AUSTIN, Texas — An Austin couple in their 90s are proving you're never too old to fall in love. On Friday, they married at the retirement community where they met.
Bernard Snyder, 98, and Josephine Cartwright Snyder, 96, may not be spring chickens, but their relationship is blooming like young love.
"He wooed her like a 20-year-old," said Catherine Todd, Cartwright Snyder's daughter.
Both were previously married and widowed. Snyder, a World War II veteran, lost his wife of 73 years two years ago, and Cartwright Snyder was married to her husband for 67 years.
"When I first met him [Snyder], he was married and his wife was not well," Cartwright Snyder said. "He was so gentle and kind, and I thought the world of him as a person, never thinking about a future with him. But I thought he was such a fine man."
Back in March, Snyder said he invited his now-wife to his birthday party. Then she invited him and another friend to dinner.
"After dinner, I kissed her. She didn't expect it," Snyder said. "Of course, she looked at me like I was crazy. 'What is he doing?' Then I started pursuing her seriously."
He said she had no interest, but Cartwright Snyder said she was interested in him but "didn't know why that crazy man kept kissing me."
So began a whirlwind courtship, where Snyder pursued his future wife. They eventually started meeting each other for dinner.
"Wherever I went, I wanted to take her with me," Snyder said. "It got more serious."
For the pair's families, it has been a fast-paced romance that took them by surprise.
"She fell for him and all his flattery and the sweet things he said to her and how he treated her," Todd said. "It was amazing to watch it happen."
"You never imagine that a 96- and a 98-year-old are going to find each other and fall in love and be happy," Drew, Cartwright Snyder's son, said. "Bernard is just such a gentleman. I can see why mom got swept off her feet."
On Friday, Nov. 1, the couple married in the courtyard of Westminster Manor, the retirement community where they met. Friends and family surrounded them to celebrate their blossoming love.
When asked to say "I do" during his marriage vows, Snyder said, "Absolutely."
He described his new wife as someone who has made his life beautiful.
"I didn't even think I'd live as long as I have, and she's just the most wonderful person," he said. "We both have wonderful marriages, and we've asked each other, 'How could it be that we can still have love together at our age?'"
He calls his wife a "butterfly."
"She's free to do whatever she wants to do when she wants to," Snyder said. "Then, I will be there when she gets back."
Naturally, their wedding day included a special display. They released butterflies, which traditionally symbolize a couple's passionate bond and endless love.
The two are also feeling special butterflies that they never expected to feel again.
"You can love again, believe me, you can," Cartwright Snyder said. "I never dreamed you could love again."
Wedding guests could see the smiles on their faces and the happiness in their eyes as they were wed.
"They'll get to spend the rest of their life on earth together as companions," Todd said. "We're thrilled for them because they're happy, which makes us happy."
The newlyweds are showing that no matter your age, love has no boundaries.
"We decided whatever time the Lord gives us, we'll be together and we won't have to be alone again," Cartwright Snyder said. "There's a lot to say about companionship when you're this age."