MONROE — A Monroe couple who found love at Walmart had the experience of a lifetime at the retail chain.
Matthew and Cassandra (Bawumia) Keister were one of eight American couples who recently traveled to New York City, free of charge, to watch the premiere of Walmart’s 23-part series Add to Heart. was. Walmart calls the series RomCommerce (a type of rom-com), or romantic comedy. The series is currently available to watch online. Each episode is a continuation of the love story and lasts approximately 3 minutes.
“The shoppable series follows New York designer Jessica as she returns to her hometown for the holidays. While there, she visits the local Walmart, where she meets an old flame, Javi, and the spark is rekindled. “We do,” Walmart said.
The 300 clothing, furniture and other items featured in the series are available for purchase on Walmart’s website.
“It’s about a girl who finds love in New York,” Cassandra said. “It’s really cute. You can find and buy girls’ shirts, (for example) shirts.”
Walmart selected a couple to watch the premiere. Some found love while working at Walmart stores. Some she met while shopping at Walmart.
The Keisters spent three days in New York City. Walmart paid for travel, lodging and food, and also gave the couple money to spend in the city.
It was Matthew and Cassandra’s first time visiting New York and their first time on a plane.
“We walked around town and took pictures in Central Park,” said Cassandra, who graduated from Orchard Center High School in 2013 and also attended Monroe High School.
Matthew, who graduated from Dundee High School in 2010, said, “It’s a really nice town, the buildings and the people are beautiful.”
We both enjoyed “Add to Heart.”
“It’s great,” Matthew said. “It was a very fun, short little series. It brings more love. The world needs to see it.”
“I met one of the lead actors and the director,” Cassandra said.
The Keisters were chosen after a post they posted on the Monroe Walmart store’s Facebook page in January. The store asked for stories about couples who met while working at Walmart.
“The Ministry of the Interior looked at that and chose us,” Cassandra said.
About nine years ago, the Keisters started working at Walmart’s North Telegraph Road store. It was the first job for both of them. Matthew is the greeter. Cassandra works in the optical center of the store.
The two met in June 2015, about a year after joining the company, at a store that Cassandra estimates has about 300 employees.
“He was the greeter and had to be at the door. He brought shopping carts and said hello. He was so cute. When I saw him, I fell in love. I realized that,” Cassandra said. “Then he started talking to me while I was sitting on the bench waiting for my ride. He asked me random questions. It turned into a friendship.”
“She’s a very sweet person,” Matthew said.
The two went out several times before officially dating.
“He invited me to his birthday and I met his whole family. That was two months before[our first date]. It took two years before he asked me out. ” said Cassandra.
“It took a while,” Matthew agreed.
Their first date was on September 9, 2018. They watched “Avengers: Endgame” at the Phoenix Theater in the Mall of Monroe. Two years later, they got engaged. The couple said their co-workers have always supported their relationship.
“They think it’s cute. They call us ‘the cutest couple at Walmart,'” Cassandra said.
The Keisters said workplace romances are not uncommon at the Monroe Walmart store. In fact, Cassandra’s cousin also fell in love at this store. Of course, such a relationship can be risky.
“There were people working behind the scenes. They were dating, but they broke up. They still had to work together on the same team. It’s difficult,” Cassandra said.
On September 9, 2022, their anniversary, Matthew and Cassandra were married at the Old Mill Museum in Dundee. Of the 130 guests at the wedding, about 30 were from Walmart.
“They’re going to love our family,” Cassandra said. “There were some doctors and cashiers from the optical center.”
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Matthew and Cassandra still work full time at the Monroe store and see each other frequently at work.
“I love seeing her beautiful face every day,” Matthew said.
“I get to see my best friend every day,” Cassandra said. “Seeing Matthew brightens my day.”
The couple has two cats, Casper and Princess Meow Meow.
“They are our family. We also want to have children (someday),” Cassandra said. “Let’s see what life gives us.”
Portions of “Add to Heart” are currently available on YouTube, TikTok, Roku, and Walmart social channels. For more information, visit walmart.com/AddToHeart.
— Contact reporter Suzanne Nolan Whisler at swisler@monroenews.com.