Couple who met on university medical course graduate and marry on the same day

One life milestone in the morning and one in the afternoon for Romanian couple who fell in love in Exeter

Alex Tirb and Nicoleta Craucuic (University of Exeter)

A couple who met while studying together at the University of Exeter have married and graduated from medical school on the same day.

Alex Tirb and Nicoleta Craucuic – both from Romania – fell in love while studying medical imaging at the University of Exeter Medical School, more than 1,600 miles from home.

And, after more than three years as an item, the couple decided to wed in their adopted city – on the morning of their graduation.

They tied the knot at Exeter Registration Office in front of a small number of friends before rushing off to don gowns and caps for their campus ceremony

“It’s incredible,” says Alex, who popped the question while the pair holidayed in Edinburgh in 2016. “It turns out that fate has a sweet face here, having met my future wife on the same course.

“Three hard years later, we’re still together, still strong and looking forward to a bright future.”

Now, the couple - who were both mature students - will stay close during their working life too after they were both offered jobs at the same hospital.

Alex Tirb and Nicoleta Craucuic (University of Exeter)

“We’re moving to Barnstaple and we’re both going to be working as radiographers at North Devon District Hospital,” says Nicolata. "We went on placement together there in our first year and we were really impressed.

"It’s a really exciting time because we’re going to be starting the next chapter of our lives together, as well as our careers.”

She says the pair also plan to have a small ceremony back in Romania in September - although exactly where that will be remains to be seen. The couple's home cities of Oltenita and Oradea are about 650 km apart.

Dr Karen Knapp, associate professor in musculoskeletal imaging at the university, said: “We are thrilled to see Nicoleta and Alex graduating together and getting married having found each other while studying with us."