Benedict Cumberbatch, the geek-chic star of BBC’s Sherlock and recent blockbuster thriller Imitation Game, married theater director Sophie Hunter at a quiet ceremony on the Isle of Wight on Valentine’s Day. Reactions on social media suggested that the couple’s union has ruined the heart-filled holiday for many a desolate fan.

The couple married at St. Peter and St. Paul Church on the island about 4 miles off the south coast of England, attended by a small gathering of family and friends. They met while both working on the 2009 film Burlesque Fairytales, and dated for about a year before becoming engaged. They announced their engagement the old-fashioned way, by posting a classified ad in the British newspaper The Times in November 2014.

Hunter, something of a Renaissance woman in the realm of theater, is also an opera director, playwright, actress, and singer. She received the Samuel Beckett award for her avant-garde play The Terrific Electric in 2007. Cumberbatch, who rocketed to stardom with his modern-day portrayal of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes, has won multiple awards for both acting and personal appeal. He was voted “The Sexiest Man in England” two years running by UK magazine The Sun. He is currently in the running for the best actor award at the Oscars, which will be held on February 22.

Reactions to the heartthrob’s marriage showed the depths of fans’ attachment. “BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH GOT MARRIED TODAY MY LIFE IS OVER,” lamented twitter user @deanseyfthale. Another user, @stephcatarino, reported that she was “spending my Valentines Day crying over the fact that Benedict Cumberbatch is officially married,” having at least the grace to add the hashtag, “#butihopetheyarehappy”.