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In my phone album, I’ve always kept a wedding photo, even when my phone’s memory was full and I needed to delete pictures, I could never bear to part with this one.
The subjects of the photo are an elderly couple with silvery hair. The old woman is wearing a pristine white wedding gown, a silver crown on her head, holding pink-and-white roses, while the elegantly dressed old man stands beside her.
Facing each other, they gaze deeply into each other’s eyes. The old man gently lifts the old woman’s chin with his left hand, his eyes filled with adoration. The old woman, on the other hand, smiles with pure innocence, her smile blooming like a delicate flower in her lover’s hands, surpassing the beauty of the roses she holds.
Though youth has faded, you’re still willing to dress up for me, and I’m still willing to don the bridal gown for you.
For some reason, every time I look at this picture, I am deeply moved.
Time has passed, and she has gained weight, her hair turned gray, and wrinkles have etched themselves around her eyes, but none of it diminishes her beauty or the way she smiles at him like a naïve little girl.
Many people may love your youthful exuberance,
Admire your beauty, sincerely or not,
But only one person loves your devoted soul,
And the wrinkles on your aging face.
This photo is the real-life embodiment of When You Are Old , a single image telling the story of love’s power and time’s gentleness.
It’s common to be surrounded by admirers when young and beautiful; it’s rare to have someone stay by your side as you age.
What’s precious in life is that even when you grow old and lose your youthful looks, you can still be a little girl in front of someone.
Time is merciless; people will age, but love does not.
This wedding photo makes me imagine what Lin Zhiyi and I will look like when we grow old. Because of him, I’ve never been afraid of time or aging. In fact, I even look forward to the day we both have silver hair.
I sent this photo to Lin Zhiyi and said, “When we grow old, we can take a set of wedding photos like this.”
“Why wait until we’re old? If you want, we can take them every year.”
“Taking them every year would be too tiring. We can choose meaningful days, like our tenth wedding anniversary or our twentieth anniversary of falling in love.”
“No problem. Tell me where you want to go, and I’ll arrange it.”
So, on our tenth wedding anniversary, we took two sets of wedding photos.
When we got married, we didn’t have a wedding ceremony or a honeymoon, just a marriage certificate obtained on September 9, 2009.
There were regrets, especially when I attended friends’ weddings and teared up watching the bride and groom exchange vows. I regretted that my memories of love didn’t include Lin Zhiyi publicly vowing to me or me crying under the veil.
Originally, for our tenth anniversary, Lin Zhiyi planned to throw me a romantic beach wedding so I could experience being publicly blessed.
Later, I realized that love is always between two people; why prove anything with a wedding or make vows to others? So, we decided to commemorate our love another way: traveling together and taking wedding photos.
During the 2019 National Day holiday, we went to Turkey, fulfilling one item on our dream list: “Watch the sunrise in a hot air balloon with someone you love.” The next day, I donned my bridal gown, and he put on his formal wear. Under the warm autumn sunlight, we stood side by side, gazing at Cappadocia’s unique golden valleys, more determined than ever to spend the rest of our lives together.
Our wedding photographer was named Wei Yi. She said she had taken wedding photos for many couples, but we were the most loving and tacit pair she’d ever seen. I felt fortunate, grateful to have met such a good partner in this life.
Looking back at these wedding photos, Lin Zhiyi and I were pleasantly surprised. We even felt that this set surpassed the ones we took ten years ago when we first got married.
“How about we take another set of wedding photos by the sea while I’m still fit from working out? It’ll be like giving you a belated beach wedding,” Lin Zhiyi suggested.
I couldn’t help but imagine a blue coastline stretching to the horizon, a pure white wedding dress echoing the clouds in the sky, a pair of lovers standing at the edge of the world, holding hands and gazing at each other… Capturing such eternal vows in a photograph would be incredibly romantic!
Thinking about it, I readily agreed to Lin Zhiyi’s proposal.
So, when we went to Sanya for the Spring Festival holiday, we took another set of wedding photos by the sea.
By some strange fate, the photographer who helped us in Turkey was named “Wei Yi,” and the photography studio in Sanya was called “Not Two.”
Lin Zhiyi said, “It’s either the only one or the unparalleled one. This life, you’re destined never to escape my grasp.”
We scheduled our wedding photo shoot for January 22, 2020, which phonetically sounds like “Love you, love you, want to love.” At the time, we had no idea of the major events that would unfold the next day, nor did we know that January 23 would become a day etched in the nation’s memory. From that day on, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wuhan began its lockdown, and the entire country entered a phase of epidemic prevention, closing all tourist attractions. From that day forward, everyone stayed home, and lifestyles changed.
