98-year-old woman set to be one of the ‘oldest bridesmaids’ in the country

UNION GROVE, NC (WBTV) — When 23-year-old Bethany Shaw sat Naomi Wooten down to pop the question, things didn’t quite go as planned.

“Naomi will you be my Matron of Honor?” Wooten recalled of the moment that was supposed to be touching, “I absolutely said no.”

The 98-year-old is the oldest member of the congregation at the church where Shaw’s father is the preacher. It was a no-brainer to ask the wildly-popular and spunky Wooten to be a member of her wedding party.

“I finally said yes, it would be an honor,” Wooten relented to the young girl’s request.

This weekend, Shaw will marry her sweetheart Austin Harner. The two will become one while standing next to a woman who knows a thing or two about love.

“We were one person. We did everything together,” Wooten said of her husband Claude.

The two were married for 64 years before Claude’s death in 2010. They were married in 1945 after Claude returned from the Panama Canal. “I waited for him for 4 years,” Wooten said. It’s obvious by her sparkling eyes, she would’ve waited for 40.

“You’ve got to be in love,” Wooten starts her list of tips to a successful marriage, “And you can’t ever go to bed angry.”

The 98-year-old says she’ll be honored to stand beside young love this weekend as one of the oldest bridesmaids in the country. “I’m proud to do it,” she said.