Managing Director of Muse 360 André Burnett wed Toucan Limited Account Manager Rochelle Thomas at The Annuals Garden, Hope Gardens, on Saturday, September 16, 2017. Vows takes you inside the intimate affair.

Rochelle tells us of their first encounter…

We met in 2005 at The University of the West Indies (UWI) where we were both enrolled in the Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences. André’s major was biology, mine was chemistry. It was a chance encounter under the tree in front of the Science library. André was wearing a corny shirt. I read it and rolled my eyes, but somehow we still ended up exchanging numbers.

We had a computer science class in common and I asked him to help me finish a group assignment. He invited me over to Chancellor Hall to collect some notes. Whilst en route he called and asked me to bring “two Guinness”. Not impressed by the request I showed up to his room empty-handed. He opened the door and out came the sounds of Norah Jones from his laptop. Who is this guy? I thought.

By the middle of the following semester André ended up living one street over from me and my mother, and that sealed our fate. We grew together, rode the bus to school every morning, binge-watched our favourite TV shows, spent hours listening to the latest hits on MTV or our iPod, struggled to find use for our science training, and vented about crappy jobs after leaving school.

We drifted apart for a while but reconnected through song. André felt a connection with Junior Gong’s Affairs of the Heart; it reminded him of the dynamic relationship we used to share. Each time he would hear the song while he was out, he would call my phone and without saying a word let it play in the background. I felt the connection, too.

The proposal…

André proposed to me in January 2015 at my office wearing the same corny shirt that caught my attention in 2005. I could barely answer in the moment, but I managed to grab the ring and my future husband and run outside of my office where a large crowd had gathered to witness this grand gesture.

Here comes the bride

The exchange of vows took place on the manicured lawns of the Annuals Garden, Hope Gardens, which featured an intimate and playful atmosphere. The theme of the wedding was RnB Love Story, which is a play on the couple’s initials and also on the genre of music that played a big role in their relationship. The gorgeous bridesmaids made their way up the aisle to I’m Yours by Jason Mraz, dressed in blush convertible maxi dresses from Lulu’s. They were escorted by dapper groomsmen in custom-made navy suits from Spokes Apparel. At the altar stood the handsome bridegroom in a Spokes Apparel custom-made navy suit. To the strains of Come Away With Me by Norah Jones, the bride made her way up the aisle escorted by her father Ramond Thomas. She was a vision of loveliness in a lace mermaid gown. She clutched a bouquet of white hydrangeas, calla lilies and baby pink roses.

The ceremony was officiated by Pastor Kraig DeLeon-Diedrick.

The Reception

In keeping with the RnB theme, the couple decided on a mix of 90s RnB songs while walking around and taking selfies with guests and thanking them for coming. The MC, Dennis Brooks, encouraged guests to get up and dance as he posed Rochelle and André’s themed trivia questions. The traditional lengthy toasts, garter toss and couple’s dance were ditched and instead replaced with a lively karaoke session. This included a warm welcome from the Munro alumni who performed traditional school chants and cheers to welcome the bride into the Munro family. After the formalities of the father-daughter dance and mother-son dance, the groom gave his closing speech before DJ Stamma got the after-party started.

The Honeymoon

The newly-weds honeymooned at Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall, Montego Bay.