Love was in the air at the weekend for Albert O’Neill and Hilda Graves.

The 80-somethings said 'I do’ at St Margaret’s Church, Rainham, on Saturday, after a three-year courtship, which began with a meeting at the Age Concern centre in nearby Woodlands Road.

They are the oldest people to be wed by The Reverend Ren Harding, who told the couple the event was the best wedding ceremony she’d ever conducted.

They first met each other at their Age Concern Centre, in Woodlands Road, Gillingham, but love didn’t blossom until the centre organised a day trip to Eastbourne.

Albert, 84, and Hilda, 81, live in Campleshon Road, Rainham. Hilda wore a cream wedding dress and Albert wore a blue suit.

Both have been married once before.

Albert’s first wife, Bridget died five years ago, and Hilda’s husband, Edward, passed away 10 years ago.

Hilda said: “It was the best day of my life, an absolutely wonderful ceremony and the vicar gave us a joke present of a pair of handcuffs to keep us together as when he gets chatting I tend to wander off.”

Mr and Mrs O’Neill’s big day was followed by a reception at the King Charles Hotel in Gillingham, and the vicar and her husband went along to celebrate with them.

Hilda added: “He wanted to go down the Conservative Club on Sunday afternoon, but I didn’t let him.

“I wanted us to go through all our cards and open all our wedding presents.”

The happy couple are planning a honeymoon in Norfolk next month.