January 23 became a watershed moment. From that day on, people’s moods shifted from the joy of celebrating the Spring Festival to the daily anxiety over the pandemic. Reflecting on our photo session that day, January 22 felt like a stolen day, a skylight opened by heaven.
Thanks to heaven’s favor, the day before our confinement, we spent a blissful day traveling and taking photos by the sea.
Looking back, that experience remains a happy and beautiful memory. If I didn’t record it, it would feel like squandering heaven’s kindness.
That day was a bright, sunny one. While the north was freezing cold, Sanya in Hainan was in the midst of summer. At ten in the morning, our family of three, along with the photographer, makeup artist, and prop master, boarded Phoenix Island.
The theme of our first set of wedding photos was “Sky Meets Sea,” shot at the infinity pool on Phoenix Island.
Standing at the edge of the pool closest to the sea, the photographer lay on the opposite side of the pool, directing our poses.
“Beautiful lady, smile.”
Alright, keep smiling.
“Beautiful lady, turn your back to me!”
Turn my back? Oh, alright. I turned around, and Lin Zhiyi, holding my hand, turned with me.
“Beautiful lady, lie down.”
Hmm, something seems off. How can I lie down in a wedding dress?
Just as I was puzzled, I heard the photographer shout across the pool, “Listen to me! Not him!”
We then realized we had followed the wrong instructions. The previous commands came from another photographer also lying on the opposite side of the pool, photographing a beautiful woman nearby. The pool was so large that we couldn’t easily distinguish whose commands we were hearing, leading to the mix-up.
The “true beauty” lay by the poolside, wearing a long, thin cotton shirt, with a black bikini subtly visible underneath. Her reclining pose, wet body enhancing her allure, was incredibly sexy.
So, when the other photographer said, “Beautiful lady, lie down,” he was addressing her. And indeed, she lay down, going all out for the perfect shot!
Recalling how we followed the wet beauty’s photographer’s instructions, we felt both embarrassed and amused.
“Our photographer also calls me a beautiful lady, which made it easy to get confused,” I laughed.
“Perhaps ‘beautiful lady’ is the photographers’ jargon for any woman being photographed,” Lin Zhiyi said.
Fortunately, later, when the photographer gave new commands, he referred to us as boy and girl, avoiding further awkwardness.
I remembered that during our three wedding photo sessions, the photographers addressed us differently. Ten years ago, during our first wedding photo session, the photographer called us husband and wife, issuing commands like, “Husband, look at your wife and smile; if she looks beautiful, it depends on your smile.” During the travel shoot in Turkey, photographer Wei Yi used our names, instructing, “Dà Lín, kiss Dà Níng’s forehead, and Dà Níng, keep smiling.” But now, the current photographer initially called us handsome guy and beautiful lady, and after the mix-up, switched to boy and girl. Judging from these titles, it seemed we were getting younger with each passing year.
“Boy, lift the girl,” the photographer commanded.
The photographer wanted Lin Zhiyi to lift me?
“The photographer probably wants you to cradle the bride, showcasing your boyfriend power,” I said.
“Doesn’t the photographer see the bride’s weight?” Lin Zhiyi joked.
“...”
The photographer repeated, “Boy, lift the girl. It’ll look great, trust me.”
Lin Zhiyi waved his hand, saying, “Maybe not. It’s too slippery here; I’m afraid she might accidentally fall into the water, and she can’t swim.”
So, it wasn’t that he didn’t want to lift me or couldn’t lift me—it was because he cared about my safety above all else!
After the photographer finished taking our couple shots, Xinbao, who had been waiting on the sidelines, stepped in. The photographer asked her to sit by the pool, but she refused, fearing her clothes would get wet: “No!”
Photographs are the photographer’s artistic creation. During the shoot, the photographer acts as the director, and the models as actors. The photographer guides the models to pose, striving to create the desired image. Who knows what the photographer thought when his creative requests were rejected by the two main subjects.
“Three people, turn sideways, stand in a row, Dad in front.” The photographer gave us a simpler pose. With Xinbao joining in, Lin Zhiyi immediately upgraded from “boy” to “dad.”
“Dad, make a gesture as if leading the whole family.”
“Dad, take bigger strides; bend your knees, okay?”
“Excuse me, sir by the railing, could you move a bit?”
The photographer’s last command suddenly broke the scene. We turned to look at the railing by the sea, where an elderly man stood calmly gazing at the ocean.
Upon hearing the photographer’s request, the elderly man obligingly moved aside. Lin Zhiyi thanked him: “Thank you, sir.”
