How this campus couple bagged not just a degree but the love of their lives

Would you think that the University of Sunderland would be the place to find your soul mate? Well, two graduates who met at the University have just tied the knot.

Hannah Boozer and Matthew Wear met in 2017 while in their final year at the University and they have been together ever since.

Hannah, who studied Fashion Journalism at the University, said: “We’ve known each other since first year, we both lived in the Forge, we both lived in the same block of flats.

“But we didn’t really get talking until I’d been tweeting about some essay, and he tweeted me asking how’s it going. Then it blossomed.

“We actually went and picked up our dissertations together. It might have been, if you could potentially call it, our third date.”

Since graduating from the University, Hannah now leads a team of copywriters and Matthew works in marketing and covers the NFL (National Football League) as a freelance journalist.

Fast forward to 2022, Matthew popped the question to Hannah when they were on holiday in Rome.

Matthew, who studied Sports Journalism at the University, said: “I had to be very sneaky with the ring and I knew where I was going to do it – this place that was not too busy. It was this massive park that overlooked the skyline.

“On the day, I was like ‘we need to go’ – being really suspicious. And then Hannah was like, ‘why do you want to go to this park so much?’”

Hannah added: “I was literally like, no, we are right by the Spanish steps. Why don’t we go see those?”

Matthew said: “I knew she wouldn’t want to be proposed to if it was too busy, so I found a place that’s not going to be mega busy in the morning. I remember saying to this guy, can you take some pictures of us? Luckily the guy starts recording so we have the whole thing in video.

“I just proposed and thankfully she said yes – and we got some nice selfies with the people who videoed it as well.”

The couple got married on Wednesday 18^th September at Le Petite Chateau on Otterburn, Northumberland in front of friends and family.

But what was harder: planning a wedding or completing a degree?

Matthew said: “I think the degree personally, but I think I’ve not had as much input in the wedding.”

Hannah added: “If you had asked me six months ago, I would have said the degree. After this month, I changed my mind. There have been a few meltdowns, but we are all good.”

Carole Watson, Associate Head of Journalism and Communications at the University, said: “We remember Hannah and Matthew so fondly here. They were both fantastic students who went on to their dream careers. I can’t promise we are also a match-making agency too.”