A husband and wife from Australia have heartwarmingly reunited with lost footage of their wedding ceremony after 57 long years, turning what began as nostalgia for their past life back in Scotland, Aberdeen, to sheer joy and surprise.
Aileen and Bill Turnbull, who tied the knot back in August 1967, thought they had lost the only film recording of their special day after emigrated to Australia. The couple was married at Mastrick Church and had borrowed recording equipment from a colleague so they could preserve their wedding memories. After the big day, they managed to watch their wedding footage just once before the projector they returned to its owner housed the film without their knowledge.
Fast forward to earlier this year, when Terry Cheyne of Aberdeen had his own old films converted to DVD. One day, as he sat to review the results, he stumbled upon some wedding footage he didn’t recognize, making him curious about the couple captured on screen. He decided to share this remarkable discovery on social media.
"The first film on the DVD was completely unknown to me, yet it was clearly of a wedding at Mastrick Church," Cheyne said, recounting how initially, he did not know anyone from the video. But after posting stills of the footage on Facebook, he didn’t anticipate the immense connections it would eventually spur six months later.
It was only when Aileen was scrolling through her feed one day and spotted their younger selves attired for their happy day: “It was absolutely amazing, I couldn’t believe it,” Aileen told BBC Scotland News. "I was scrolling through Facebook, and then all of sudden there it was, our wedding photograph! I knew it was us. I turned to Bill and said, ‘There’s our wedding photograph!’”
The couple quickly contacted Terry Cheyne, rekindling various elements of their wedding day, which they hadn’t seen since the late 1960s. Cheyne eventually sent them the link to the footage so they could watch it again from Brisbane, rekindling feelings and memories long buried. “Watching it brought back so many memories, from seeing my parents and my husband’s grandparents - one who passed away at the age of 100,” shared Aileen, visibly moved.
Reflecting on the unexpected nature of experiencing the video 57 years later, Aileen described it rather succinctly as “surreal”. A painful yet beautiful reminder of the people dear to them, most of whom have since passed away. She pointed out the rarity of having even a short segment of their wedding documented: “Getting part of our wedding filmed was probably very unusual back then,” she explained.
The discovery also reminded the couple how much they lost track over the years. They emigrated to Australia with plans to start anew, often leaving bits and pieces of their lives behind. Bill added, “It’s incredible, seeing these familiar faces from our past, but now moving and alive. I could still recognize everyone.”
Terry Cheyne's accidental yet meaningful act of sharing has crafted something quite extraordinary. Reflecting on his connection to the Turnbulls, Cheyne stated, “When Aileen finally recognized herself, what a joyful moment it was! I have always been happy to assist. It’s turned out to be quite the heartening story, hasn’t it?”
The amount of joy found within something as simple as old footage captures the essence of human connection and how intertwined lives can weave experiences together, even after many decades. Timing played its role as well; the couple, both now 77 and grandparents, revealed how the reunion with their wedding footage laid bare the love and bond transcending time, space, and even technology.
55 years on, they could now look back on their extensive life adventures as they relived precious memories from the beginning. A true fairy tale like story reminding us how life continues to validate itself through its circular nature. For Aileen and Bill, celebrating such moments is what life is all about, and reconnecting with their wedding footage serves as the perfect cherry on top of their 57 years of marriage.
