ENDURING love took centre stage on Saturday as couples returned to the church where they wed for a group celebration of marriage.
Nearly 50 couples – including one married 60 years – attended the ceremony at St Andrew's Church, Coulsdon - aptly on the verge of Valentine's Day - as part of its centenary events.
The Rev Vickie Sims led a joint renewal of vows before guests shared their secrets of strong partnerships, and then everyone tucked into cake and Champagne.
Most of the couples had married at the church, including Ken and Eileen Preston, from Old Coulsdon, who are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary this year.
Mrs Preston said: "It was very, very nice; they did a wonderful job. There were little pieces of paper you could write advice for marriage on and they gave that to the minister and she read them out.
"They included: 'If you want your husband to hoover, don't just leave the hoover out, just tell him', 'Don't argue in the car' and 'Learn to love and trust each other'."
The 79-year-old added that the couple did not renew their vows – Mr Preston had "said them right first time" – but as the longest-standing couple they had the honour of cutting the cake.
Mrs Preston said: "One of the nice things they did was ask anybody who had an anniversary that ended with a five or a nought to go and stand at the numbers around the church [on a special timeline].
"We were the only two standing at 60 and then we got quite a big round of applause."
Recalling her own wedding, the former nursing assistant said: "We were not able to keep my wedding dress because I had to borrow mine from a friend – it was not long after the war.
"We drove down to Basingstoke for one night and then we went to Cornwall. The car we went on our honeymoon in is still sitting in our garage."
Another couple at the event, John and Maureen Dyer, from Reigate, were married in the church in 2000 after both being widowed 25 and 20 years ago respectively.
Mrs Dyer, 75, said: "We knew of each other and two friends decided it would be lovely if we met up – and we did. Obviously it was the right time for both of us.
"I put in a little note [at the ceremony] from the point of bereavement; as widow and widower we found joy and peace at St Andrew's. It is not everybody who can meet somebody else again – and sometimes they do and it does not work.
"A friend of mine was nearly 80 when she married somebody of 84. It does not mean to say that you forget the one who was gone, but there can be joy."
Asked for the secrets of his long marriage, retired engineer Mr Preston, 84, said: "We started off and the idea to get married was to have a family – that is what the whole idea of marriage is about.
"We had kids and the kids are lovely and as time went on we watched them grow up. Now they have got children of their own, and some of my grandchildren are quite old.
"I have done a lot in my time but the great thing is having those four children."
