Cedric and Daphne Gurton, of North Road, Tollesbury, married on August 6, 1954 and recently celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary.

Daphne, 89, said weddings have now changed, since their nuptials.

The couple met very early in life.

She said: “We went to the same school, Tollesbury Primary and then we both went to Maldon Grammar.

“We started going out when we were 18 or 19 and got married when I was 29 and he was 28.

“Most of our friends had married in their early twenties, we were getting on in years.

“It wasn’t stressful, we had a very quiet wedding at Tollesbury Congregation Church and a reception at my home, with about 20 people.

“I was preparing food for the reception at 6 o’clock in the morning.

“For our honeymoon we went to a hotel in London.”