Shirley and Dillard Celebrate 50 Years of Marriage at Oaklands Mansion

Shirley and Dillard were high school sweethearts and if you met them you would guess that perhaps they are still in high school since even after five decades of marriage they still share that thrill of young love. They decided to renew their vows at Oaklands Mansion surrounded by loved ones.

After being escorted to her groom by their son and daughter, Shirley and Dillard are presented with roses by their grandchildren as their grandson, a very talented self taught musician plays and sings a song he wrote himself to commemorate this every special occasion. It outlines the passing years they have spent together and touches on all the reasons why Dillard and Shirley love each other so deeply.

The bride and groom then exchanged the roses that were presented to them, reminded of the words of the prophet, where relationships create love and compassion, even “the desert shall bloom like the rose.” Shirley and Dillon wanted all present to realize the potential and beauty of the flower’s seeds as a symbol of all of love’s promises which will bring along with them beauty and strength and all that they have meant to each other over all these years.

Presented by their grandchildren with bands of gold to commemorate the celebration of their fifty years, and adorned with diamonds as a symbol of hope that they will be together in another ten years to celebrate once again, Shirley and Dillon vowed to continue loving and cherishing one another every single moment of their lives together.

Our favorite moment from this beautiful vow renewal and celebration of fifty years of love, devotion and marriage was when Dillon first saw Shirley as she began her walk towards him down the aisle, he whispered to himself, “How did I ever get so lucky? She is even more beautiful than the day I married her. I am truly blessed.”