After finishing the “Sky Meets Sea” set, the photographer showed me the photos on the camera. In the images, I wore a fishtail white wedding gown, and Lin Zhiyi wore a white vertical-striped suit. We stood side by side, holding hands, gazing into each other’s eyes. Sky and sea blended into one, making it seem as if we were standing in the middle of the ocean, our reflections mirrored on the water’s surface. Indeed, the photos were somewhat deceptive—there was no hint that they were taken by the pool.
“The ambiance is quite beautiful, except for my weight; there are no other issues,” I said.
“Tell me, how slim do you want to be? I can Photoshop you into an ant!” the photographer said seriously.
We burst into laughter at his words.
The photography team this time, aside from the makeup artist who was a girl, consisted of male photographers and prop masters, all hailing from Northeast China.
The prop master had a buzz cut and a small beard. Due to long-term stays in Sanya, his skin had turned a deep bronze.
He was not only responsible for handling props and arranging the wedding gown’s train but also tasked with making us laugh. Whenever he opened his mouth, his northeastern accent came out thick, paired with exaggerated expressions, creating quite a comedic effect.
“Smile! Hahaha!”
“Happiness or not depends on this moment.”
“If you smile prettily, it’ll hang on the wall; if not, it’s going to hang in the toilet!”
I have a low threshold for laughter, so whenever the prop master spoke, I couldn’t help but giggle.
Lin Zhiyi said, “I’ve learned some new tricks to make you laugh. I can use them next time when taking your pictures.”
Little did we know that while others were photographing us, my personal photographer Lin Zhiyi was secretly learning the art.
Strangely enough, although Lin Zhiyi and I spend every day together, during the wedding photo shoot, we felt a sense of freshness towards each other. Perhaps it was due to the elaborate dressing up or the dense intimate interactions throughout the day. Who would have thought that taking wedding photos could enhance our feelings!
During the shoot, we were either holding hands or embracing, touching noses as if about to kiss, or gazing into each other’s eyes and smiling. The entire day felt like we were acting in a romantic island idol drama.
In the morning, we finished two sets of outfits on Phoenix Island. In the afternoon, we headed to the “End of the Earth” scenic area, which was right by the sea, allowing us to get even closer to the ocean.
Not far from the entrance of the scenic area was a large floral arrangement spelling out “2020.” Such an “ABAB” year occurs only once every 101 years, truly a rare occurrence in a century.
“Tomorrow is the flower exhibition, and there will be many people. We won’t be able to shoot then,” the photographer said.
“We were just lucky—not too early, not too late, just right,” I said.
At that moment, we were completely unaware that due to the sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the flower exhibition couldn’t take place, and the scenic area would be closed. Looking back later, everything felt especially fortunate that day.
The photographer suggested waiting until sunset to take the wedding photos, starting with casual wear first. I changed into a white T-shirt and sky-blue skirt, while Lin Zhiyi switched to a white T-shirt and sky-blue shirt. Our outfits perfectly matched the blue and white hues of the sky and sea.
Changing into casual clothes made us feel more relaxed, enhancing the vacation atmosphere. It felt as if we weren’t here to take pictures but to enjoy a holiday, incidentally having someone capture these moments for us.
All around us was the azure sea and sky, sunlit sandy beaches. We lay in hammocks by the beach, with Xinbao sitting on a nearby swing. The sound of waves crashing against the rocks mingled with the occasional cry of seabirds, while sunlight filtered through the coconut tree shadows onto my beloved’s gentle face. Such moments were both leisurely and delightful.
The photographer had us sit side by side on the swing, calling it a “flying together.” He positioned us between two coconut trees by the sea, facing the ocean, holding hands and gazing at each other, as if vowing to walk through life together before the vast ocean.
The photographer then had Lin Zhiyi lie down in the hammock, pretending to sleep, while I stood beside him, teasing him by touching his nose. Gazing at his feigned sleeping profile, I recalled how I was once captivated by his handsome side profile. At that moment, I couldn’t resist reaching out to touch his face. When he turned to look at me, we locked eyes, as if peering into each other’s souls, forging a lifelong bond.
Back then, we were still in university. I was a sophomore, and he was a senior. One day, we went shopping downtown and took the bus back to campus. Sitting side by side in the back seat of the bus, I glanced at him. The streetlamp’s light fell perfectly on his profile, leaving me mesmerized and smitten. Without thinking, I reached out to touch his cheek, disregarding any girlish reserve. My fingertips brushed against his stubble, accelerating my heartbeat and flushing my cheeks. He turned to look at me, and our eyes met. Every time I recall that moment, the night always feels especially tender.
