Love Story: Sandra and Steve Seltzer

Shutterbug Sandra Seltzer of Roslyn recalls how she first caught an image, and then the attention, of her future husband, Steve.

My husband, Steve, and I met in 1960 at my best friend's holiday party. I was 21, he was 24. We both lived in Great Neck, and Steve had just finished his service in the Army. He was a lieutenant stationed at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.

I was very much into photography then, as I am today, and took photos of the party guests — especially cute guys like Steve. At the end of the evening I was disappointed that he didn't ask for my phone number. So after I developed his photo in my darkroom at home, I mailed him a copy with a stamp on the back that said "photo by Sandy Goldberg" and my phone number. Steve called to thank me. We started talking, he asked me out and then we started dating.

Steve had started going to NYU Law School at night, while he worked as a CPA during the day. We didn't have much money for dates. Most of the time we went to a friend's home or to the movies. One of the rare times he took me out to dinner was on a visit to Freedomland theme park in the Bronx, where he bought me a hamburger.

Things did not go smoothly. We broke up once at Kriegel's Ice Cream Parlor, in Great Neck. Steve said he wasn't ready to get serious because he had so many more years of school to finish. But his friends encouraged him, and a few weeks later we got back together again.

On June 21, 1962, we were married at Temple Israel in Great Neck. We honeymooned in the Bahamas and Florida. We have three sons and 11 grandchildren. It took Steve seven years to get his law degree and a master's of law in taxation.

We have been working together for more than 25 years. I am his bookkeeper.

This June we renewed our vows at a big party held at Fresh Meadows Country Club in Great Neck. Rabbi Alan Lucas from Temple Beth Sholom in Roslyn served as officiant.

And as I said to Steve as part of my marriage vows, "For the first 50 years, we did it your way. From now on, we'll do it my way!"