Zhang Beili, 25, a teacher of English in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, decided to have her wedding ceremony on schedule without the bridegroom on June 5 as he was working on the rescue site in Jianli, a county in the province.

Hu Feng, 29, a soldier of the Armed Police, prepared the wedding at home and asked his bride Zhang for permission to let him join his team on June 1 when he learned that they were going to help in the search-and-rescue operation.

Hu Feng and his comrades went to the site on June 2 and worked around the clock. He even had no time to make a phone call to his bride.

She knew her bridegroom could not come back for their wedding ceremony on June 5 as the rescue work was still continuing, and decided to hold a bride-only wedding.

"I had no time to postpone the wedding as our relatives had come for the ceremony, I held a bride-only wedding and I know my bridegroom and our relatives would understand me," Zhang said.

Ma Lie contributed to the story