A wedding photo of Shi Youhe and his wife, Wang Xiuming, taken by the college students.[Photo provided to China Daily]

The couple were among four who had their wedding photos taken by the college students for free during summer break.

"Wedding photos are a way for married couples to record their love," Yin said. "But many seniors don't have any because they couldn't afford to, or for other reasons.

"We noticed that divorce rates are rising rapidly in China, and domestic violence cases are also reported from time to time. We wanted more people to remember the beauty of love and the feeling of being loved by taking pictures of these happily married people."

The students selected the four couples they photographed on the recommendations of schoolmates, relatives and other couples in Nanjing.

They bought wedding dresses and suits for each of them and went to their homes to take their pictures, as some were over 80 years old.

Yin said some of the husbands and wives looked a little shy when dressed in their new outfits. They checked themselves in front of mirrors several times before being photographed and held each other tightly during the photo shoot.

"It was hot when we took the pictures," Yin said. "But the men would wipe their wives' brows before their own. There are so many little details like this that show the love between them."

He said the aim of the photographs is to teach young people the value of a healthy, loving relationship.

"That is the kind of love I want to have," Yin added.

Guo Jun contributed to this story.