Joshua Donn proposed to his now fiancee Sharn Milliken during their graduation photos at the University of Otago on Wednesday.
The pair graduated at the same ceremony and Mr Donn felt it was the perfect opportunity to pop the question.
"When I figured out we'd graduate at the same time and we were in the same ceremony, that's when I thought that would be a really cool way to propose," Mr Donn said.
They met in Hamilton where they worked together in the same lab.
Ms Milliken, on the other hand, had other ideas at the time.
"I actually tried to hook him up with my friend because I thought he was really lovely.
"And then a year later we started dating," she said.
They moved to Dunedin together after just three months of dating as they both wanted to do their masters. They had now been together for three years.
Mr Donn said he had been planning the proposal for over a year and bought the ring a "couple months" before their graduation.
"She's been dragging me into jewellery stores to look at rings for a while, so I think she was expecting it."
Ms Milliken’s entire family came for what she thought was just their graduation.
"Everyone knew but me.
"He even flew my best friend down from Auckland.
"I was a bit suspicious because she surprised me on the day and I was like ‘oh, that's a big effort for my graduation’," Ms Milliken said.
Although she knew the proposal was coming, she did not expect it to happen that day.
"She's been glowing the last two days, she's been so happy.
"I’m pretty happy, to be honest," Mr Donn said.
Mr Donn works in the pathology lab at Dunedin Hospital and Ms Milliken works in the biochemistry department at Awanui Labs.
Ms Milliken said she "can’t wait to get married" and hopes to have the "biggest wedding".
