A young couple from South Shields have been confirmed dead following the Manchester Arena attack on Monday night.
The families of Chloe Rutherford, 17, and Liam Curry, 19, announced the pair “wanted to be together forever and now they are.”
The sweethearts were said to be “inseparable” and “beautiful inside and out.”
A joint statement from the relatives of the couple, released by Greater Manchester Police said: “On the night our daughter Chloe died and our son Liam died, their wings were ready but our hearts were not.
“They were perfect in every way for each other and were meant to be. They were beautiful inside and out to ourselves and our families, and they were inseparable.
“Chloe always described herself as ditzy who Liam adored and would do anything for, including dealing with Chloe’s demands for chocolate.
“They lived to go to new places together and explore different cities. They wanted to be together forever and now they are.”
Liam Curry, a former Gateshead College and Northumbria University student, was studying for a degree in sport and exercise science.
His father, Andrew Curry, died aged 49 in March after a long illness.
Mr Curry’s cricket club also paid tribute to the player who had been with them since he was a little boy.
Marsden Cricket Club’s Facebook page said: “Liam has been part of the club from the age of just six and we have all seen him develop into an incredibly strong and mature young man, supporting his family through the loss of his father Andy earlier this year.
“He was developing into a fine cricketer and coach and was undoubtedly going to be part of our first team for many years to come.”
“Chloe, like Liam, was an incredibly strong person, supporting Caroline, Zack and of course Liam through the loss of Andrew.
“Quiet but not shy, she was a pleasure to be with around the club and I am sure she would have become a close friend to all in the years to come.”
The teenagers were among 22 people killed, including an eight-year-old girl, when 22-year-old Salman Abedi detonated his own suicide bomb at an Ariana Grande concert on Monday.