Iowa Couple Renews Vows On National TV After 50 Years of Marriage

It's no secret that millions of American families had to be without spending time with their loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic. During that lengthy year-long time period, tons of large events were missed. Many funerals were postponed or not held at all. Weddings were pushed back to a future date. And many milestones also weren't able to be celebrated. Milestones like 50th wedding anniversaries. An Iowa couple got to celebrate theirs much later than anticipated this week, on national television, as they renewed their vows.

Helen and Emory Westcott are from Des Moines now, but their marriage actually started in my hometown. They were the first two people to take part in the NBC Today show's 'Milestones We Missed' series. They couldn't have started with a cuter couple who appreciated it more.

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The two met when Helen was 18, and Emory 22. He asked Helen's parents if they could go on a date. As they say, the rest is history.

Helen and Emory were married at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Sigourney, Iowa in June of 1970. As you'll see in the video below, Today host Hoda Kotb butchered the pronunciation of my hometown's name, but we're used to that.

The pair didn't realize their three kids would be present for the renewal of their vows. The two hadn't seen their son, in person, since the last month of 2019. As you can imagine, it was an emotional reunion. The entire ceremony is emotional. You can watch it, in its entirety, below.

Congratulations on now 51 years, Helen and Emory. Here's to many more wonderful years together!