridal Boutique in Ardmore.
Pianist Toni Hall, flutist Kimberlyn Thompson and violinist Jack Drummond played during the prelude and throughout the ceremony. They are friends of the bride and her family, and the couple was especially thankful for their support.
The Bride
Dawn, 31, is the daughter of Barbara Chavous and Robert Chavous. Her stepmother is Elizabeth Chavous. Dawn’s maternal grandmother, the late Lois Jean Miller Cheatham, and paternal grandparents, the late James and Estelle Chavous, were lovingly remembered. Oliver Cheatham is her maternal grandfather.
Dawn did her undergraduate work at Ursinus College, earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology. She earned a master’s degree in organizational dynamics, specializing in leadership management and organizational development from the University of Pennsylvania. Dawn worked for state Sen. Anthony H. Williams for nine years, serving as his chief of staff and director of education. She ran his gubernatorial campaign in 2010, and began her own consulting firm shortly thereafter, specializing in education reform, community outreach and political campaigns. She is currently the executive director of Students First PA, a nonprofit organization created to advocate for education reform policies to ensure all children have access to high quality educational options.
The Groom
Kenyatta, 38, is the son of Yvonne Martin and the late Gregory White. His stepfather is Ronald Martin. His maternal grandparents are Bernice Hughes and Vincent Hughes. His paternal grandmother is Pauline White. Kenyatta earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s in government administration and public finance from the University of Pennsylvania Fels School of Government. He held a seat as state representative for the 186th District for three years and is now a Philadelphia city councilman, becoming the first African American to represent the Second Councilmanic District on Jan. 2. Prior to being in elected office, Kenyatta worked for state Sent. Anthony H. Williams as his crime and safety liaison and was the founder of Peace Not Guns Inc., a nonprofit created to address crime and violence in local neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia.
The Proposal — in the Bride’s Words
Dawn and Kenyatta were introduced by the late former state Sen. Hardy Williams.
“Kenyatta arranged a sunset picnic on Dewey Beach in Rehoboth, Delaware,” said Dawn. “It was absolutely beautiful. He also hired a photographer who was disguising himself the entire time while he was secretly taking pictures of us. During the course of our meal, Kenyatta knelt on one knee and grabbed my hand and started telling me how much I meant to him. He plays around so much that when he asked me to marry him, I didn’t take him seriously and thought he was kidding. Then, he pulled out a ring box. Silly me, I still didn’t believe him until he told me to open the box and I saw a huge diamond ring inside. I was absolutely surprised and shocked at the same time. After adjusting to what was happening, I said yes; it was absolutely beautiful, romantic and funny! I laugh to myself just thinking about it. He got me good.”
The Bridal Party
The bride’s attendants, wearing beautiful cranberry gowns, were: her sister Tiffany Chavous, Sara Scott, Enid Colon, Tamela Cowans and Dorian Gonzalez.
The groomsmen, handsome in traditional black tuxedos, were Ronald Felder, Christopher Washington, Ernest Jackson, Darnell Palmer, Clifford Grant and David Hall.
The arrival of the bride was announced by Gavin Gonzalez, son of Mr. and Mrs. Marc Gonzalez. Ushers were Fateen Bullock, Clifford Cahoon, Desaree Jones, Aaron Scott, Michael Scott and Tiphanie White.
Reflections
“It was a beautiful, perfect day. Really, nothing went wrong. The weather was great, considering we were in the middle of December. We were very happy it didn’t snow! We loved every minute of the day. I got dressed with my mother and bridesmaids at the Warwick Hotel and we took pictures on Broad Street with City Hall as the backdrop after the dessert reception at the church. We were so blessed to have all of our family and close friends together,” Dawn reflected. Many of the couple’s guests flew in from other states including South Carolina, Michigan, Florida and Illinois.
Dawn shared that Kenyatta was very much involved in the wedding planning process. He selected the engagement ring by himself. They selected their wedding bands together. He attended the cake-tasting and selected the flavors. He also took the lead in selecting the wedding music that would be played as the bride and the bridal party walked down the aisle.
“Kenyatta coordinated the transportation for the bridal party, the dessert reception, the program, invitation list... he was a very active groom and had his hands in everything,” said Dawn.
Among the family and friends sharing this very special day with Dawn and Kenyatta were his Pennsylvania House colleagues, state Reps. W. Curtis Thomas, Ron Waters and Vanessa Brown, and state Rep. Kevin Murphy from Lackawanna County. Brown’s ShopRite owner Jeff Brown and his wife, Sandy; state Sen. Anthony H. Williams and his wife, Shari Williams; David Hyman and his wife, Farah Jimenez; Sharmain Matlock-Turner and her husband, Tony Turner; Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Boyer; Stephen Cohen and his wife, Arlene; Kenny Gamble and his wife, Fatima; Rahim Islam; Lana Watkins; A. Bruce Crawley; Anthony Fullard; Wanda Bailey Green and Lynette Brown-Sow, who did a wonderful job as the wedding coordinator and whom the couple described as “priceless.” I extend special thanks to Lana Watkins for her public relations assistance.
Special Moments
One of the most touching moments was Dawn surprising Kenyatta by singing to him during their wedding. He asked her a few weeks before the wedding if she would sing, but she didn’t give him an answer because she didn’t know if she would be up to it, given all that goes on during the course of a wedding day. In addition to serving as an education and political consultant, Dawn is also a professional vocalist, having produced a CD a few years ago. She primarily sings for church and private events. The only person who knew about the surprise was Pastor Palmer. It was an amazing expression of love and everyone, especially Kenyatta, was truly touched.
The Honeymoon
The couple honeymooned on three islands in French Polynesia, Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora. All of the islands were absolutely beautiful, said Dawn.
“It was the most amazing places we’ve ever been to. The water was crystal-clear and the garden and overwater bungalows were amazing. We had such a great time. When leaving the Pacific islands, we spent a few days in Los Angeles before flying back to Philadelphia,” Dawn said.
“We are very excited to be husband and wife and will continue to keep God first in our lives and marriage and look forward to many happy years together,” they shared.
Congratulations and very best wishes are extended to Mr. and Mrs. Kenyatta Johnson!
