A grandmother said she has been “blown away” after viewing previously unseen footage from her wedding almost 60 years ago, found by a film student in an antiques shop.
Beryl Davies, 79, and her late ex-husband, Griff, married in a village near Cardigan, Ceredigion, in October 1966.
The film reel of the special day at Cilfowyr Chapel near Llechryd was bought for £5 by film student Martyn Forrester, 24, while on holiday in Cardigan.
After watching the footage, Mr Forrester, from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, contacted Mrs Davies after posting on social media, who said she was “in total shock”.
“I was blown away by it all. I just couldn’t believe it, that it’s appeared after all these years,” Mrs Davies said.
“It could have been left undetected forever”.
She said who filmed the footage remained a mystery as Mrs Davies had “never, ever” seen any of the film until now.
“I find it all very emotional seeing people who are no longer with us, you know, my sister, my parents, in-laws, uncles and aunts,” she added.
Mrs Davies said she only had one wedding photo in colour, of the bridesmaids in their cerise-coloured dresses, so “the colours of the day were absolutely gorgeous to see”.
She added it was “quite a posh” wedding and “just a magical day”.
“This is a wonderful memory. I’m so grateful to Martyn.”
Mr Forrester, who studies in Manchester, said he was very pleased to share the footage with the family after digitising the film.
“I was watching it, and I thought, this is a really nice film, but it has no value to me. It has more value to the people in the video,” he said.
After posting about it on a Cardigan Facebook page, in less than 24 hours he was put in touch with Mrs Davies’ brother who recognised the pair.
“This was purely out of curiosity. I had no intention of finding whatever was on that reel and sending it to someone,” he said.
“But because it was someone’s wedding video that’s so personal I had to try and find the family.
“I wish I was there to see their reactions, because that’s so special to them.”
Mr Forrester and Mrs Davies were introduced to one another for the first time on BBC Radio Wales Breakfast, and Mr Forrester said putting a voice to the face made it seem “all the more real”.
