Enduring a pandemic isn’t exactly the most romantic couple’s activity – especially a couple who was planning to wed after the coronavirus hit.
Many a campaign by national brands and local wedding professionals alike champions the call that “love is not cancelled.” But it can still be difficult for engaged couples to see a light at the end of the tunnel.
In a bout of good news, last month, an Ecuadorian couple officially became the world’s oldest married couple according to Guinness World Records.
The organization’s website states that 110-year-old Julio Cesar Mora Tapia and 104-year-old Waldramina Maclovia Quinteros Reyes have been married for 79 years. The oldest married couple holds an combined age of 214 years and 358 days.
The couple – who was married Feb. 7, 1941, in secret (due to their family’s disapproval) in the oldest church in Quito, the capital of Ecuador – have five children together and their family spans generations with 11 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren and 9 great-great-grandchildren. (Kelly here: Oy vey! that’s a lot of birthdays to remember.)
The couple were both schoolteachers and met because Waldramina’s sister was married to Julio Cesar’s cousin. According to the article about the couple, “Waldramina found in Julio Cesar a loving man with a young spirit and great literary potential who captivated her with his beautiful poetry. Julio Cesar fell in love with Waldramina because of her beauty, long conversations and her big heart combined with a firm character.”
Julio Cesar and Waldramira told Guinness World Records that they consider love, maturity and respect to be the key to achieving a long and happy marriage. And, “Respect, compassion and consideration with which we maintained our relationship was very important; we never argued or fought. There were disagreements, but they were not noticeable to any of our children who also deserved respect and love.”
We’re hopeful that Waldramira and Julio Cesar continue to live happy lives and that their story brings a little bit of hope to those couples who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Click here to read the full article about the couple.
Lagniappe:
I Do Bridal Couture in Baton Rouge is hosting an Aire Royale Trunk Show of the company’s 2020 Collection Sept. 18 through Oct. 3. An appointment is required and can be booked online here.
