At the age of 37, Daniel met 16-year-old Martha Dandridge at St. Peter's Church near Talleysville, Virginia, where he served as a vestryman and she attended services regularly. The pair soon formed a romantic relationship; Custis initially opposed Daniel being together with Martha due to her family's relatively poor financial status, though he ultimately relented. The couple eventually married on May 15, 1750, after a prolonged courtship which lasted roughly two years.
