A lonely Brit who had been single his whole life has wed a Ukrainian woman he met after helping her when she fled the war-torn country.
Guy Wilson, 49, tied the knot with Karyna Kulyk, 34, on Tuesday after a whirlwind romance.
The happy couple even got a blessing before their nuptials from the Archbishop of Canterbury. Justin Welby was by chance visiting their parish before the wedding.
The pair met when Mr Wilson was volunteering in his hometown last January.
Ms Kulyk, 34, made her way to the UK to escape her war-ravaged country with her son Serafim, now seven.
Mr Wilson admitted he lacked confidence and struggled to find the one his whole life. He believed he was never going to meet anyone because of it.
Guy Wilson, 49, (left) tied the knot with Karyna Kulyk, 34, (right) on Tuesday
The pair met when Mr Wilson was volunteering in his hometown last January
The happy couple even got a blessing before their nuptials from the Archbishop of Canterbury
Mr Wilson had been single his whole life weds Ukrainian woman he helped after she fled war after whirlwind romance
But after almost five decades of being single, an unexpected turn of events led Mr Wilson, of Chepstow, South Wales to meet Ms Kulyk.
Mr Wilson told What’s The Jam: ‘Love always finds a way.
‘In my case, I thought I knew where my life was going but suddenly a world event changed all that.’
‘I’m so thrilled we found each other.
‘Girls were a new thing to me at my age and my mum and dad never expected me to meet anyone.
‘But 18 months on, I have a fiancé and a seven-year-old little boy who wants me to adopt him – it’s been a whirlwind!’
Ms Kulyk, of Mezhova, near Donetsk, Ukraine was forced to leave her life behind after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
After leaving her home on the front line, the last thing Ms Kulyk expected was to fall in love with a kind stranger.
Ms Kulyk, Mr Wilaon and her son Serafim are pictured together
The couple are seen together with Ms Kulyk’s son, who is seven
During her evening shifts, Mr Wilson selflessly offered to babysit Serafim and get to know Ms Kulyk’s son
The pair met when Mr Wilson was volunteering in his hometown last January
She said many members of her family had to stay in Ukraine and can hear shells fire every day.
Ms Kulyk said: ‘When I came to the UK, I had my son and my suitcase.
‘I had to leave everything else behind.’
Mr Wilson added: ‘When I watched the news, I was horrified.
‘I never dreamt I would meet a Ukrainian and all of a sudden you fall in love with a person from this place.
‘You never expect to meet someone from a war zone.’
Mr Wilson met Ms Kulyk while volunteering at the St Briavel’s Ukrainian Support Hub in the Forest of Dean.
He is a member of The Chepstow Rotary Club which supported the charity by giving warm clothing and financial support and offering lifts for new families that moved to the area.
After another volunteer asked Mr Wilson to give Ms Kulyk a lift for a day trip, the pair hit it off instantly.
As they started to spend more time together, their friendship began to grow into something more romantic.
After another volunteer asked Mr Wilson to give Ms Kulyk a lift for a day trip, the pair hit it off instantly
A grab of when Mr Wilson proposed to his wife
Ms Kulyk, who previously worked as a lawyer in Ukraine, found a job in the UK waiting tables.
During her evening shifts, Mr Wilson selflessly offered to babysit Serafim and get to know Ms Kulyk’s son.
After dating for several months, Mr Wilson said his life was transformed for the better and the relationship has helped with his clinical depression.
On New Year’s Eve, he was ready to commit and proposed to Ms Kulyk with his mother’s engagement ring on a beach in Rock opposite Padstow, Cornwall.
Mr Wilson said: ‘I wanted to ask permission to marry Karyna.
‘So I wrote to her Dad, who is living near the frontline using Google translate.
‘The answer was ”Finally!”
‘I planned the proposal on the beach and timed fireworks to go off when I popped the question.’
The wedding in Chepstow was a small ceremony with just 40 guests attending as Ms Kulyk’s family were unable to attend because of the war.
