They met, they danced and they fell madly in love in Moldova – but then heartbroken John Bailey had to return home to Burnley.

Separated by 1,500 miles and from two different worlds they thought they would never be together, but at last, two years to the day since the whirlwind romance began, the happy couple finally tied the knot.

"It was love at first sight", said a jubilant John. "Not many people believe in it, but it was destiny."

However, he admitted he thought they would never be able to secure a visa for chemistry graduate Tatiana, but against all odds the story had a happy-ever-after ending.

The romance began when bricklayer John, of Lawn Street, went on holiday for his brother's 40th birthday celebrations to Moldova, a former Soviet state between Romania and the Ukraine.

On the first night in the Russian-speaking country the couple met in chance circumstances.

The 31-year-old said: "We had gone to a club on the first evening and my brother told me to get up and dance. There were a group of girls there and one was Tatiana. It was her 21st birthday and I asked her to dance. It was love at first sight."

The pair swopped phone numbers and continued to text message each other and would often spend all night talking via their internet video phone.

Smitton with his new love, he decided to make the 1,500 mile trip to her home city of Tiraspol to spend their first Christmas together in 2008.

"I just kept going back," he said. "I went back eight times in two years and one time I even went to stay for a month to test the relationship and we got on really well."

With flights costing £550 and an average two-week stay costing £700, John revealed he spent well over £10,000 visiting pharmacist Tatiana.

"I've had to put the work in. I worked seven days a week to pay for those trips, I gave up drinking, but it was all well worth it. I never wanted to give up on it."

Then, in traditional fashion, John got down on bended knee in the snow and -20C temperatures of Moldova and asked Tatiana to marry him.
She said yes and the couple began making plans to be together permanently

In May they applied for a marriage visa for Tatiana and faced an agonising four-month wait to see if it had been approved.

"They're not in the EU so it's not easy to get visas and I expected for them to say no. It was a long wait and I did a lot of travelling to see her and it was heart-breaking to have to leave her in the airport every time I went. I never thought she would get here but they realised we really loved each other."

She was granted a six-month marriage visa, after which she can apply to stay for another two years before she can apply to stay in the country with her husband permanently.

"The main thing is that we are together," said John. "I think we will be together all our lives. Our feelings are so strong because we've spent so long apart."

Two years to the very day they met, and after an agonising wait to be together, the happy couple finally married at a ceremony at the Gretna Green Anvil Hall.

He said his family have welcomed his new wife with open arms. "They love her." he said. "They think she's a really nice girl, down to earth and a really genuine person."

He said she likes Burnley and is settling in well, but is still getting used to the different way of life.

Tatiana is now studying English at Burnley College, and John joked her English is far better than his Russian.

The couple are looking forward to spending their lives together and have plans to visit some of her relatives in Italy as well as enjoying their first English Christmas as husband and wife.