It was time to get married, so they did it after 72 years of a same-sex, live-in relationship. On Saturday, Vivian Boyack, 91, got married to her bosom friend and partner, Alice Dubes, 90, after living with her for more than seven decades. Finally, they could realise their secret dream.

It was time to dare, and do. So they whispered "I do" as they held hands in adjacent wheelchairs at First Christian Church, Davenport, U.S., presided over by Rev. Linda Hunsaker,

the Quad-City Times reports. It happened in Iowa, where gay marriages have become legal only since 2009. It was an act that should have been finalised earlier, mused Rev. Hunsaker. She helped them to tie the knot in the presence of their inner circle of friends and family.

Recalling their past, Vivian and Alice went back in their memories to their home town of Yale. In 1947, they had moved to Davenport to pursue their careers. Boyack was a teacher and Dubes in payroll. Boyack had always dreamt of teaching. She went on to take classes in the same school where she had studied, while her teacher moved on to another school. Dubes was in the payroll of the Times and Democrat for over a decade, almost 13 years. "I signed the paychecks for everybody, including Bill Wundram," she says, reports Sbs.com.

They have had a colourful sojourn through 50 U.S. states, Canadian provinces, and even England. "We've had a good time," Dubes reminiscences fondly. Though they have faced positive times as well as negative, they still felt that it was worth starting a new chapter in life, so they decided to get married. Boyack added that it takes a lot of "love and work" to maintain a relationship for 72 years.

Jerry Yeast, 73, who lives in Davenport, has known the couple since he was 18 years old, as he was working as a landscaper in their backyard. "I've known these two women all my life, and I can tell you, they are special," Yeast said to Quad-City Times.

"This is a very special day for all of us."

Indeed, it is special. For the couple, at least, and will remain so for the rest of their short but intense lives.