Aldous Huxley's proposal to his beloved Laura (Archera) was an oblique "Have you ever been tempted by marriage?" followed, after a positive response, by "Do you think it might be amusing to travel to Yuma and get married at the Drive-In?"
[This they did, having their wedding-day breakfast in the Arizona desert. His letter to his son and daughter-in-law was typically understated: "Laura Archera and I got married today at Yuma in the naive hope of privacy that has turned into publicity all the same. You remember her I am sure -- a young woman who used to be a concert violinist then turned movie cutter... I have come to be very much attached to her in recent months and as it seemed to be reciprocal we decided to cross the Arizona border and call at the Drive-In Wedding Chapel (actual name). She is 20 years younger than I am but doesn't seem to mind."]
Sources
The Guardian, April 27, 2002