Once, while reminiscing about our campus days, Lin Zhiyi brought up this memory and asked me, “Why did you touch my face when we were on the bus?”
I suspected he was asking knowingly—it was obviously because I found the young man attractive and captivating!
I replied, “Affection!”
“No! That’s called flirting! We weren’t officially dating yet!” Lin Zhiyi said.
“And now?” I provocatively touched his face again.
He said, enjoying the moment, “Caress!”
Looking back now, the memories are vivid, as if time never passed. Time flows second by second, and we gradually grow older. We seem to have changed, yet remain the same. Time easily leaves us behind, changing times and spaces, transitioning from campus to family, from lovers to spouses.
Although time may bring change and role transitions, what remains constant is the love we hold for each other in our hearts.
“The two of you match so well; it’s like we’re shooting an idol drama,” the photographer remarked while taking pictures.
“It’s rare for people in their thirties to still be acting in an idol drama,” I said.
“The key is, the main characters in this idol drama haven’t changed,” Lin Zhiyi said.
I smiled knowingly.
I used to think idol dramas were exclusive to teenage girls, but later I realized that as long as you’re willing, you can forever be the protagonist of an idol drama. The premise is that two people in love regard each other as idols in their hearts.
While we were taking photos, the makeup artist accompanied Xinbao, who was happily playing in the sand on the beach.
To reflect the transition from a couple to a family of three, every time Lin Zhiyi and I took wedding photos, we included Xinbao. After finishing the couple shots, Xinbao joined in for family portraits. This way, not only do we record the growth of our love, but also the changes in our family and the growth of our child within it. Flipping through the album, you’d see Xinbao growing from a short-haired toddler held in our arms to a ponytailed little girl running with us by the sea.
Once Xinbao joined, the vibe changed drastically—from a “Love Story on the Island” to “I Love My Family.”
The gentle waves caressed the sandy beach, the sea breeze tousled our hair, and hand in hand, we ran along the beach.
Perhaps finding the scene too artistic and not lively enough, the photographer suddenly had an idea: he asked Lin Zhiyi to pose like Superman taking off, capturing the moment he flew toward me and Xinbao.
Lin Zhiyi was very cooperative. As soon as the photographer shouted “Fly—”, he mimicked Superman’s iconic flying action towards us.
However, he didn’t fly smoothly and ended up face-first in the sand, getting a mouthful of it.
Everyone burst into laughter.
“How does Mr. Lin look a bit like Harry Potter?” the photographer said.
I laughed, “Previously, during our wedding photo shoots, one photographer said he looked like Bae Yong-joon, another said he resembled Huang Xuan. How did he turn into Harry Potter now? Every time we take wedding photos, it feels like I’ve changed husbands.”
“Next time, find someone to style me after ten different celebrities, giving you ten husbands to choose from.”
Lin Zhiyi said.
“You’re highly versatile! What a waste not to be an actor,” the photographer joked.
“Is it too late to start acting now?” Lin Zhiyi teased.
“Not at all, you can start as a supporting actor!” I said.
“Forget it, I’m already a great leading man. Why go be someone else’s supporting actor?”
“What leading role?” I asked.
“Your leading man,” he said.
I softly laughed.
At that moment, even the sea breeze turned gentle, as if whispering softly.
For the final set of wedding photos, the photographer chose to shoot at dusk. By then, the sky was bathed in pink and orange hues from the setting sun, and the sea had shifted from a light blue to an orange-blue.
Under the soft twilight, walking hand in hand with the person I’ve loved for over a decade by the seaside, I felt that he was even gentler than the twilight itself. I traveled across the galaxy to join one person in growing old together. My attachment to this world is solely because you are in it.
On the beach bathed in the slanting rays of the setting sun, a pair of lovers held hands, gazing at each other. On the other side of the sea stood a lighthouse. The scene was strikingly similar to the cover of the book I brought—Seeing Mountains as Mountains, Seeing Water as Water, Seeing You as My Whole World . This book tells the story of Lin Zhiyi and me traveling the world together, and I wanted to take this book around the globe with us.
I particularly liked the cover design where a heart-shaped puddle appears on the beach, reflecting the image of the couple kissing. So, I hoped the photographer could recreate this scene in reality.
The photographer said that capturing reflections in water is akin to a mirror effect, not difficult, but requiring favorable weather conditions. We needed to wait for the tide to recede momentarily, for the small puddle in front of us to regain its calm, windless surface.
