Couple receives warm reception at Town Hall

The bride’s antique necklace was old. Her diamond earrings were new. She didn’t have anything borrowed. Her turquoise ring was blue.

On Tuesday, March 2, June Peterson was getting ready to walk down the aisle with her sweetheart, Louis Beigbeder. But she still needed something borrowed. So, town receptionist Eva Waldroup grabbed the bouquet sitting in water on her desk and loaned it to Peterson so that Peterson could wed Beigbeder with flowers in hand.

Peterson jokes that she and Beigbeder wanted to be extra sure before they said “I do.” The day was more than 20 years in the making — actually, more like 40, if you count the length of their friendship. Four decades ago, Peterson was a manager at Dempsey Insurance Co., in Norwood, Mass., and Beigbeder, a lawyer who, at one time, worked for the FBI, was a friend of her boss. Beigbeder’s wife died in 1989, and he and Peterson, who had never been married, later began to date. They were happy together as long-term companions living at Beach Harbor Club.

Then, in February, Beigbeder had a proposal for Peterson.

“I’ve been thinking about it all night,” he told Peterson. “I think it would be a good idea if we got married.”

“I was taken a little bit by surprise,” Peterson said.

They didn’t want a “big to-do” for their big day, so they kept their plans a secret. They didn’t tell anyone until days before the wedding, when family members came to town. Beigbeder’s two daughters were thrilled when he told them the news. So were Peterson’s sister-in-law and friend, who were in town.

On March 2, at Town Hall with family members by their side, the couple took their vows. Both Peterson and Beigbeder choked up during the ceremony.

“He’s just a wonderful, wonderful person,” Peterson said.

“She’s beautiful,” Beigbeder said. “She’s a wonderful person and always has been.”

Town staff members gave them a framed picture to commemorate their wedding. But the day wasn’t just special because they got married. It was also Beigbeder’s 96th birthday. The couple invited eight of their neighbors at Beach Harbor Club to a “little party” that night at the Lazy Lobster in honor of his birthday.

During dinner Beigbeder introduced Peterson, 71, as his wife. The couple said their neighbors were more than a little bit surprised.

Contact Robin Hartill at [email protected]