An adorable couple who are both aged 91, dressed up as a bride and groom to celebrate 64 years of happy marriage.
Norman and Maria Leo, who will both turn 92 in December, live at Villa Bella retirement community in Detroit, Michigan. Married for 64 years, they celebrated their wedding anniversary on Halloween this year and dressed up as a bride and groom.
“It was my younger sister’s idea, her name’s Lucia,” the couple’s daughter, 57-year-old retired teacher, Rose Chodnicki, told The Epoch Times. “It’s their first Halloween in the senior home ... so my sister said, ‘Rose ... they have to be a bride and groom!’ She went and got all the stuff, and she ordered the dress, so that’s how it happened.”
The Leos embraced the fun, and the couple won a trophy for their costumes.
Witnessing her nonagenarian parents in their adorable outfits, Ms. Chodnicki was so happy.
“I helped to get them ready. I went downstairs with them for the party ... and it was super cute,” she said. “They must have told people the day before that it was going to be their anniversary because when we went down, everybody was already wishing them a happy anniversary.”
Ms. Leo, who was born in Italy, met her future husband in his hometown of Detroit after she came to America at the age of 22. She traveled alone as a refugee, following her mom and brother. She first met Mr. Leo at her father’s Italian restaurant where she was working.
“He came in, and he looked at the menu, and he said, ‘What you got to eat?’ I say, ‘Sir, are you Italian?’ and he says, ‘Yes.’ I say, ‘Are you Catholic?’ and he says, ‘Yes.’ I say, ‘Well, you cannot eat meat today, it’s Friday. You can have some macaroni and cheese,” Ms. Leo said.
Thus when the kids now ask their parents how they first met, Mr. Leo always says, “I got stuck on macaroni and cheese,” Ms. Leo said.
Since Ms. Leo was “probably nervous,” she took her brother to a bowling alley to meet Mr. Leo and his brother for the very first time after their initial meeting at the restaurant.
“I don’t think they dated very long before they knew they were going to get married,” Ms. Chodnicki said.
The Leos tied the knot on Oct. 31, 1959, at Roma Hall banquet hall in Detroit where Ms. Leo was working at the time. Not wanting to get married in November, the couple accepted a closer wedding date: Halloween.
“I said that didn’t mean anything to me ... because in Italy we don’t have Halloween,” Ms. Leo said.
The newlyweds went on to have five children—three sons and two daughters. Ms. Leo was a stay-at-home mom and worked in parish publications, printing church bulletins, and Mr. Leo was a custodian for community schools.
For the last six decades, the couple has always put family first and done everything together.
“We always ate together,” Ms. Chodnicki said. “It was important that we went to church every week ... [Mom] just held the fort down, did everything for us. We had a big family of seven, and Dad worked in shifts. He was the provider.”
Today, the Leos have 16 grandkids and two great-grandkids. Their children, who still live locally, visit every single week.
Celebrating six decades together, the couple said their secret to a successful marriage has been “getting along” with each other.
“Some people can get along pretty well and some can’t,” Mr. Leo said. “They’ve got to be honest, to get along. Love each other and stick with it.”
Ms. Leo added: “Once in a while if he gets mad, I don’t talk to him for a little while. Maybe a day. Then he realizes that I was right.”
“Oh, she is right all the time!” her husband said.
