A couple looking at old family photos ahead of their wedding were shocked to find a picture of themselves playing together on a beach - as children.

Teacher Aimee Maiden, 25, and her soldier husband Nick Wheeler, 26, had no idea their paths had crossed until they saw the grainy 1994 snap - taken 11 years before they met.

Aimee grew up in the tiny seaside village of Mousehole, Cornwall, and was a regular visitor to the beach while Nick lived in Kent but just happened to be on holiday there.

The two kids, Aimee aged five and Nick aged six, spent the day building sand castles just a few yards apart but their two families were strangers and never spoke.

Nick moved to Cornwall a year later but didn't meet 'soulmate' Aimee again till they went to the same sixth form college in Truro and fell in love.

They had no idea they had met before until they got engaged last year and started leafing through old holiday snaps at Nick's grandparents' house.

As they came across the treasured shot of Nick building a boat in the sand with his sister and cousins shocked Aimee suddenly recognised herself as a little girl in the background.

She said: "The photo was taken by Nick’s grandad. Nick is sitting front right in the boat with his sister and two cousins and his family, his mum, uncle and nan are to the right and behind them.

"To the left and behind his cousin I’m in the blue swimsuit with my mum, dad and sister.

"What makes it even more significant was that, although I was brought up in Mousehole, Nick and his family didn’t even live in Cornwall at the time.

"He and his family were down on holiday from Kent and didn’t move down permanently to Newlyn until a year later."

After their college years Nick joined the army and Aimee trained as a teacher.

They moved in together three years ago and got engaged last year, when they hosted a party and showed of their remarkable photo to amazed friends and family.

Aimee and Nick tied the knot Saturday at Gulval Church in Mousehole, 20 years after it was taken and just a minute's walk from the same spot.

The pair are heading to Florida for their honeymoon but have promised to frame the treasured picture as soon as they get back.

Aimee added: "It’s probably something we should do. The honeymoon is a great chance for a bit of quality time together.

"Nick is often away for months at a time on tours of duty in places like Kenya and Jordan, and as soon as we get back from honeymoon he is off to Canada for two and half months."