People.com:
Candiace Dillard is a married lady!
The 31-year-old Real Housewives of Potomac star said “I do” on Saturday, marrying longtime boyfriend Chris Bassett at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C.
Both were dressed to the nines for the event, Dillard in a custom-made gown by Karen Sabag.
Their big day — and its theme of “cosmopolitan
sophistication with a touch of southern class”— had 260 guests in
attendance, including a few of Dillard’s RHOP costars.
“Candiace’s wedding reminded me of a Parisian fairy tale overflowing
in gold and white. When she walked down the aisle you forgot about the
beauty of the room because she was absolutely radiant,” a source at the
affair tells PEOPLE.
This is the first marriage for Dillard, a former Miss United States, and the second for Bassett, who has three children from two previous relationships.
The pair met while working at a restaurant together
in D.C., where he was the manager and she a server. Bassett proposed in
May 2017, surprising Dillard with all their friends and family.
RELATED: Will Candiace Dillard’s relationship with Chris survive after her comments?
BravoTV.com:
Candiace Dillard joins The Real Housewives of Potomac this
season with a touch of sass and savviness. The 31-year-old former Miss
United States was born in Biloxi, Mississippi, and grew up in Atlanta,
Georgia, with her Air Force physician parents and siblings, Chris and
Crystal. At an early age, Candiace learned what excellence looked like
from observing her parents, who worked in different facets of the
medical field. A graduate of Howard University, she served a tenure in
the White House Offices of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental
Affairs, where she liaised between the White House and the African
American community for President Barack Obama. She later traded in her
suit and heels for the campaign trail, where she served as a staffer for
President Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign. In 2013, Candiace won the
crown and title of Miss United States and hasn’t looked back since. She
has competed in the pageant industry for many years and holds top
placements in the Sunburst, National American Miss, National Miss
American Coed, Georgia Miss American Coed, Miss Maryland USA, Miss
District of Columbia USA, and Miss United States pageant systems.
As an entrepreneur, she is the founder and CEO of Candiace Dillard
Pageant Consulting, cofounder of Prima Hair Collection by Candiace
Dillard, and co-owner of Chateau Salon Suites. In 2009, she also founded
an organization called My Sister’s Keeper, a mentorship and women’s
empowerment organization designed to give young girls the opportunity to
interact with women in their communities. Candiace is currently engaged
to her soulmate, restaurateur Chris Bassett, whom she met while they
were both working at a restaurant in downtown Washington, D.C. They were
friends for several years before the courtship blossomed into
undeniable love, and Chris proposed to her with a surprise engagement
that included all of her family and friends. When she is not running her
numerous businesses or being a pageant girl, Candiace can be found
curled up with a good book, as reading is her favorite pastime.
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