Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter's Son Toasts Their Historic Marriage at Star-Studded Anniversary Party

A lengthy list of all sorts of folks — from country stars to media moguls to former presidents — were on hand this weekend as Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter celebrated 75 years of marriage at a star-studded private reception in their hometown of Plains, Georgia.

Among the 300-plus invitees on Saturday were Bill and Hillary Clinton, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood and Ted Turner. But it was the poignant words from the couple's own children, gathered for the occasion, that may have made the most lasting impression.

Holding a glass aloft to his dad, 96, and mom, 93, Chip Carter offered a ringing endorsement of the unpretentious example set by the two.

"They told us we were better than no one and no one was better than us," Chip, 71, said, adding "they did what they thought was right, even when it was bad politics," The Washington Post reported.

Chip also had some memories to share and a bit of fun looking back at his parents' decades in the spotlight.

"The most difficult thing for me to decide was what to leave out of the toast," he said, according to local TV station WXIA. "Do I thank them for big things like deciding to have children? Or do I thank them for inviting Willie Nelson to spend the night at the White House?"

Chip continued: "I decided to thank them for the most important gift they gave their children. They taught us their values — Christian values. Plains, Georgia values. They told us that every single person deserves our respect, regardless of their wealth, their race, their age, their politics, their sex, their sexual orientation, or the amount of power that they have."

"They protected their partnership perfectly," the younger Carter added of the former president and first lady.

Mrs. Carter, wearing a diamond pendant necklace that her husband gave her in honor of the milestone, also spoke, saying her life "has been an adventure" since meeting the man she would marry.

"It's wonderful to celebrate with so many friends. It's just so good to have you all here and I thank you for making it a good evening, a good time for us to be here and to be with friends we care about very much," she added, saying the guests had helped make the day "very special."

President Carter briefly took the microphone. "To my wife Rosalynn, I want to express a particular gratitude for being the right woman that I chose for my wife," he said.

In addition to family and notable names, friends from the couple's Maranatha Baptist Church (where the former president served as a regular Sunday school teacher for years) also came out for the celebration.

Pianist David Osborne entertained the crowd that filled the auditorium at Plains High School, where guests also included House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and celebrity chef Paula Deen, with some of President and Mrs. Carter's favorite musical numbers.

They are the longest-married presidential couple in history and have four children, 12 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. They wed in Plains on July 7, 1946, after a courtship that sparked when Jimmy was on a break from the Naval Academy.

"I just felt compatible with her," he has said of their first outing, which also included his sister and her boyfriend. "She was beautiful and innocent, and there was a resonance. We rode in the rumble seat of a Ford pickup ... and I kissed her on that first date. I remember that vividly."

The next morning, he told his mother that "Rosalynn was the one I wanted to marry."

Last week, the two joined Good Morning America for an interview about their long-lasting relationship.

Among their biggest tips was giving the other "plenty of space" but also coming together when time allowed.

"We're always looking to do things or find things we can do together, like fly fishing and bird watching and just going out to the pond, catch a fish," President Carter said on GMA.

That echoed what he told PEOPLE in 2019, as he reflected on his tenth decade. "I think the best explanation for that is to marry the best spouse, someone who will take care of you and engage and do things to challenge you and keep you alive and interested in life."