Dwire, who had three daughters from a previous marriage, met Kelley when she patronized the beauty salon he owned. They married on January 3, 1969, in Hope, Arkansas; the ceremony was performed by the Rev. John Miles, and Bill Clinton served as the best man. He also played and sang at the reception. Earlier, in August, Clinton had watched the Chicago Democratic convention on television with Dwire. Family and friends of the bride discouraged the union because Dwire was an ex-convict, having served nine months in prison in 1962 for stock fraud.