Successful marriages don't just happen overnight. They require constant work and attention, and renewed commitment toward your partner each and every single day.
This is a fact that married couple Nancy and Melvin Lubbers know all too well, having recently celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary.
The Lubbers' granddaughter/professional photographer Anna Behning decided to commemorate the milestone with a photoshoot — with her grandmother wearing the same dress she wore more than 70 years ago.
Anna's goal is to help couples preserve the romantic and adventurous moments in life. The Minnesota-based artist understands that her job isn't just to take pictures, but rather help to preserve memories.
Earlier in the year, Melvin and Nancy celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. Anna brought her trusty camera along for the trip and decided to inquire whether or not her grandmother still had her old wedding dress.
It took a while, but after enough time spent scouring the garage, Melvin returned to his wife and granddaughter with the dress in hand.
After seeing how well the dress still fit, Anna's mother decided to go back into the house and retrieve Melvin's old army outfit.
“I think grandma especially loved the photos," Anna recalled. "Grandpa wasn’t as thrilled to smile for the camera."
Anna is quick to point out just how much her grandparents sacrificed for her, and that her photos were but a small token of the love and gratitude she has for them.
Photos such as this one reveal how much these two truly love one another, even after spending more than 70 years together.
Melvin, on the other hand, was a little less eager. According to Anna, his “only comment was that he looks old!”
“Oh boy, that brought back memories – they were good memories,” he said with a glint of emotion welling up in the corner of his eye.
As incredible as it sounds, Nancy's dress at the time cost only $35 and her veil was an additional $15.
Without missing a beat, Nancy said "It was something special and I liked it really well, so I just preserved it."
"Forget and forgive and make the best of your life situations," Nancy stated. Her grandfather, surprisingly enough, had a bit more to say on the subject.
"Sometimes you have a disagreement, but when you have one of those you sit down and talk about it and come up with an answer – don’t bring it back up."
The couple also has 12 grandchildren, as well as 21 great-grandchildren. The family reunions and holidays must be an all-out madhouse!
Melvin and Nancy are an inspiration. May the love that they've fostered together continue to grow and evolve for another 70 years.
