Special wedding photos capture love that has stood the test of time 

Gong Houbin, 68, and his wife Zeng Xiangzhen, 60, have their photo taken beside their home in Qianjiang, Hubei province. (REN HAONAN / FOR CHINA DAILY)

Last month, a group of university student volunteers from Wuhan, Hubei province, arrived at the home of a couple who have been married for more than 60 years.

The group was taking part in a program launched in 2015 aimed at helping elderly couples fulfill their dreams of having special wedding photos taken. The subjects that day in Chizhou, Anhui province, were Hu Xinlai, 92, and Tang Shuying, 83.

Grandpa Hu is a veteran. When we sat beside him, I felt great respect. The couple’s home is very simple and plain. Their love story is beautiful.

Zhang Yang, freshman at Wuhan University of Engineering Science and volunteer for the Dream Fulfillment Plan, who took this picture

Zhang Yang, the photographer, said: "Grandpa Hu is a veteran of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-53). When he put on an old green military costume we brought along, and we sat beside him, I felt great respect. He also wore several military medals."

"The couple's home is very simple and plain. Their love story is pure and beautiful," Zhang said, adding that taking their photos touched him deeply.

Zhang, 20, a freshman at Wuhan University of Engineering Science, is among the students taking part in the institution's volunteer project, Dream Fulfillment Plan.

Earlier this summer, Zhang and 13 schoolmates traveled to Chizhou to take special wedding photos of 30 elderly couples.

Every winter and summer vacation, volunteers from the university take their own costumes and equipment to rural areas, communities, and nursing homes to take such photos.

Hu Xinlai, 93, and his wife Tang Shuying, 84, pose in Chizhou, Anhui province. (ZHANG YANG / FOR CHINA DAILY)

After the shots are taken, the volunteers print and frame them, before sending them to the couples free of charge. As the students graduate, newcomers join the project.

"I heard about this project as soon as I arrived on campus. I love photography, so I signed up to join," Zhang said.

Last month, 13 groups comprising more than 170 students visited 13 areas, including Qianjiang county, Hubei province, and Danzhai county, Guizhou province.

They took wedding photos for over 300 elderly couples, including Party members, veterans, rural teachers, and inheritors of intangible cultural heritage.

The project's founder, Yu Jinwen, 35, a teacher at Wuhan University of Engineering Science, said that as of last month, the volunteers had taken wedding photos for more than 1,000 couples. They also interviewed their subjects and recorded their love stories.

Xie Xufu, 88, and his wife Yu Shengxiu, 83, pose in Wuxi county, Chongqing. All three pictures were taken earlier this year. (JIN GUOGUO / FOR CHINA DAILY)

No opportunity

The project was inspired by Yu's regret at not having a good photo of his grandfather, who died in 2010.The family searched hard but was unable to find a quality shot. In desperation, Yu resorted to using the photo on his grandfather's ID card as a portrait.

In 2014, Yu led students applying to launch a volunteer service project, and came up with the idea of taking good photographs for the elderly free of charge.

"When these couples were young, there was no opportunity to take wedding photos. We can help them by taking special shots to bring back good memories of their younger days," Yu said.

Initially, he found it difficult to acquire wedding dresses and photographic equipment. However, one of his former classmates, who owned a wedding photography company in Wuhan, donated more than 70 secondhand wedding dresses to the project.

Yu formed the first team, which consisted of 15 volunteers.

The project, which has grown over the years, now comprises 13 groups with a total of 590 volunteers. They have worked in 356 communities and rural areas across 43 cities in 13 provinces nationwide, gaining recognition and appreciation for their work.

Gong Houbin, 68, and his wife Zeng Xiangzhen, 68, pose in Qianjiang, Hubei province. (REN HAONAN / FOR CHINA DAILY)

In 2021, the project won the silver prize at the sixth Chinese Youth Volunteer Service Project Competition.

However, working with elderly couples for photo shoots is not always easy.

Many of them feel uncomfortable in front of the lens, so the volunteers have learned to guide their subjects, helping them adjust their expressions to capture the perfect shots.

From hundreds of shots, they carefully select the two that best portray the couple's happiness with and love for one another.

"For many of these people, the photos are their first good portraits, and may even be their last," Yu said.

For the volunteers and couples, the project has been heartwarming and fulfilling.

Yu said a grandmother once called him. She wept as she told him her husband had died, and that the photos the volunteers took were now essential mementos.

"I realized then that what we're doing is just a small act, but for some elderly people, it's very valuable work," Yu said.

He added that each year brings touching moments, but also regrets. There have been cases where couples planned to have their photos taken, but one of them died before the day assigned for the shoot.

Wang Qingxi, 66, chats with his wife Jin Wenxiu, 65, in Danzhai, Guizhou province. (XU TINGWEI / FOR CHINA DAILY)

Stories shared

Gong Houbin and Zeng Xiangzhen married in 1975. Gong, a teacher, supported the family financially, while Zeng took care of household chores.

During their photo shoot in Qianjiang county, Hubei, the couple shared stories from their youth, with Gong saying he saved up for a long time to buy Zeng a pair of fashionable nylon stockings.

"I remember it was a pair of blue stockings. At that time, nylon stockings were more expensive than cotton ones," Zeng said.

