A newlywed couple from northern China have discovered they were pictured together as children at a wedding 20 years ago, long before they formally met, a news website reported.

Wang Ming and Zhu Haiyan from Lushi county in Henan province met in 2011 after they were introduced by mutual friends after Wang returned from military service and Zhu was working at a dentist’s office, Dahe.cn reported.

The pair, married on Sunday, were photographed together at a wedding when they were both five in 1996, Dahe.cn reported.

The picture was taken at the wedding of Zhu’s aunt and uncle. Wang was snapped in the picture as he was passing by.

Zhu is shown in the first photograph as a little girl wearing pink and gazing starry eyed at the bride. The photo was given as a gift by her relatives.

It was not until Zhu invited Wang over to her home for a meal many years later when they were a couple that they discovered the picture in an old photograph album, the report said.