Couples renew vows on Siesta Beach on Valentine's Day

For Marge McCarthy and Patrick Hinchliffe, joining hundreds of other couples in renewing their vows on Siesta Key Beach on Valentine's Day, was part of a major milestone.

The couple's 50th anniversary will be on July 4, while Hinchliffe turns 75 in August, and McCarthy turns 70 in September. 

Their year will also involve a grand tour that includes seeing Phil Rosenthal, the creator of "Everybody Loves Raymond," in Fort Myers, as well as other fun moments.

Fifteen years ago, the couple went through a rough patch and wasn't sure their marriage was going to work. Ultimately, they decided to recommit to one another in 2010. 

"It took a long time, but we have cultured it, and then we nourished it, and we make sure that we thank each other for the littlest things," McCarthy said. 

"I think we are each other's reason to continue," Hinchliffe said. "I can't imagine laying in bed and I wake up and I have nobody smiling at me, nobody to tell a joke to, nobody to, 'Hey, I dropped that.' I mean, I have enough trouble bending over to pick something off the floor... We're each other's strengths."

The "Say 'I Do' Again" vow renewal ceremony is hosted on Siesta Key Beach each year by Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources, and in recent years has been officiated by Judge Stephen Walker.

Among the other couples who turned out were Tammie and Don Gursky, who will be married 49 years this year. 

"He asked me again and I said yes," said Tammie Gursky. "We come out most years. We have been in rain and cold and heat, and it is good to just remember why you got married in the first place."