Residents of the Saint-Paul nursing home, Alex, 69 years old, and Eliane, 78 years old, said “yes” to each other in Cayenne

The request was made properly, kneeling on the ground. Alex Cape, 69, couldn't see himself doing things any other way. It must be said that asking Eliane Mathias, 78, to marry him has been thinking about it for a while. “We had already talked, both of us. When I knelt at her feet, she said yes right away. »

To organize his request, Alex benefited from the complicity of the nursing home staff. “We had organized everything so that he could ask his question after snack, on Easter Monday, recalls Nathalie Prévoteau, director of the Saint-Paul nursing home, located Place des Palmistes in Cayenne. We've already had little stories at the nursing home, but none of them ended in marriage. » After their wedding, Eliane and Alex will continue to reside at the Saint-Paul nursing home, each having chosen to keep their room.

There's something great about her that I can't explain

While he waits for his future wife at the Cayenne town hall, Alex is full of praise when he talks about her. “It’s the first time I’ve been with a woman older than me, maybe that makes the difference.” She gives me a lot of love, she thinks of me all the time…”

Dressed in a long powder pink dress, Eliane walked towards her future husband under the emotional gaze of their loved ones. Annick, her niece, remembers the day Eliane announced the big event to her. “I had a surprise proposal and she said to me, 'he got down on one knee for me too, just like for you.' At the time, I didn't understand, she blurted out with a laugh. She introduced it to me. She has been in the nursing home for five years, and he for four years. The whole family is very happy for them. »

Although neither of them has ever been married in the past, Alex, unlike Eliane, has children, most of whom live in France. Vanessa, married to one of Alex's sons, accompanied her father-in-law to the altar. “I am very moved. I find it magnificent! Love has no age.”

I try not to be too emotional

Before the party, the ceremony at the nursing home chapel and even before exchanging their vows at the town hall, as soon as they met again, Alex and Eliane shared a tender kiss. The protocol requires waiting for the elected official to solemnly declare “you can now kiss the bride”. However, no one would think of blaming them for this non-compliance with protocol: happiness does not wait.