Age No Barrier for Man 24 and Woman 82

Reinaldo Waveqche (L), aged 24, kisses his new wife Adelfa Marta Volpes, aged 82, after they got married in the city of Santa Fe, 490 km (305 miles) north of Buenos Aires, September 28, 2007. The couple, who had been living together since he was 15, will spend their honeymoon in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
A 24-YEAR-OLD man who married an 82-year-old woman in Argentina on Friday insists it is a union based on "great love" rather than money.

Reinaldo Waveqche, who has lived with his elderly lover, Adelfa Volpes, since the age of 15, said he preferred "mature women".

Ms Volpes, a retiree who is single and has no children, said their age difference had never mattered to either of them.

"I am very pleased," she said.

"Reinaldo is marvellous: very good, kind and educated. The age difference has never been important for us."

Surrounded by family, friends and media, the couple made their vows in a civil ceremony because the octogenarian said she would feel "ridiculous" in a church wedding.

Mr Waveqche said their relationship, which began after the death of his mother, was based on respect and love.

Ms Volpes, a friend of his late mother, had offered him a home when he was "only a boy", he said.

She said there had been an instant connection from the moment he moved in at 15, but it did not turn into romance until he turned 18. She confirmed that she instigated the romance.

Mr Waveqche, who is unemployed, and Ms Volpes will spend their honeymoon in Rio de Janeiro.