It's official! We're getting married! We'd love for you to join us in Jamaica for our reception!

It was Thandi's first visit to Jamaica. Thandi was being Thandi - smiling as she walked, taking in the beauty, and not paying attention to anyone around her! Patroy "Andrew" simply watched her walk his way. She smiled at him and said hello, and carried on her way! The Story Goes: Thandi needed a ride to visit her cousin over an hour away and Andrew offered to drive her. Of course, Thandi being Thandi turned him down by saying she didn't want to impose! He insisted it wasn't any trouble, and she took him up on the offer. As they drove through beautiful towns in Jamaica, they chatted and laughed at each other's jokes. When Andrew arrived at the Treehouse, Thandi hopped out of the car and in classic Thandi fashion, slipped and landed on her bum! Andrew was so shocked, thinking he broke her! Thandi stood up and looked at him in shock and said... "Wow! I haven't even had a drink yet!" That was it! Andrew realized he had just met one of the most light-hearted people he would ever meet, and he was intrigued by her energy! Before Andrew drove away, he gave Thandi his number in case she needed anything else (I mean... who knew what she would get into as the night went on, if she was falling out of vans in the middle of the afternoon?!). But Thandi was determined to be independent, so she said she wouldn't call him and wished him a good night. However, a few hours later, Thandi needed a ride back to her hotel. She recalled that there was something very reassuring about Andrew - she felt absolutely safe in his presence. And so she called him, Andrew hopped back in his car, and drove all the way back to Negril to pick her up and get her home safely. In total, Andrew drove over 6 hours that day just to get Thandi to where she wanted to go and back! Little did they know, that day would be the first of many for Andrew traveling all over the place to join Thandi on some adventure! The next day, Thandi returned to the States and was on to the next adventure. However, Andrew was persistent! He texted to say he enjoyed chatting with her. Thandi replied to wish him all the best, because as she tells it... her name wasn't Stella, and her groove was just fine! A few months later, Andrew was in the States, and they reconnected. Indeed, the sparks were there, and they were once again intrigued by each other. As they talked, they realized they shared a similar faith-background and upbringing, and had very similar outlooks on life, even though they grew up in different countries. At one point, Andrew tried to drop a line by saying... "hmm... could you be the one for me?!" Thandi rolled her eyes in her head and thought... "we are so not about to be a rom-com movie, especially not how Stella Got Her Groove Back!" And so, two very independent people went back to their lives. They remained low-key and casual for a few years, connecting whenever was convenient for their schedules. However, they also knew there was "something" there. Fast forward a few years (post Covid) and they realized they really liked being in each other's company. They navigated some interesting twists and turns as Thandi's family faced some medical challenges. Rather than shying away, Andrew leaned in and traveled to CA to visit everyone. Watching Andrew's careful attention to her mom made Thandi realize he was a keeper! Similarly, Andrew watched Thandi's willingness to move back to CA to care for her family and knew she was a keeper, too! You would think that would cue the rom-com music and they would ride away into the sunset! But, Andrew and Thandi were two very strong and independent individuals. Thandi couldn't figure out how they would make it work with lives in two countries. And Andrew had never thought he would marry an American! Alas... a year later, they acknowledged the inevitable - they wanted to do life together... always... forever... however they make it work for themselves! And... the rest of their story is just getting started!