They say the best things in life are worth waiting for, and Tim and Debbie Bishop are living proof of that. They were each 52 years old when they wed in 2010, the first marriage for both of them. They shared their story with HuffPost Live's Nancy Redd this week.
The Bishops met online in 2003. "We became pen pals, I would say, for a few years," Tim explained to Redd. "We lived 260 miles apart -- about 5 hours by car -- and we were very slow and cautious in our approach. We met the following summer for a bicycle ride, and it was really a slow friendship that grew over time."
They waited seven years to get married, partially because of Tim's career. "I was going through a transition in my work career at the same time, which from my perspective ended up complicating some of the decision-making," he said. "So it was really kind of neat how things came together at once. I retired from a long-time job -- 26 years at the same company -- and right before my retirement luncheon, proposed to Debbie."
Debbie added, "[he proposed] on top of Cadillac Mountain [in Maine] -- it was awesome. And the next day was his retirement party, and that's when we announced to everyone -- 70 people in the audience, with his mom there -- and he told his whole speech and said goodbye to everyone and said 'oh by the way, I asked Debbie last night to marry me' and everyone was really excited. It was really a cool way to start our engagement."
Despite their age, Debbie and Tim opted for a very traditional wedding, and Debbie had no problems finding a dress. "That was maybe the second dress I tried on, and I bought it at a secondhand shop," Debbie said. "I went with a friend of mine, and she's like 'oh that's the dress,' so since I hadn't been married before, I chose the traditional veil and dress."
Keeping in gear with their first date, Tim and Debbie pedaled off on their honeymoon on a ride from the Pacific to the Atlantic.