We stood on the rocks, holding each other’s hands, maintaining our poses. The waves crashed against the rocks, ceaselessly echoing.
As the sun slowly sank, inching closer to the horizon, the tides naturally rose and fell.
Before the sun dipped into the sea, the photographer quickly snapped the shutter, locking the image of us standing hand in hand under the twilight into the frame.
The small puddle never fully calmed, and the photographer ultimately captured only a blurry reflection in the water.
I said, “This shoot was nearly perfect, but the unclear reflection is a bit of a pity.”
The photographer said, “Because of Mother Nature, every couple has a unique set of wedding photos. Even if outfits overlap, the weather won’t. Each shoot is different—the cloud layers, sunsets, and ripples in the water create different effects.”
Upon hearing the photographer’s words, I felt reassured, even finding the photos more precious. Just like during our trip to Turkey, the wind was so strong that I shivered, and sand blew into my mouth, but the wind also billowed the satin wedding dress. Thus, the photographer said it was the first time she captured that dress being blown up by the wind. Different weather conditions mean even the same dress will produce varied results.
This reminded me of love. While every couple’s journey of falling in love may seem similar—starting from liking each other to being together—each person’s personality, background, and interests differ, resulting in unique relationship dynamics.
As the sun fully descended into the sea, our seaside wedding journey drew to a perfect close.
Gazing at the orange glow in the distant sky, holding hands with my beloved, the passage of time felt incredibly gentle.
“In the evening, I write a letter, carrying the sunset’s afterglow and the romance of the Milky Way.
Sent to you, sent to gentleness itself.”
No wonder someone penned such moving lines. Standing with my beloved at dusk, I wished to share this singular romance and tenderness with the entire universe, reaching the softest corners of everyone’s hearts.
Happy times always pass swiftly, and the day slipped away in the blink of an eye. Despite our reluctance, we had to bid farewell to the clouds in the western sky.
I couldn’t help but wonder—is a day also a microcosm of a lifetime? And isn’t a happy life simply about—walking hand in hand from dawn to dusk, from youth to old age, with someone by your side?
Every girl dreams of love in her youth and imagines herself in a wedding dress. I was no exception in my teenage years.
Once, while sorting through old belongings back home, I found an old photo album containing a wedding portrait taken when I was sixteen. With time having passed so long, I couldn’t recall the circumstances under which that portrait was taken. Ancient customs dictate that at fifteen, a girl reaches the age of笄 (hairpin), symbolizing her transformation from maiden to woman. Could it be that taking that photo was a gift to myself during those blossoming years?
Did the young Dà Níng, clad in a wedding gown and hugging a plush cat doll, fantasize about her future partner? She probably couldn’t imagine that her other half would come from the distant southwest, let alone that she would don a wedding dress three times for him!
Lin Zhiyi said that on every special anniversary, he would accompany me in taking wedding photos, continuing until we are both gray-haired.
By the time I am old, perhaps I can say that although I never had a wedding ceremony, I might be the bride who wore a wedding dress the most times.
Actually, among the photos we took, I prefer the casual blue-and-white outfit shots over the white wedding gown photos. The wedding photos carry a sense of ritual for the bride and groom, while the casual couple photos depict the everyday romance of husband and wife. This is the life we face day in and day out. If life is a play, a wedding requires only a day’s role-playing, but daily life demands sincere performances.
Every girl fears aging, but when someone starts calling you “wife,” you suddenly stop fearing growing old. Imagine—if you age a little, his love for you increases a bit. Would you still worry about aging?
Our skin cannot defy gravity, but love is universal gravitation—only love can counteract aging.
If one day, when you grow old and frail, the person you love is still by your side, listening to you recount your shared beautiful memories, that is perhaps one of life’s greatest blessings.
Time ages, but with you, love does not.
Nineteen years ago in September, a branch of osmanthus initiated a sweet love journey.
Twelve years ago in September, a ring embarked us on a blissful marriage journey.
We met in the candy-sweet September, and in the ensuing years, you filled my basket with love candies.
Let me tell you a secret—I want to be a diligent little bee, collecting more sweets you give me: those moments that make me smile and bring genuine joy deep within.
When life treats me unfairly, I’ll savor them—
Realizing how much life has favored me!
When I’m old and forgetful, I’ll hold them in my hands—realizing my youth wasn’t wasted!
Because you watch sunrises and sunsets with me,
Because you traverse countless rivers and mountains with me,
I’ve never felt the passage of time to be long.
You accompanied me from campus to wedding gown,
From a couple to a family of three,
And I wish to accompany you from black hair to white hair.
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