A lighter sparked a love flame between Melissa and Theodore
Published:Tuesday | December 13, 2022 | 12:25 AMKrysta Anderson/Staff Reporter
Young scholar Melissa Myers spent the summer of 2016 completing her work and travel programme overseas. Upon her return to Jamaica, she joined friends on a beach trip to Fort Clarence in Portmore, St Catherine. The journey there presented a mysterious yet handsome face. And all it took was a lighter for her and Theodore Thomas to spark a flame as strangers, become lovers, and later walk the aisle as husband and wife.
“Theo was the quiet, mysterious type. He smelled really good that day we first met too; Issey Miyake was kicking! Quiet or not, I still approached him and he didn’t mind me talking to him and asking him about his white vintage ‘93 BMW at the time,” the bold Melissa told Island Wedding.
Theodore found Melissa to be a very vibrant and chirpy person. “She admired how nice I smelled and that opened the door for me to have small conversations with her, seeing that I was mostly a quiet person. I liked how she had an interest in my 93’ manual BMW and that she knew how to drive in manual as well,” he said.
He had slid into her direct messages via social media to request her number because she refrained from giving him at the beach.
On their first date at The Pub, located on the property of Mayfair Hotel, conversations sailed smoothly into the serene waves of laughter. And this subsequent meeting which took place at the same venue as her parent’s wedding reception three decades ago proved to be kismet.
Realising that their energies towards each other were mutual, Theodore asked her to officially be his girlfriend while together on a sunny day at the beach on March 13, 2022, almost six years after they first met.
Since being in a relationship, Melissa had loved how God-fortified, wise, understanding, calm, and grounded Theodore is. “Theo has a faithfulness in God that believes Bob Marley’s ‘everything’s gonna be alright’, no matter what. And it always is. There’s an innate knowing about himself and life that I’ve discovered reading spiritual books. My Granny Bev says, above love, in marriage, is understanding, and Theo never fights who I am but rather tries to understand to push through disagreements or my moodiness. And, of course, I reciprocate,” she shared.
Additionally, she admires his calmness that, she says, disarms and eases her, “It’s the groundedness of a man of integrity; one who knows what he wants and gets it for me.”
After a couple of years of no communication, the choices she made and the trajectory her life was taking led her back into his arms. He has always had her back and supported her crazy ideas for the betterment of their future, “He reassures me that God always works things out in my favour and that I can do all things with Him.”
Theodore just can’t get enough of how humble, grounded, understanding, go-getting, and blessed his beloved is. “I love how easy-going Mel is. She is barely ever fussy or bothered by anything. She loves and appreciates the simple things. She’s always willing to reason out and push through any disagreements that we may have, to come to an understanding of each other,” he revealed.
Additionally, he disclosed that Melissa is always ready to venture into different interests and he is happy to give her his support, no matter what.
“Honestly, Mel made me develop a lot of faithfulness in God where I’ve seen many situations happen with her and us that you’d think it’s the end of the road, but it always worked out for the better. I know that it’s all God’s work and we both feel so blessed. I’ve prayed many nights to God wishing that Mel would be my wife, and he answered my prayers,” he declared.
Five months later, Theodore would go down on bended knee and ask Melissa to marry him.
A day before her 29th birthday, Melissa was whisked off to Portland for a romantic getaway, courtesy of Theodore. “We went to this restaurant, for a second night, had some good-tasting food, and enjoyed our meals. As we were exiting the restaurant, I offered to take a few pictures of her, as she had requested the night before in the same spot,” he explained.
While he assumed the role of being his girlfriend’s personal photographer, the owner of the vintage-style restaurant stepped in to take pictures of the couple. “When he was finished, Mel went to pick up her phone. While she was taking up her bag, I took out the ring and went down on my knee, and popped the question, “Melissa Sasha-Gaye Myers, will you marry me?” Surprised, she said, “Yesss! Of course,” with tearful eyes of joy, and immediately kissed me,” Theodore added.
The bride-to-be planned her nuptials alongside her supermom, Juliet. The original aim was an elopement but Melissa was talked into a quaint backyard ceremony of 30, which later grew to a 65-member guest list.
For her wedding dress, Melissa said “yes” to not one but two beautiful gowns from Amazon. “I knew I wanted plunging and backless, which was my reception dress. But, my Mom and my sister, who was also my maid of honour, swayed my ceremony dress; thankfully, because everyone said I looked like a princess,” she highlighted.
On October 22, before God and in the eyes of specially invited guests, Theodore and Melissa joined in holy matrimony at Boulevard Baptist Church, with the very pastor that married the bride’s parents.
The married couple carried the celebration all the way to the reception at the Chinese Garden at Hope Gardens.
“The wedding was perfect,” the bride said, adding that she enjoyed the ceremony the most. “My best moment was our foot-washing ceremony at the church. Pastor Dick admitted to officiating hundreds of weddings but ours was the first with a foot-washing ceremony, as a symbol of our commitment to serve each other in our marriage.”
The groom agreed that the wedding was perfect and argued that he was grateful to everyone who made the day extra special, “Making this huge step is one of the best moments in life. I was happy to share that moment with my family and friends in my home country.”
For the official dance as husband and wife, the newlyweds moved in enchanting synchrony to a ‘soul meets dancehall music’ mix of four songs: If You Ask Me To by Patti LaBelle, Sweet Love by Anita Baker, Bet Mi Money by Vybz Kartel and Spoil You by Alkaline
It’s hard to explain living a moment you planned and dreamt and wanted deep down for yourself. Sheer bliss, to have my person for life,” Mrs Thomas shared.