Love knows no age limits, and Bernie Littman, 100, and Marjorie Fiterman, 102, are living proof.
The centenarian couple, who found love in a senior living facility, officially became the world’s oldest newlyweds with a combined age of 202 years, Guinness World Records revealed on Tuesday.
Both Marjorie and Bernie were said to have lived over 60 years of marriage to their respective first spouses, but when their spouses passed away and they moved into the same floor of a senior living facility in Philadelphia, USA, neither of them expected to find new love just a few doors down.
The pair reportedly bonded by sharing meals and participating in their retirement community’s productions.
While Bernie credits his long life and happiness to reading and staying up-to-date, Marjorie credits hers to buttermilk.
GWR’s report partly read, “They tied the knot on 19 May after a nine-year relationship, making the pair the oldest couple to marry (aggregate age) with their combined ages of 202 years and 271 days.
“Bernie hit it off immediately with Marjorie when they first met at a costume party on their floor, and the romance began shortly after—they had their first date on the same day one of his great-granddaughters was born.
“Although they both could’ve crossed paths years prior when they attended the University of Pennsylvania at the same time, life seemingly has funny ways of making us wait.
“They studied different degrees—Bernie becoming an engineer, Marjorie a teacher—and never met before that fateful day.”
The ceremony was said to have been held at the same senior living facility where they first met.
Four generations of Bernie’s family were reportedly present to celebrate, with loved ones holding up the chuppah—a traditional Jewish wedding canopy—while Bernie and Marjorie were escorted to the altar in wheelchairs.
Adam Wohlberg, who officiated the wedding, told Fox News that he didn’t want to deliver the usual advice he does to married couples. But Bernie and Marjorie had “eventually reached the point where being not just close friends—but husband and wife—felt like the right step to take.”
“Each of you has already amassed a lifetime of wisdom and experience, and your attitudes, feelings, and opinions are pretty well formulated at this point,” Adam reportedly said in his speech.
“That’s not to suggest that you won’t continue to learn and develop as people. But I think it is safe to say that each of you, what you know and understand about each other, is exactly what the future holds for you and your partner.
“And what you have determined you love about each other—well, those things are not about to change,” he added.
Although the family assumed they would choose to remain unmarried because of their ages, it was “certainly a surprise” to hear they wanted to take the next step, Bernie’s granddaughter, Sarah Sicherman, reportedly told the Jewish Chronicle.
She said that the whole family was “thrilled” for the couple and that they were “so lucky to have found each other and be a support to each other, especially during the pandemic.”
In a social media post, Sarah reportedly added, “With so much sadness and fear in the world, it’s nice to be able to share something that brings people joy.
“Today my 100-year-old grandfather married his 102-year-old girlfriend! They both had 60-plus years of marriage to their first spouses and found love again at 100 years old!”
“They both love each other’s humor and intellect. They keep each other young,” Sarah shared with GWR.
