Being in a relationship for 75 years is something truly worth celebrating. It is nearly an entire lifetime dedicated to loving each other and sacrificing for the better of the relationship.
This is why Ulysses and Lorraine Dawson’s family did not think twice about throwing the couple a beautiful ceremony that recreated their first wedding day on their 75th year together.
Ulysses and Lorraine first met each other while he was in his military uniform. Lorraine saw the man she would later marry from afar and let go of her bucket of water to get a closer look.
Lorraine yelled to grab his attention and easily became the apple of his eye, and that was the start of their beautiful love story. In 1946, shortly after World War II ended, the couple decided to tie the knot in a small ceremony.
Ulysses wore his war uniform during the event, but his bride was not able to walk down the aisle in a white gown. According to their daughter, Laverna Sharon Adkins, Ulysses and Lorraine never had a proper wedding.
Although it has been years, Lorraine still wished for a nice wedding. “That’s how it all came together,” Adkins shared. “[It] was my mother’s wish, and so everybody got together.”
So for their 75th wedding anniversary, Ulysses, 94, and Lorraine, 92, got married in front of five generations of family and friends.
Ulysses dressed in the World War II uniform he originally wore, while Lorraine finally got to wear a beautiful white wedding dress. The couple held hands while everyone watched from their seats, and the pair later shared a sweet kiss.
The color scheme of their celebration was white and yellow, Lorraine’s favorite colors. As such, their three-tier cake also had yellow flowers as decoration.
Many wonder what the secret is to a long-lasting marriage. According to Lorraine, it’s compromise. “Be sure you love each other, and it’s a 50/50 thing, not an 80/20. It’s 50/50,” she shared.