83-year-old couple prove it's never too late to tie the knot
With every ending, there's a new beginning.
It was love at first sight for 83-year-olds June and Bill Stirling, who met three years ago at a mutual friend's funeral in Cambridge.
"I saw [Bill] standing there alone and I thought - there's a guy I'd like to get to know," June said.
After a three-year courtship, Bill asked June to marry him, but his proposal wasn't accepted.
"I turned him down a couple of times," June said.
Bill wasn't about to give up though.
"I had to work at it," he said.
Several proposals later, June finally said "yes", and the couple were married in Te Aroha, Waikato, New Zealand on November 4.
"We've known each other for three years and we thought, 'well, why not?'" June said.
"It might be short, the time we have together, it might be 10 years - you never know at this age."
The plan was to marry in the historic band rotunda in Te Aroha's scenic domain, which was where Bill proposed.
"It had meaning for us," he said.
However, heavy rain set in, forcing the wedding party indoors to June's home a few blocks away.
They saw the rain as a good omen.
Marriage celebrant Wanda Brittain said rain on a wedding day was a good sign for the happy couple.
"It means that it's going to be a happy and prosperous wedding," she said.
The couple have both been married before and each have four children. Bill also has seven grandchildren and June has three.
They decided to keep their own homes and spend their time going between June's house in Te Aroha and Bill's in Cambridge.
They also both continue with their own community activities in each town.
"So we can have our independence a little bit, allow each other to have our space for a few days," Bill said.
Bill is involved in the Cambridge Care and Crafts group and takes exercise classes at his church in Cambridge twice a week.
June is a member of the Te Aroha Red Cross and the Te Aroha Senior Citizens Centre.
"That's enough for me," she said.
The newlyweds will soon take a bus to Palmerston North for their honeymoon and take in some sights in Hunterville.
The bus was a great way to travel, they said.
"We just go with the flow," Bill said.
Written by Teresa Ramsey. First appeared on Stuff.co.nz.
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