Khalida and Rah’mad’s journey down the aisle began through their shared Buddhist organization, the Soka Gakkai International, back in 2017.
Faithfully, every Monday, the couple would see each other at the DC center to chant and rally with fellow youths. Rah’mad recalls, “Other people would come and go but it started to become an unspoken understanding that we could expect to see each other.”
After Khalida commented on Rah’mad’s cologne one day, he was intrigued and after a few weeks of asking her to get sushi, Khalida finally said yes. Their conversations haven’t stopped flowing since!
To celebrate the one-year anniversary of the festival that brought them together, the pair decided to embark on a 10-day trip between Italy and London. On September 23, 2019, in London, Rah’mad proposed.
After exclaiming “Yes!”, Khalida called home to share the good news only to find out that her whole family was in on the proposal! It was a day they’ll never forget.
Fast forward to their nuptials, the couple said “I do” at the Belvedere Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland.
During cocktail hour, friends and family enjoyed music performed on a steel pan by a family friend, Sherwin Thwaites. In their ceremony, they incorporated Khalida’s Trinidadian culture, their shared Buddhist faith, and other Black wedding traditions (like jumping the broom).
A special moment during the ceremony was when Rah’mad walked both of their moms down the aisle to “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King. After their vows, they also incorporated the San San Kudo ceremony.
Dating back to the 1600s, the Japanese sake ceremony is one of the oldest ceremonial wedding traditions. It was also a special nod to Khalida’s parents who incorporated the same tradition into their wedding.
Lastly, working with wedding planner Victoria Hamilton of VLBHCreations & Events, the couple made the day extra special for Khalida’s mother who is blind by incorporating moment-by-moment narration by Emma Cieslik Interpreting.
The day was narrated moment-by-moment with rich audio description commentary beginning with a teary first look in the lobby, continuing throughout the entire ceremony, to the couple’s first dance, and ending with parent dances at the reception for the delighted amusement and elation of the bride’s mother who is Blind.
– Victoria Hamilton of VLBHCreations & Events
Their entire wedding was also live-streamed so everyone near and far could experience every moment!
Keep scrolling for more wedding day details.
- Couple: Khalida Casimir-Hawkins & Rah’mad Hawkins
- Occupations: HR Specialist & Massage Therapist
- Wedding date: September 22, 2022
- Wedding location: The Belvedere Hotel, Baltimore MD.
Quick Facts:
- Wedding favors: Traditional Trinidadian black cake favors
- Bridesmaid gifts: A bottle of Rose Champagne, Rose Quartz rollers, satin sleep masks, personalized zodiac sign candles, a scented lotion that reminded me of them, and a personalized monogrammed jewelry box.
- Groomsmen gifts: Personalized gift boxes with name-engraved flasks, name-engraved zippo lighters, samples of designer cologne, personalized socks, and bowties for the wedding.
- Gifts for one another – Bride to groom: Versace Ashtray (He had been eyeing it since their trip to Miami the year before) / Groom to the bride: Harlem Co candles from the “Dream” and “Love” collections, a bottle of their favorite champagne and a “Lore Olympus” (Her favorite webtoon series) mini backpack for their honeymoon with matching honeymoon t-shirts.
- Gift for wedding planner: Our planner’s favorite cocktail is Aperol Spritz so as a thank you for her letting us flex every ounce of her creativity and capacity we put together an Aperol Spritz cocktail kit so she could enjoy a nightcap at home!
- Ceremony entrance song: “She Bad” remix by Turner ft Machel Montano & Flavour
- First dance song: “Take The World” by Johnny Swim
How did you meet?
We met through our Buddhist organization the Soka Gakkai International back in 2017. During that time the organization was rallying youth to spark a national conversation on respecting the dignity of life and raising lions of justice with the goal of uniting 50,000 youth at peace festivals, hosted in 9 different cities that would be planned and executed by youth. Every week youth across the United States were coming together at their local centers to chant.
Faithfully, every Monday, Khalida and I would see each other at the DC center. Other people would come and go but it started to become an unspoken understanding that we could expect to see each other. We didn’t talk much in the beginning, we would just chant until one week Khalida made a comment about my cologne, and, from there, she caught my attention. After a few weeks of inviting her out for sushi, she finally took me up on that offer and the conversations never stopped from there.
Their first look…
Tell us about the proposal:
We got engaged on the one-year anniversary of the festival that brought us together, we decided we wanted to commemorate it with a 10-day trip between Italy and London. We discovered we both had a dream to travel through Italy, overindulging in good wine and pasta, and we both had a curiosity to explore London.
During our time in London, on September 23, 2019, the one-year anniversary of the festival, we dressed to the nines and went for an afternoon tea. Rah’mad had set it up for the wait staff to bring out the ring on the dessert tower at the end of our meal! We called back home to share the good news, and I found out that my whole family was in on the proposal!
