Hannah Hardy has embarked on the biggest, and probably most nerve-wracking, week of her life as not only has she just graduated from De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) but she is marrying her childhood sweetheart this weekend.
The double celebration has been made all the more special as members of Hannah’s family have flown over from her home town of Dallas, Texas, to watch her graduate and witness the wedding day.
Hannah with her mum, gran, fiance, aunties and cousins
Hannah, 22, who graduated with a BA (Hons) in Textile Design on Wednesday, was joined at the ceremony by her fiancé Nicholas Evans and mum Amy Farrelly, who both live in Rugby, Warwickshire, as well as aunties, cousins and a grandmother from the USA. Her dad Shaun and a further four Texan relatives will be joining them in time for Saturday, taking the total USA contingent to 15.
Hannah, who will be marrying Nicholas in a ceremony in the garden of the family home in Rugby, said: “It really is a double celebration and I am so happy to have my family here from Texas. I had the wedding on my mind all morning but as soon as the graduation ceremony started, I focussed on that.
“It was a great ceremony and I loved the location. Nicholas has been so supportive while I have been studying and it is wonderful to graduate.”
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Nicholas, who was born in Leicester, said: “I could not be prouder of Hannah. I am a little nervous about the wedding on Saturday but really cannot wait.”
Hannah left Texas and moved to Warwickshire with her mum in 2004, when she was 10, and first met Nicholas at school when she was 15 and he was 17. She has returned to Dallas each summer
Mum Amy said her family had been blown away by the graduation ceremony. “It was absolutely fantastic. This is the best graduation ceremony I have ever been to. Having the ceremony in the round was a great idea, as families were right there supporting and encouraging the graduates.
“It was formal, but fun, and very energetic. Every detail was perfect and it really represented DMU at its best. They don’t do graduations like that in the US. They are held in big sporting arenas and it is a bit impersonal. This was far more intimate.”
Hannah and Nicholas, who works in warehouse distribution, plan to move to Dallas within the next year once they have secured jobs out there.
Posted on Wednesday 20 July 2016