WIEL and Gerda Alards must know the secret of a successful marriage.

The Berwick couple will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on 15 May after sharing a lifetime of love and affection.

The lovable couple married in Holland in 1956 and migrated to Australia a month later to begin a new life together.

They lived in Maryknoll and Shepparton, then moved to Beaconsfield in 1975, where they spent the next 11 years.

Wiel, a builder, constructed a new family home in Berwick in 1986 and the dynamic duo has lived there ever since. The couple has four children and 12 grandchildren aged between two and 20.

Heavily involved in the Dutch Karnival Club, Wiel and Gerda have made many lifelong friends with whom they regularly party the nights away.

The pair will mark their 50th anniversary with a celebration at the Beaconsfield Community Centre with an event attracting international guests.

A family is flying from Holland to help Wiel and Gerda celebrate their special day and will stay in Australia for four weeks.