Several months after serendipitously meeting at All Souls bar in Washington D.C., CEO and Founder of Retreat Cori Sue Morris and John Tass-Parker, the director of strategic initiatives at Instagram, had their first date at Chez Billy in the picturesque Georgetown neighborhood.
One Saturday in October 2019, John woke Cori Sue up early. As someone who describes herself as “not a morning person,” Cori Sue was not pleased with this maneuver—until she noticed the 300 Polaroid photos John had hung up. In their many travels together, they snapped hundreds of selfies, and now, these were strewn around the room. John then asked Cori Sue if she would share a lifetime of adventures with him as his wife. She said yes.
Being engaged during the pandemic meant the couple had plenty of time to dream about their wedding. The Soho Roc House in Mykonos was the obvious destination for their guests. “Infinitely zen and idyllic, Roc House is nestled up on the cliffs overlooking the Aegean Sea,” Cori Sue describes. “We knew we wanted to share Roc House, our special place, and John’s Greek heritage with our loved ones.” Cori Sue and John also chose Alemagou for the ceremony venue. With Studio 7 and Lisa of Isla & Smith’s assistance, Cori Sue transformed the space into an elegant, Renaissance-inspired heaven that would be appropriate for the black tie affair.
Cori Sue cherished the opportunity to dress for a week of wedding festivities. First, she wore an Alexis pom-pom dress with Alexandre Birman heels and a Staud bucket bag to the casual dinner with close friends at Noema. The welcome regatta launched with three classic Greek sailing ships. She sported a white PatBo white fringe dress, paired with Mignonne Gavigan feather earrings. To the welcome reception, she dressed in an Ines di Santo silk column gown from Chic Parisien Bridal Studio in Coral Gables, Florida, and accessorized with Aquazzura heels, a silver sterling cuff from Louis Abel, and Agmes silver pearl drop earrings.
The bride’s “Chaz” Mira Zwillinger wedding dress was much more feminine and lacy, in comparison to the rest of her wedding wardrobe. It even featured custom embroidery that showcased Greek leaves. Her friend, Ashley Delgado, applied her natural-inspired beauty look, and Cristina of BeautyWorld styled her hair. Her simple Lizzie Fortunato pearl drop earrings were her main jewelry additions to the outfit until her maid of honor Lindsey loaned her a last-minute “something borrowed,” her very own Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet, in the car ride over to the ceremony. Meanwhile, the groom wore a classic Tom Ford tuxedo with Christian Louboutin patent leather Oxfords.
On May 14, 2022, guests were mesmerized by Mia Sylvia’s windswept drapery of the beach-side ceremony. The processional began with a string quartet’s rendition of “Wildest Dreams,” as a nod to the bride’s love for Taylor Swift and Bridgerton. Her parents walked her halfway down the aisle before Cori Sue escorted herself to the altar. “To me, that was symbolic,” she shares. “My parents gave me a beautiful childhood—they got me halfway through my life with joy, love, and security. But at 35, as a highly independent woman and self-made entrepreneur, I made this decision myself, as an adult—no one was giving me away. I wanted to respect and honor my parents, but I think the tradition of giving the bride away takes my own personal agency.”
The ceremony was non-traditional and utterly perfect for Cori Sue and John. Oliver Ressler, the couple’s friend who is Jewish, officiated the semi-Christian service. Another close friend read excerpts from Harry Potter; another read “Love is an Adventure” by Pierre Tielhart de Chardin. The bride and groom wrote their own vows, and Cori Sue inadvertently brought several people to tears with her tender words. Now pronounced husband and wife, the newlyweds recessed to “You Make My Dreams Come True” by Hall & Oates, while guests tossed rose petals in the air.
Cocktail hour commenced at sunset, complete with cheekily named elixirs like “Koalaty Thyme.” In addition to being a software engineer, John’s brother, Chris Tass-Parker, is a talented musician; so he serenaded the crowd with a concert that brought all of the millennials to their knees—think “Champagne Supernova” by Oasis and “Truly Madly Deeply” by Australian band Savage Garden.
Guests took their seats at tables named after the cities and surfing locales the couple visited early in their courtship before the pandemic. They dined on catered Greek cuisine and ate Pavlov’s Lab’s three-tier Black Forest cake with ivory icing. Emilie White documented all of the stunning details.
The newlyweds prepared for their first dance with lessons alongside Stephanie Shapiro of Dance Well NY. They felt ready to tackle a foxtrot and swing combination to the tune of Van Morrison’s “Moondance.” The number ended with a literal bang of a confetti cannon and cold-fire sparks. Cori Sue and her father shared a dance to Frank Sinatra’s “I Wish You Love.” John’s mother opted out of the standard mother-son number and instead led the entire party in a traditional Greek dance. Cori Sue remembers the scene well, “It was hilarious watching the Americans and Australians try to keep up with the footsteps.”
Growing up in Buenos Aires, the bride’s heritage was thoughtfully honored with the “Hora Loca.” She switched into a silk faille Vivienne Westwood minidress to maintain the Grecian motif and also match DJ Velvetmode’s fast-paced Latin house music.
The reception ended well after midnight, but the party continued around town in Mykonos. With enormous gyros distributed on the dance floor, guests grabbed a handful before boarding buses to keep dancing and drinking at Astra. It was legendary. Even Cori Sue admits, “There are some pretty embarrassing photos of me fist-pumping on the tables in my Vivienne Westwood mini.”
