In 1971, at the tender age of 12, Marty Stuart was certain about one thing concerning his future -- he was going to marry Grand Ole Opry Star Connie Smith. "That's how old I was when I first met her," Marty once recalled. "She came to my hometown in Mississippi to play at a fair, and I got to meet her after the show. I told my mom that I would marry Connie one day."

That day would come, although it took about 26 years. After a three-year courtship, Marty and Connie tied the knot at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, July 8, 1997.

"It was a very private ceremony," Marty noted at the time. "Connie and I wanted it that way. We wanted to hide from the press for a couple of days and enjoy some peace and quiet."

Despite their 17-year difference in age, Marty and Connie have a unique chemistry that keeps them going strong. "I think Marty and I match so well, Connie raves. "It's an honor to be his wife and I love him with all my heart."