Virginia Bride features weddings weekly here on the blog. Being featured in the blog does not necessarily mean they are featured in the print magazine.

BRIDE: Maiah Khin, 24, Government Contract and Proposal Management

GROOM: Joseph Waddington (Joe), 23, U.S. Army Armor Officer (2nd Lieutenant)

DATE: May 5th, 2023

LOCATION: Raspberry Plain Manor, Leesburg, Virginia

NUMBER OF GUESTS: 225

Featured in the spring | summer 2024 print issue of Virginia Bride Magazine.

ONLINE CONNECTION

Joe and Maiah met when she was in her third year at the University of St Andrews in Fife, Scotland, and he was in his second year at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. While home in Virginia over the summer, they swiped right on Tinder, and the courtship began.

PROPOSAL

During Joe’s last year at West Point, he proposed to Maiah. He came home unexpectedly, Maiah recalled. “He asked me to take a walk,” she said. “It was January, it had just snowed, it was 19 degrees outside, and I didn’t even think it was weird when he told me to ‘dress cute.’ I blacked out when the proposal was happening and didn’t realize it until Joe got down on one knee.” Afterward, the couple’s friends popped out of the bushes with champagne and a camera.

PLANNING

Joe and Maiah hired Perfectly Yours Events as their month-of coordinator, but the couple and their families contributed to many DIY projects. Maiah said, “I will never forget weekly trips to thrift stores, Home Goods, and TJ Maxx with my mom looking for frames, ribbons, and other décor [and] chatting with my bridesmaids as we made place cards and stuffed invitations.”

“I think many people sugarcoat what wedding planning is like,” Said Maiah. “And while it is a joyous event, there are many moving parts, details, and feelings to consider. It takes a village and some incredibly organized individuals to pull it all together.”

THEME

Maiah wanted a colorful wedding with a sunset palette, including shades of blush, orange, peach, rose, gold, and pink. She said, “These colors were integral in paving the way for everything we chose, from bridesmaids’ dresses to florals to napkins and invitations. We wanted the day to feel like an elevated garden party with shades of pink, peach and lots of color”.

INVITATIONS

The invitations were blush pink, and Maiah hand-calligraphed everyone’s name and address on the envelopes. Each envelope also featured floral stamps to match the spring garden party theme.

Maiah created a newspaper-style program. “The program was a big hit,” she said. The program included the order of the ceremony and names of the bridal party. The back side of the program had fun facts, a map showing the places guests had traveled from and a list of the bride’s and groom’s favorite things.

ATTIRE

Maiah found her gown at Love Couture Bridal in Potomac, Maryland. The Lazaro Olivia gown had a sweetheart neckline, ivory petals embroidered over a tulle and was fitted with Chantilly lace. Maiah removed the off-the-shoulder sleeves and used the leftover fabric to make detachable tulle bishop sleeves. She wore a tulle cathedral veil, pink shoes and jewelry from her mom.

Halfway through the night, Maiah changed into a traditional Burmese wedding dress made by her cousin from Yangon, Myanmar. Everything was handmade, including the embroidery on the longyis, traditional skirts worn in Myanmar. The bride’s longyi was pure silk and blush pink with gold embroidery to match the wedding theme. The bride shared that it was important to her to wear a Burmese outfit to honor her heritage and her mom.

Maiah had eight bridesmaids, many of whom she had known since the first grade. She said, “This was indeed a special moment. I wanted them to choose something they felt gorgeous in.” The bridesmaids’ dresses featured colors from the sunset palette with a mixture of fabrics, textures and patterns.”

Joe and his groomsmen wore matching black tuxes for the ceremony. All the groomsmen wore white boutonnieres of ranunculus, roses and greenery. Joe wore a similar boutonniere with peach and orange tones.

Joe later changed into a formal military dress uniform, the Army Green Service, known as ASUs or “pinks and greens.” This uniform was an ode to soldiers’ uniforms from World War II.

PICTURES

Joe and Maiah chose Rebecca Wilcher to capture their digital memories. They said, “She was simply a joy to work with, and she makes you look your best in front of the camera.”

Joe and Maiah posed for couple portraits on the main lawn and secret garden of the Raspberry Plain Manor.

Sadie Lynn Photography was their videographer. The couple said, “Sadie truly delivered. Every time we watch our wedding video, we relive the day.”

FLOWERS

The couple used roses, ranunculus, peonies, greenery and Italian ruscus to create tablescapes, bouquets, boutonnieres, a sweetheart table and a floral arch.”

The couple said, “We loved Raspberry Plain Manor because of its ballroom, all the natural light, and how beautiful it was inside and out. The green spaces and secret garden on the property are stunning, even without decorations.”

CEREMONY

Joe and Maiah’s ceremony was outside on the patio under a trellis decorated with a floral arch. SGT Justin Schalow officiated the wedding. The couple’s ceremony included a mix of Catholic and Buddhist scriptures.

