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.