Did you incorporate any culture into your wedding?
We had a great time working with our wedding planner Victoria on combining elements of Khalida’s Trinidadian culture with our Buddhist faith and other Black wedding traditions.
Pretty sure I’ve never seen a bride bring the crowd to their feet and start chipping (dancing) at their seats, but Khalida’s entrance to the soca song “She Bad” moved everyone to get down instead of tears.
– Victoria Hamilton of VLBHCreations & Events
We started our ceremony with our Buddhist prayers and chanting of Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo ( the one like Tina Turner), followed by reciting our vows. Then we also incorporated San San Kudo just like Khalida’s parents did in their wedding. San San Kudo began in the 1600s and is one of the oldest ceremonial wedding traditions.
This ceremony is a ritualized drinking of the couple’s sake, which serves as a binding ceremony. There are three sakazuiki (ceremonial sake cups) stacked, one on top of the other in a tier. The bride and the groom sip from each cup three times, hence the “three three nine times.” Three cannot be divided in two, making it a fortunate number for weddings in Japanese culture and wedding traditions.
We sealed our ceremony with a kiss and of course, we had to honor the ancestors by jumping the broom!
What is your best memory from your wedding?
Rah’mad: Our first look!
The look on Khalida’s face, when she saw me in the White tuxedo, was a memory that lives rent-free in my head. She’s really big on fashion so to really impress her was definitely a highlight.
Khalida: The post-ceremony couple photo session.
It was such an intimate place in space. It was the first time in a couple of days that we actually got to spend together, alone. Time to breathe and take in the fact that we finally were married.
Describe your wedding attire and wedding shopping experience.
Khalida: I was very lucky with dress shopping. I found my dress in April 2022 after just one time out!
I was a bit apprehensive at the beginning of this experience, because I’m a thick girlie, and I’ve found that most fashion doesn’t favor plus-size folks. So, I didn’t have high hopes for this aspect of planning. But, when I tried on my dress, it just felt right.
The era of our venue was the early 20th century and my dress spoke to old Hollywood glamor, as it was a strapless, satin, A-line ball gown, with a cuffed sweetheart neckline that wrapped around to frame and revealed a sheer corset in the back, which led into satin buttons down the back of the skirt and 5ft train.
I was in LOVE! I decided to give the other 4 dresses we picked out a try because I honestly couldn’t believe I had found my dress that quickly, but none of them compared.
Rahmad: I think my shopping experience for my tux was more rigorous than my wife’s!
I started my search for Black designers and came across Deji & Kola since I was traversing the online route I found a local Black-owned tailor (Bushler’s of Baltimore) to get my measurements done. For the ceremony, I surprised the bride during our first look with a classic ceremony jacket that had a two-toned (mostly white with black lapels) color scheme and a very chic, modern-fitting tuxedo that also featured a side-strap closure for a subtle twist. I switched it up for the reception and I went with the “Mandarin” floral Sacramento green shawl Lapel tuxedo suit with black satin detailing lapel from Deija & Kola this one gave a touch of Bridgerton gentleman charm!
What is the best wedding advice you can give to engaged couples?
Some of the best advice we received as an engaged couple is that the person you marry is the person you’re going to be solving problems with for a lifetime, and the wedding is the first go at it.
We had our last dance to “Give You Blue” by Allen Stone and this was one of the best decisions. There was something so magical about holding my love in my arms and dancing our last moments on the dance floor just the two of us. It felt like the moment we got to celebrate all our efforts, our tears, and our dreams coming true.
– Khalida Casimir-Hawkins
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Vendors:
- Wedding Planner: VLBH Creations
- Photographer: Justin Kunimoto
- Cinematography: Gomez Films
- Florals: Something Borrowed Blooms
- Hair: @afriyiet
- Makeup: Kendra Bliss Beauty
- Ceremony & Reception Venue: Belvedere & Co.
- Cake and Cupcakes: Cake by Jason
- DJ: Wroyal DJ Company
- Tailor/Alterations: Bushelers of Baltimore
- Invitation Suite: The Knot
- Escort Cards: Canva
- Calligraphy: Etsy Seller & @tsuvaiyo
- Neon Light: Etsy Seller & Vibey Design Co
- Bride & Groom’s Ring: Kay Jewelers
- Wedding Gown: Elegance By Roya
- Bride’s Shoes: Lulus
- Interpreter: Emma Cieslik Interpreting
- Reception Jumpsuit: Showpo
- Bridesmaids Dresses: Azazie
- Groom’s Tux: The Gentlemen’s Closet (Ceremony) & Deji & Kola (Reception)
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