MUSIC

Joe said, “Josh Carroll (DJ Sway) from Sway Entertainment performed at our ceremony, cocktail hour and reception. We loved him because we wanted our reception to feel like a club/disco/rave, and he made it feel that way.”

“Strange” by Kris Bowers (ft. Hillary Smith), a piece from the Bridgerton Soundtrack, was the couple’s processional song. Their recessional song, “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)” by Natalie Cole, was played while the guest tossed biodegradable flower petals.

COCKTAIL HOUR

Joe and Maiah had two signature drinks and an open bar. The Joe and Coke, made with Jack Daniels Whisky and Coke, and the Maiah Margarita, made with tequila, strawberry, lime juice and a lemon slice.

During the cocktail hour, guests enjoyed music, hors d’oeuvres, an open bar and fun activities, including a crossword puzzle about the bride and groom, a giant Jenga game and a Polaroid camera to commemorate memories.

RECEPTION

The couple had a mirror seating chart, and their decorations included florals, family wedding photos, pictures of Joe and Maiah, a collage of the letters the couple shared, and artifacts from college. 

Joe and Maiah had a combination of long head tables and circular tables for the reception. Huge garlands decorated with vines, Italian ruscus, peach and pink blooms, taper candles and orange slices adorned the long tables. A mix of organic centerpieces and bud vases covered the round tables. The gold Chiavari chairs, candles and chargers tied the colors together. Joe and Maiah sat at a sweetheart table decorated with a repurposed floral arch from the ceremony and the same table setting and gold taper candles.

The couple’s first dance song was “Peaceful Easy Feeling” by The Eagles. Father and daughter danced to “Isn’t She Lovely” by Stevie Wonder. Mother and son danced to the song “Find Yourself” by Brad Paisley.

MENU

“We loved the chicken and waffle bites, tortellini, Burmese desserts and pizza as a midnight snack,” the couple said.

CAKE

The couple cut their three-tiered cake with Joe’s West Point saber. They also served sheet cakes, Burmese semolina cake and coconut sticky rice.

EXIT AND AFTER PARTY

Joe and Maiah said, “We had a bubble exit and went straight to bar hopping in downtown Leesburg.”

TRANSPORTATION

The couple stayed at Thompson House, a property on Raspberry Plain Manor. Joe and Maiah’s getaway car was her Mini Cooper.

HONEYMOON

Joe and Maiah took a week-long trip to Italy and visited Positano and Rome.

WISE WORDS

Joe and Maiah said, “Lean on your soon-to-be spouse, family and friends because it takes a village. Soak in the day because it goes by so fast and remember to eat!”

NUPTIAL NIGHTMARES

Maiah dreamt that Joe missed their wedding because of Army-related occurences.

WEDDING DISASTERS

The couple’s family forgot to pick up the wedding cake at the last moment, and Maiah missed her first look with her Dad.

BEST GIFT

Joe said, “Definitely our ice cream machine.”

INGREDIENTS LIST

CEREMONY SITE

Raspberry Plain Manor

Leesburg VA

RECEPTION SITE

Raspberry Plain Manor

PHOTOGRAPHY

Rebecca Wilcher Photography

Alexandria, VA

443-553-8829

VIDEOGRAPHY

Sadie Lynn Photography

Roanoke, VA

267-644-5251

CONSULTANT

Perfectly Yours Events 

Alexandria, VA

571-228-5482

OFFICIANT

SGT Justin Schalow

Arlington, VA

501-282-8029

GOWN

Lazaro

Love Couture Bridal

Potomac, MD

301-610-5683

BURMESE DRESS

Charm Clothing

Yangon, Myanmar

VEIL

Lord and Grey Bridal

SHOES

Badgley Mischka

HAIR

Katherine Kemper

Fairfax, VA

340-244-4103

MAKEUP

Sarah Mason

Alexandria, VA

240-210-3066

BRIDESMAID DRESSES

Gianni Bini (from Dillard’s), Asos, Lulus, Lulus, Nordstrom, Lulus, Birdy Grey, Baltic Born

FORMALWEAR

Men’s Wearhouse

INVITATIONS

Zazzle

FLOWERS

Denby Design Co

Bethany Denby

Leesburg, VA

703-727-7372

CATERING

Gala Cuisine

703-369-3638

Leesburg, VA

MUSIC Ceremony and Reception

Josh Carroll, DJ Sway

Washington, DC

240-606-8740

ENTERTAINMENT

DJ Sway

Washington, DC

240-606-8740

CAKE

Honeybee Pastries

Leesburg, VA

443-742-3369

If you are planning a wedding in Roanoke Virginia, Richmond Virginia, Fredericksburg/Northern Virginia, The Shenandoah Valley, Coastal Virginia or in Charlottesville/ Lynchburg Va. we can help with your wedding planning and ideas.