Dressed in a suit, Gong stood beside Zeng, who wore a white wedding gown. He said he hoped she stayed in good health so that they could spend the rest of their lives together.

The Dream Fulfillment Plan has not only made elderly couples' dreams come true — but it has strengthened young university students' views on love and relationships.

Zhao Chen, 21, a junior student taking part in the program for the second consecutive year, said, "We get to know about the commitment and loyalty these couples have toward each other despite the hardships they have faced in life."

Over 14 days last month, Zhao and 13 other team members took photos for 34 elderly couples in Qianjiang.

"The program made us reflect on our own lives and choices in love," Zhao said.

Last year, Zhao visited Zhao Xinguo and Li Luanjiao in Huangmei county, Huanggang, Hubei.

Gong Houbin and his wife Zeng Xiangzhen pose for a volunteer. (REN HAONAN / FOR CHINA DAILY)

The couple display their wedding photos, taken by the volunteers in 2019, prominently in their home. The photos capture Zhao Xinguo, dressed in a black suit, gazing affectionately at his wife, who is seated in a wheelchair and wearing a beautiful white wedding dress.

Zhao Chen said: "When they got married in 1974, the dowry consisted of only two kilograms of candy. Li was a teacher, while her husband was an ordinary soldier. Despite objections from Li's family, she was determined to marry Zhao.

"Later, when Li became ill, Zhao took care of her."

In a letter of thanks he wrote to the university, Zhao Xinguo stated: "We're very touched that these students care about elderly people like us. My wife is cheerful, and she enjoyed chatting with the young people. It was the first time that she wore makeup".

The students have witnessed love that has stood the test of time — whether it be through surviving wars, natural disasters, or leading a simple life together. This has taught the young people the true meaning of commitment.

One of the volunteers, Chen Jiali, recalled a particularly touching moment during the project when the students photographed a couple who worked as sanitation workers.

"They had a traditional marriage in which they rarely expressed their love and affection for each other. However, with our encouragement, the man finally held his wife's hand to say 'I love you'. She shed tears of happiness," Chen said.

Volunteers prepare a photo shoot for Zhong Guoshu, 67, and his wife Li Zhengju, 63, in Wuxi county, Chongqing. (WANG QIAN / FOR CHINA DAILY)

Ripple effect

Some of the volunteers have found love themselves through the Dream Fulfillment Plan by meeting their future spouses.

Chen believes that this ripple effect of love and happiness is influenced by the elderly couples' views on love and marriage. She has also been moved by the love shown by the older generation.

"Many of them we photograph were soldiers. At our age, they left their homeland to defend their country. Some were lucky to return after the war, but others never came back," she said.

"I saw or read about these wars in television dramas and books. The experience of meeting these veterans face to face had a deep effect on me."

Chen believes that by listening to the seniors' experiences and learning from them, she can learn to approach life's challenges calmly and rationally.

It is the third time Chen has taken part in the project. She previously traveled to Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province, and Shaoshan, Hunan province.

This year, she went to Danzhai, Guizhou, with a total of 14 freshmen and sophomores. The team was divided into six groups responsible for photography, videography, writing, makeup, operations and props.

With support from the local Youth League Committee, over a 15-day period, the team took wedding photos for 29 couples who are 50 or older.

Yu Jinwen, founder of the Dream Fulfillment Plan. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Chen said the unique cultural heritage and natural beauty of the places they visited added to the project's charm.

"The contentment of people living amid the mountains had a healing effect on everyone involved," Chen said, adding that she wants to continue taking part in the project.

Zhao Chen expressed the same desire, adding that the growth and personal development experienced through volunteering have far exceeded his expectations.

He believes that by learning from the older generation's selflessness and dedication, young people can find inspiration and motivation for their own studies, work and personal lives.

The first time Zhao Chen took part in the project last summer, he led a group to Huangmei — taking the initiative to contact the county authorities and elderly couples.

"I was rejected three times before finally getting a reply from the county. It is not an easy task, as during the summer vacation, numerous university volunteer teams across the country try to obtain support from local authorities," he said.

There were many other challenges, including the need to overcome language barriers to communicate with seniors who only spoke dialects, as well as arranging accommodations and logistics support for members of the group.

Zhao Chen, who is studying early childhood education, wants to become a teacher like Yu Jinwen, the project founder, and also wishes to continue doing volunteer work.

Yu feels that joining the volunteer team has transformed Zhao Chen into a more outgoing person.

"Leading the team to an unfamiliar small county, he efficiently organized the group's schedule and encouraged other members," Yu said.

Yu hopes the project can continue to flourish and benefit more students and seniors.

New themes have been explored for the photo shoots, Yu said. Over the next five years, it is planned to take photos of elderly couples from China's 56 ethnic groups in their traditional costumes, in addition to the regular wedding photos.

Yu said funding for the project is limited, and the team members often use their winnings from various competitions and financial support received from local youth leagues. Sometimes, they have to dip into their own pockets.

"However, we have never charged the seniors a single penny," Yu stressed.

The volunteers have turned down offers of sponsorship from companies. To avoid attracting excessive attention, they refrain from using social media platforms.

"We hope to continue doing our work steadfastly and show our respect and love for the elderly through voluntary service," Yu said.

Contact the writers at zhangxiaomin@chinadaily.com.cn