Couple Discovered Their Marriage License Was Never Filed. 50 Years After Their Wedding, They Finally Made It Official

Bruce and Beckie Maier of Wabash, Indiana, thought they’d done everything right when they married on April 26, 1975. Surrounded by about 250 family members and friends, they exchanged vows and began the life they’d planned together.

But a year later, they learned a detail that changed the story of their wedding day: their marriage was never legally recorded.

“The marriage license never made it to the county clerk’s office,” Bruce told local outlet WPTA.

The reason was surprisingly simple. The pastor who officiated their ceremony never submitted the paperwork. When the Maiers contacted the county clerk to fix it, they were told they’d need to recreate the full official process — including bringing their original wedding party to the courthouse.

At that point, life had already scattered everyone in different directions. The pastor had moved four hours away, and their bridesmaid and best man were living elsewhere across the state. Between distance, schedules, and the general momentum of everyday life, the problem was pushed aside.

And for a long time, that felt fine. The couple didn’t see a missing document as something that could define their commitment.

But over the years, their view shifted — not because their relationship changed, but because reality did. As they watched relatives pass away and families deal with legal and practical complications, they started to see how much easier life can be when the paperwork matches the life you’ve built.

“I realized through having family members die, you really need a marriage license to have anything be easy,” Beckie told WPTA.

So as their 50th anniversary approached, the Maiers decided it was finally time to make their marriage official.

Their three children quickly got involved — and didn’t just help with the paperwork. They planned a full celebration, combining a vow renewal with a proper, legal wedding ceremony.

“They just had a good fun time with it, and made it kind of light-hearted for the guests who were there,” Bruce said.

Their eldest son, Nate, even became licensed to officiate so he could legally marry his parents himself. During the ceremony, held on April 26 — exactly 50 years after the original wedding date — he shared the story of the unfiled license with everyone gathered.

This time, Bruce and Beckie also wrote their own vows.

“We wrote our own vows this time, and having to think through that and decide what I could honestly say and make it real, to me and for him, it was just a really wonderful experience,” Beckie said. “I was deeply touched.”

“It was probably one of the best days of my life,” she added.

After finally exchanging their long-overdue legal “I dos,” the Maiers told WPTA they have no regrets — and wouldn’t rewrite a single part of how their story unfolded.