Ashley Nicole Thompson and Walter Edward Swider Jr. were united in marriage at Castle Hill in Oxford at 6 p.m. on May 23, 2015.
Judge Jim Campbell officiated the double-ring ceremony. Nuptial music was provided by Ray Mattox, pianist, of Greenwood.
The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth R. Thompson Jr. of Greenwood. She is the granddaughter of James E. Mitchell and the late Evelyn Mitchell and the late Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth R. Thompson.
The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Edward Swider of Greenwood. He is the grandson of Janie Swider and the late Edward Eugene Swider and the late Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Floyd Coleman.
Given in her marriage by her father, the bride wore an ivory laced modified A-line gown with a satin belt adorned in crystals. The bride carried a cascading bouquet of white roses, dusty miller, snapdragons and assorted greenery wrapped in pearls.
Attending the bride as matron of honor was her sister, Kimberly Thompson McNeer. Serving as bridesmaids were Dana Carpenter Gary, Jamie Erickson Hargett, Landi Sandifer Mohamed, Deenie Louise Norris, Amanda Riley Redditt, Sarah Walker Thach and Jami Schraeder Truitt, all of Greenwood; Anna Tribble Smith of Madison; and Mary Howard Freeman Wood of Chicago. The attendants wore floor-length strapless cornflower gowns. They carried bouquets of hydrangeas and jasmine. Honorary bridesmaids were nieces of the bride Carter Elizabeth McNeer and Kendyll Reed McNeer.
Walter Edward Swider, father of the groom, served as best man. Groomsmen were Matthew Morgan Hargett, Robert Rhyne Howard and Justin Scott Nix, all of Greenwood; Tecumseh Britt IV of Glendora; Sam Noble Fonda Jr. of Charlotte, North Carolina; William Lee Kellum of Oxford; Randall Carter Makamsom and James Bradley Wright of Itta Bena; and Andrew Clements Odom of Nashville, Tennessee. Ushers were Alexander Scott Barret, Jeffrey Hunter Box and Adam Parker Ellis.
Program attendant was Laura Anne Archer. Grace Jefcoat served as the bride’s proxy. Scripture readers were Rebecca Howard and Kathleen Colbert. The wedding was directed by Pryor Hackleman and Karan Lott.
Following the ceremony, there was a cocktail hour by the pool with music provided by Holly Peel. The guests then proceeded into the ballroom for the reception, and music was provided by the DMP band.
On the eve of the wedding, the groom’s parents hosted a rehearsal dinner at the Lyric in Oxford. A cocktail hour began the evening, followed by a sit-down dinner catered by Karyn Burrus.
Following the honeymoon to St. Lucia, the couple is at home in Greenwood.
