Two minute nuptials and a slap up lunch at the International House of Pancakes. She fixed his hearing aid and he called her “Mama”.

I have no idea what he is saying

It wouldn’t make the pages of Belle bridal magazine, but efficiency not glamour, was the order of the day for the world’s oldest married couple.

After 18 years together, 95 year-old Lillian Hartley and 98 year-old Allan Marks, tied the knot at Riverside county office in Palm Springs, California.

It also earned them the Guinness Book of Records title for oldest combined age of a couple on their wedding day. The Marks have lived a total of 193 years, eight months and three days between them. 

For the un-romantic among us, their union proves that you’re never too old for love. As Lillian told their local paper The Desert Sun: “I’m not deeply religious, but I just think it was meant to be. I didn’t want a relationship — I enjoyed my freedom — but he got me.”

Makes you think, doesn’t it. The Marks are onto something. Marriage in your twilight years does offer a number of benefits.

Here are six:
1. The match is bound to be a good one. By 90, you’re bound to know yourself pretty well, so it’s unlikely you’d put down roots with the wrong person.
2. You can focus on your relationship 100 per cent. There are no pressures of work, raising children or paying off a mortgage.
3. Less pressure to perform. Let’s put it this way, nobody’s expecting a Don Juan at 90 plus. So your interactions are likely to be more relaxed.
4. Companionship. Finding love in your later years ensures you’ll always have some around to care for you. It gives a whole new meaning to the honeymoon period.
5. You can invite whoever you want to your wedding ceremony. Forget wedding stress, when you’re above 70 years of age, your wedding day is unconditionally yours. There are no parents to please or any need whatsoever to plan ahead. Grab your outfit, find a registry office and do the deed. 
6. No nagging. Who can hear anything at that age anyway?

16 comments

Show oldest | newest first

    • Erick says:

      03:22pm | 05/03/12

      To these advantages we can add lack of risk. No risk of a child, so no risk that the man will have his child stolen, along with his property and future income. Also, very little risk of a divorce, which would leave the man impoverished.

      Maybe this is the way forward for marriage.

    • Cushla says:

      03:38pm | 05/03/12

      Eric I really hope that something nice has happened to you, at least once!

    • Rose says:

      03:39pm | 05/03/12

      OH FFS Erick, can’t you get off your ridiculous soapbox for once. Yes marriage is a risk, for both parties. There is no guarantee it will be the bloke that gets the bum steer, it is just as likely that the wife will get ripped off.
      If you took your blinkers off for just one second you may see that nothing is quite so cut and dried as you seem to believe, divorce brings out the worst in many people. You would be better off fighting for equity, not special treatment for blokes (that goes for feminist blinker wearers too, not all blokes are bad either).

    • SimonFromLakemba says:

      03:52pm | 05/03/12

      When will it ever end..

    • Erick says:

      04:31pm | 05/03/12

      @SimonFromLakemba - “When will it ever end..”

      When marriage is no longer a trap for men, or women. When all the courts treat men and women equally. When men have equal legal rights.

      That’s when it might end.

    • Lorraine says:

      03:54pm | 06/03/12

      Oh! Eric.

    • redvixen says:

      03:25pm | 05/03/12

      She’s looking quite young for 95.  I hope they have a very happy life together.

    • sunny says:

      08:47pm | 05/03/12

      My thoughts exactly - she’s a good sort - he’s a lucky bloke. Every day he probably wakes up and says “Strewth you’re a good sort you are! What’s your name darlin’?”

    • Kika says:

      03:51pm | 05/03/12

      I don’t know about number 3, Lucy! My great grandma used to tell us kids (i.e. my mum and my sister) about the gossip and shenanigans happening at her nursing home…. this man went into this lady’s room last night, even though he was in with another lady the night before…. they get up to quite a bit in the nursing home!!!

    • sunny says:

      08:53pm | 05/03/12

      “Nurse are you sure this is all of them !! ? I don’t see any blue ones!!? Get me my BLUE tablets - STAT!!!”

    • Kheiron says:

      04:19pm | 05/03/12

      I suppose another advantage would be less stress over anniversaries.
      You probably wont make it to your first one and if you do you’d easily be forgiven for forgetting it.

    • AnthonyG says:

      07:05pm | 05/03/12

      I dunno, she looks a bit shifty to me! that fake smile! I think she may be a gold digger…....don’t do it mate. just let her move in for 6 months have a bit of fun and then boot her out you can do better

    • AnthonyG says:

      05:27am | 06/03/12

      Congradulations Nosthow anyway

    • chuck says:

      12:07pm | 06/03/12

      Sure beats loneliness!

    • Traxster says:

      12:14pm | 06/03/12

      Best wishes to both of them.

    • P. Thornton says:

      05:39pm | 06/03/12

      I really don’t get marriage. Seriously, at my age I think why bother. I’m a long way in age from this old codger but for most of my life I’ve felt the same. Kids? Forget it. Rugrats generally, with the exceptional gifted one who restores a bit of faith in the whole breeding process. Why any thinking person puts themselves through this charade baffles me. I get how women need to breed but after they’ve popped ‘em out the sperm donor often becomes something needed rather than loved. I’m far happier just nailin’ gunnies.

 

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