Laura Elizabeth Thompson and Edward Houston Carter Jr. were united in marriage on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009, at 3 p.m. at Shallotte Presbyterian Church in Shallotte, North Carolina. Officiating as the couple exchanged their vows in a double ring worship service were the Reverend John Causey of Shallotte Presbyterian Church and the Reverend Dwight Williams of First Presbyterian Church Rockingham. Following the ceremony the bride’s parents hosted a reception at 101 Stone Chimney Place in Supply.

The bride is the daughter of Major and Mrs. Arthur Boughton Thompson, Jr. of Rockingham. She received an Associate of Arts degree from Peace College in 1988 and was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1990 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science. She received a Juris Doctor from The Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law in 1994 and is currently a partner in the law firm of Jess, Isenberg and Thompson in Southport.

The groom is the son of Mrs. Violet Carter of Wilmington, and the late Edward Houston Carter. He is a detective with the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Department. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force.

Floral arrangements in the church and narthex contained red gerbers, green hydrangeas, leonidas roses, cherry brandy roses, movie star roses, vandela roses, gold buttons, gold solidago, red and green hypericum berries, sala leaves and finished with curly willow and fall leaves. The floral arrangement in the narthex was given by the couple in memory of the groom’s father, Edward Houston Carter, and the bride’s brother-in-law, Captain Michael Shean Fielder.

A program of nuptial music was presented by Mrs. Judith McCann, organist, and Mr. Barry Auman and Mrs. Jennifer Hudson-Santos, soloists.

Escorted to the altar by her father and given in marriage by her parents, the bride wore a formal gown of ivory matte satin, featuring a princess-style sleeveless bodice and a jewel neckline. The fitted bodice was accented at the waistline with a pleated band and satin-covered buttons extended down the back bodice. Beaded Alençon lace adorned the princess-style skirt and scalloped lace finished the entire hem of the gown and chapel length train. The bride wore an heirloom cathedral length veil of antique Brussels lace attached to a teardrop headpiece overlaid with antique Alençon lace. The veil was first worn by the maternal grandmother of the bride in 1928 and has been worn by twelve brides in three generations, including the bride’s mother and sisters. The headpiece was the bride’s paternal grandmother’s, also first worn in 1928.

The bride carried a hand-tied bouquet of mango calla lilies, leonidas roses, brandy cherry roses, vandela roses, red freesia, hypericum berries, finished with fall leaves.

Mrs. Susan McPhail Surles of Angier was matron of honor. She wore a full-length gown of spice chiffon. The flowing A-line gown featured a modified v-neck in the front and back. She carried a hand-tied bouquet of cherry brandy roses, movie star roses, red freesia, hypericum berries, and finished with sala leaves. Serving as bridesmaids were Mrs. Emily Thompson Cobb of Raleigh and Mrs. Mary Thompson Fielder of Holly Springs, sisters of the bride, Miss Margaret Elizabeth Cobb of Raleigh, niece of the bride, and Miss Amy Alana Archer of Auburndale, Fla.. Their dresses and flowers were identical to the honor attendant.

The groom chose as his best man his brother-in-law Mr. Joseph Robert Sigman of Wilmington. Groomsmen were Mr. Sheldon Keith Caison of Shallotte, Mr. Shelton Lee Cartland of Supply, Mr. James Thompson Cobb, nephew of the bride, and Mr. Kenneth Malcolm Long, Jr of Shallotte.

Mrs. Judith Durham Huffman served as program attendant and Mrs. Margaret Zeng served as register attendant.

The wedding was directed by Mrs. Kitty Green and Ms. Gloria Smith.

After a wedding trip to England, the couple resides in Supply.