With 546 years of marriage combined, a group of couples came together at Brookdale Senior Living in Medford to celebrate decades of shared love on Valentine’s Day.

Ranging from 14 to 74 years together, the couples were happily enjoying lunch with each other while surrounded by red hearts and candies and other festive decor.

The couples included: Loren and Jackie Johnson, celebrating 74 years; Glenn and Donna Boles, celebrating 65 years; Les and Katie McCoy, celebrating 69 years; Rae and Brian Klenke, celebrating 44 years; Chet and Mary Danforth, celebrating 14 years; Connie and Roy Wiltse, celebrating 69 years; Georgia and Gene Gillian, celebrating 55 years; Don and Carol Pettit, celebrating 62 years; Martha and Nathan Higgins, celebrating 54 years; and Bill and Rosemarie Bemis, celebrating 44 years.

While the other couples were a bit timid to speak about their love, Georgia and Gene Gillian chatted about their bond over the years.

“I’m just so happy to be together,” Georgia said. “We have six daughters between the two of us.”

The two lovers first met over a blind date at a football game and have been happily married for more than five decades.

“We went to the game alright, and I didn’t talk too much,” Gene recalled.

“The other team made a good play, and she applauded and I reached over and said, ‘You’re rooting for the wrong team,’” he added, laughing.

The Gillians were set up by a friend to try a blind date, and the two grew closer and closer over time. After realizing his compatibility with his future wife, Gene remembered thinking, “This is the one I think I better marry.”

“I met him in the first weekend in October and we were married the first weekend in May,” Georgia said.

While all relationships have their up and downs, the Gillians see shared interests and values as the keys to maintaining a happy and healthy marriage.

“Make sure it’s the right one,” Gene added.

“You have things that are compatible with each other and the things that are really important to you too. … It’s a give and take, so you learn to be forgiving and loving of each other,” he said.