Hilda and Harold Biggs say not at all, really. Seventy years have passed since their special day and Hilda said so much has happened since.

Yet she can still clearly recount the red carpet laid out from council at St Andrew’s Kirk in Sturt Street. The bells pealing from the town hall. They wed on August 18 at 2pm. Another wedding followed at the church later that afternoon.

Harold and Hilda were married 10 days before end of war celebrations erupted on Ballarat streets in 1945. But their wedding festivities were impressive too. The couple had a big wedding with lots of family and work friends. Even their work superiors were in attendance at the church.

They say there are no secrets to making a long and happy marriage – they have faced their share of life’s roller coasters. They just enjoy spending time with each other and their family. Wherever their journey has taken them, they have moved as a family to stay together.

And they dance.

Hilda said they had always danced together. They have long been involved in highland dancing as a family and have attended many Maryborough Highland Gatherings for New Years.

This is a big year for the couple. Harold turned 90 last week, Hilda turns 90 in December and they mark their 70^th wedding anniversary on Tuesday. Their anniversary celebrations will be a little more low-key than the day they wed. Family, and a few extras, will gather for a party. They share three children, six grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Hilda said most of their closest friends were up north, mostly in Queensland, for an extended hiatus through the Ballarat winter months. Their friends ensured they made a big fuss of Harold’s 90^th birthday. A line of colourful cards lines a side table in their dining room.

This couple remains fiercely independent. They like to potter about their garden and Hilda still does a little driving.

Hilda enjoys a chat and Harold is quiet and patient. Their children say they complement each other.

And they still make each other laugh.

A candid photo shoot with The Courier on Friday definitely captured that.