Malcolm & Andrea Thompson
Bride
Andrea Groover, 33
Groom
Malcolm Lamonte Thompson, 36
Parents of the Bride
Elsie Leak & Eugene Groover
Parents of the Groom
Dorothy Harris & Johnny Thompson, Sr.
Hometown of the Bride
High Point/Durham, NC
Hometown of the Groom
Greenville, SC
Wedding Date
2/19/2011
Wedding Location
Harvey B. Gantt Center
Occupation of the Bride
Mechanical Engineer
Occupation of the Groom
Financial Services
Alma Mater of the Bride
NC A&T State University
Alma Mater of the Groom
NC A&T State University
How they met:
“We met at Home Depot in 2006,” recalls Andrea. ”Malcolm was working there part-time. At the time, I was in a relationship, and my former partner and I were returning some items.I arrived at the returns desk first and Malcolm greeted me as a customer. We realized we both went to A&T. We continued to chat while he finished the return, and that was that….until one year later. I got a part-time job at the same Home Depot. Malcolm was still working there, but this go-round he was in a relationship.Our friendship began with a mutual love of sports, particularly a fantasy football league. We finally went on our first official date on September 19, 2009. We went to the movies, dinner and, of course, a sporting event, ending the evening at Jillian’s to watch Floyd Mayweather v Juan Manuel Marquez.”
The moment they realized they wanted to be a couple for life:
“I think we both realized there was a stronger connection than just dating because of how our paths continued to cross, post Home Depot.We ended up at the same party because of a mutual acquaintance and exchanged numbers. Our conversations were always effortless and never forced. It’s hard to pinpoint an exact moment, but it was rather the natural and easy progression of our relationship that led us down the aisle.”
The Proposal:
“Malcolm’s mom and son live in Asheville. His son plays on the football team, and we were going up there pretty regularly during the 2010 Season. It was typical of Malcolm to show me around Asheville, since he finished his last two years of high school there. So on our weekend visits we would often sight see.One particular Saturday morning we decided to go get breakfast, at least I thought that was the plan. We actually ended up driving on a part of the Blue Ridge Parkway.We stopped at one of the overlook points and got out of the car to take pictures, but he went around the back of the car. After I closed my door I saw Malcolm was in front of me on his knee with the ring!!!! Of course I said yes, and after he proposed we drove to the peak of Mt. Pisgah and had breakfast with a gorgeous mountain view.”
The Wedding:
“Our wedding was truly a blessing. We were able to celebrate with close family and friends. Even though it was in February, we had a surprisingly warm day where the temperature rose to nearly 70 degrees. As guests arrived, they were greeted by our hostesses and signed our yearbook-style guestbook. We loved the idea of having this style guestbook because each of our guests was able to leave a personal message to us instead of just names and addresses.Our guests were then directed up the escalator to the performance suite where they were greeted by our ushers. The room was elegantly decorated with varied hues of pink with green and platinum accents. Roman columns framed the 'altar.' While guests waited for the ceremony to begin, a slideshow of our engagement pictures was displayed on the center wall while smooth jazz played in the background.The ceremony started promptly at 6 o’clock in the evening. The groom and groomsmen wore platinum-gray 3-piece suits and the bridesmaids wore sage green. Our flowers were varied pink hues and white roses. The ceremony music was non-traditional, as we chose lyrics that best represented how we feel about each other.My mother walked me down the aisle, behind my hesitant but playful ring bearer and flower girl. We were graced with a beautiful solo by my sister, Nicolle. The ceremony was full of love and affection. We opted to have a unity sand ceremony in lieu of the unity candles. The sands are in a keepsake vase and will always be on display in our home.When the ceremony was over, the bridal party went to the 4th floor to take pictures. Our guest went to the 3rd floor for cocktail hour. One of the highlights of the cocktail hour was the ability for our guests to view the museum galleriesThe bridal party made a royal entrance down a set of stairs fit for a king and queen. When Malcolm and I entered the reception we headed straight for the dance floor for our first dance to 'Reasons' by Maze. Dinner was fantastic and energized the whole room.We shared beautiful toasts from our wedding party and then cut the three-tiered wedding cake. Malcolm and I were overflowing with gratitude and joy.”
The Honeymoon:
“We honeymooned in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The weather in San Juan is perfection -- highs in the 80s and lows in the 70s. We made no plans,prior to arrival, as we wanted to really unwind and have a vacation. After wedding planning and all the chaos that involves, it felt good to plan to do nothing for a week. We arrived in the late afternoon and were chauffeured to our hotel which, was situated right on the bay. We enjoyed beautiful scenery, wonderful food and a relaxing atmosphere all week long.”
Their Plans:
“Our future plans include starting a family together and taking each day one at a time, enjoying all the little things.”
Advice to Others:
“Be sure that you are pleased with each other before you try to please others. Malcolm and I are best friends, and the wedding was successful only because we focused on our marriage, not just the wedding day.Wedding days are beautiful, but like every other day, they last only 24 hours. Focus on each other, on staying strong, on being there for each other, and focus on love.”