Marriage “not the goal” for El Paso couple who wed in their 50s

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- It's never too late to fall in love, again. That's not just the theme behind ABC's The Golden Bachelor.

One El Paso couple is proving that marriage isn't just for the young, and that marriage later in life isn't just reality TV fodder.

Ana and Bill Navarrete met 12 years ago at a Super Bowl party. But they didn't date until two years later, and then they dated for ten years.

"Marriage was not something that we were really thinking about. It wasn't the goal," Ana Laura Navarrete said. "But we were so happy together, and I think that's what makes our relationship special."

The pair ended up tying the knot Sept. 21, 2023.

"When we decided to get married, especially for Mr. Eternal Bachelor over here-" they both laughed as Ana looked over at Bill, "It was because we wanted to, not because we had to, or because anything was pressing us to do so. It was something we wanted to do to honor our love and our commitment."

They had a destination wedding, getting married in Tuscany -- which was Bill's suggestion.

"If this is gonna be my first time, it better be in Tuscany," Bill said, laughing.

Bill is 58 had not been married before. But he said, it wasn't because he didn't want to be in a committed relationship.

"You know when the time is right and you're not being pressured by anything other than your heart," he said.

Ana is 54. She was married at 20, and it lasted 6 years. She now has two adult children and two grandchildren, who call Bill their grandpa.

Ana says their love is shaped by their life experience.

"Now, I can appreciate that I know what I want and I can appreciate a good thing when I see it," she said. "I think when we're younger, we're just not wise enough to see that."