Yao Jie (right) and her husband Qi Xiaoming receive warm blessings from the crowd gathered at their wedding ceremony. (Source: China Daily)

Though it was late, Yao Jie was happy to have her wedding ceremony 11 years after she officially tied the knot.

Standing a mere 1.35 meters tall and suffering from uremia, a toxic condition resulting from renal failure, Yao Jie walked down the aisle on Monday, to the cheers of more than 300 local residents in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

The wedding ceremony was made possible with a donation from local firms.

Qi Xiaoming, 34, the husband, and Yao Jie, 32, the wife, married in 1996, but did not have a ceremony because they could not afford it.

Their story has touched the hearts of many in their community.

"It was incredible that Qi, a 1.75-meter-high smart young man married the tiny Yao, and insisted for years on looking after her, suffering from uremia," Yin Yulan, 79, the couple's neighbor, said.

"For years, I had a dream of wearing wedding clothing and having our wedding and I take it as a gift to my husband who worked and looked after me for years," said Yao Jie, who wanted to leave a memorial time for them own.

On March 31, local media Sanqin Daily reported the love story of the couple and Yao's dream to one day have an official wedding ceremony.

After reading the couple's story, Xi'an Mona Lisa Wedding Photo Studio and Xi'an City Sport Park, offered their financial support, and arranged the wedding in the park.

On the wedding day, Qi Xiaoming once again declared his love for his tiny bride.

"If I could live life over again, and if you were to want me too, I would want you to be my wife," he said.

Qi said he believed their time together was running out.

In 2002, Yao was diagnosed with uremia and doctors gave her one or two months to live.

"Many people were opposed to my decision of getting married with Yao, but I thought looks are not the most important thing. The most important thing is her kindness and love," Qi said.

After marriage 11 years ago, despite being poor, they share a special bond.

"I never wanted to give up on Yao and I never lost hope that I could save her," Qi said.

Editor: Wing