Rotorua's Grace and Kevin Flavell celebrate 60th wedding anniversary

Grace and Kevin Flavell celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on June 10. Photo / Andrew Warner

What started out as a blind date has now grown into a 60-year-long marriage full of highlights for local couple Grace and Kevin Flavell.

Grace and Kevin met on a blind date during Labour weekend in 1959. It was set up by Grace's cousin and Kevin's best friend, who were going out together.

They say there was plenty of fun and laughs had on the blind date, and that they went to the movies in Taumarunui.

The couple had their wedding on June 10, 1961, at the Presbyterian Church in Mamaku, with Grace 20 years old and Kevin 21.

Before getting married, they were in a long distance relationship where they would see each other once a fortnight.

However, they made it work by talking on the phone nearly every night and writing each other letters.

Kevin says he worked in a mine at the time - "Every second Friday was pay day and we had an early knock-off so I would visit Grace."

Once married, they returned to the mining town of Ōhura for a short period before Kevin got a job in Kinleith.

He worked there for 38 years as a foreman in the industrial lubrication.

Grace and Kevin Flavell on their wedding day. Photo / Supplied

It has been a life of many highlights together, including raising their four children - Andrew, Allan, Karl and Melanie - and travelling overseas.

Kevin was very involved in their sons' rugby and hockey when they were growing up, and their daughter took up marching during the summer.

When all of the kids were off at school, Grace took the opportunity to do her nursing training and she worked in this career for a few years.

Grace says she had loved their trip to Turkey and that her father was from Finland so they went there which was also amazing. Kevin says he loved visiting Japan which was beautiful.

They say another highlight was taking holidays in a caravan up the Coromandel.

They celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary yesterday

with a dinner out together, and tomorrow

will be having an afternoon tea with immediate family.

Kevin says he is one of nine children in his family, and all of them apart from two were in marriages of more than 50 years. His mother and father were also married for more than 50 years.

When asked what helps with longevity in a relationship, Grace said, "We shared everything and you work through the ups and downs."

"Whatever each of us earnt was always for the both of us and I think you've got to keep working on the relationship," says Kevin.