Sharing the love this Valentine's Day

LboroFamily
A couple wearing wedding clothes standing in a field

Andrea and Adam on their wedding day

Every year, you, the Loughborough family, share wonderful stories about how you met at Loughborough! This year is no different, with another five couples sharing their wonderful Loughborough love stories for Valentine's Day.

Our most recent Loughborough love story for this year is from Andrea and Adam. Andrea De Bruin (Chemistry MChem, 2017) and Adam Wright (Chemical Engineering BEng, 2016 and Advanced Process Engineering MSc, 2017) met in 2015 in the Students' Union in what was then called "Room 1". Many of you will know it as the ground floor area of the Union. They both enjoyed rowing as students and fell in love with sport at Loughborough as well as each other! Now, ten Valentine's Days later, the couple have been married for three years and regularly reminisce on their Loughborough days together. Many alumni attended their wedding.

Two people standing smiling in evening wear. There are balloons above their heads.Andrea and Adam

Following several years in a long-distance relationship – having met in 2014 through sport at Loughborough – Gediminas Jurkaitis (Mechanical Engineering MEng, 2015) and Kulkanlaya Kritnoi (Khloe) (Global Media and Cultural Industries MA, 2014) married in 2019 and are celebrating 12 years together this year. The couple say that Loughborough is “Where History Begins” for them. They now live in the UK.

Two people in wedding attire seated and smilingGediminas and Khloe on their wedding day

Joanna Searle (neé Horne) (Sport and Exercise Science BSc, 2013) and Stuart Searle (Politics BA, 2011) met in Loughborough in 2010 playing for the University’s women’s and men’s tennis 1st teams. They got married in May 2019 have got two children together.

A couple wearing wedding attire walking down an aisle. There are tennis rackets held above their heads by guests who are standing each side of the aisle.The Searle's wedding day

On the other side of the world from Loughborough, Helen Blake (Information and Computing BSc, 1993) and Mark Crawford (Electrical and Electronic Engineering BEng, 1992) live in Auckland, New Zealand and have been married for over 30 years! They met in Elvyn Richards Hall in 1990 and were married in 1995.

Two images side by side. A black and white photo of a couple in evening wear and the second image is of the same couple years later smiling holding champagne glassesHelen and Mark then and now

Finally, Dave Allen (Physical Education Cert Ed, 1968) and Penny Vaughan Williams (Art and Design, 1968) shared a lovely selection of photographs from their relationship. Dave was a PE student, and Penny was studying in the Art College when they met at the Generous Britain pub on Ashby Road. At the time, the art school shared the refectory with the PE students; Loughborough became a university during their studies. The couple went into teaching and two years into their careers decided to apply for jobs in Nassau in the Bahamas! They spent three years teaching in government schools there. They then returned to the UK and started a plant hire company – which is now run by their son Jason. They will celebrate their 56th wedding anniversary this summer and have fond memories of Loughborough.

Two images side by side. A black and white photo of a couple in wedding clothes and the second image is of the same couple years later smilingDave and Penny then and now

Do you have a Loughborough love story? You can tag us in your Instagram stories using @lboroalumni or email us with your photographs.