World's shortest couple from Brazil with combined heights of 5'8'' gets engaged after eight years of love

The world's shortest couple have got engaged, eight years after social media brought them together. 

Katyucia Hoshino and Paulo Gabriel da Silva Barros, from Brazil, both have forms of dwarfism and measure a combined five feet and eight inches.

Paulo, 30, popped the question in front of friends during a sushi dinner. Katyucia, 27, made sure he wasn't joking before accepting with a huge grin on her face.

Katyucia and Paulo, who stand at 35.2 inches and 34.8 inches respectively, hope to enter the Guinness book of world records once they tie the knot - thus becoming the world's shortest married couple.

The title currently belongs to another Brazilian couple: 46-year-old Douglas Maistre Breger da Silva and 43-year-old Claudia Pereira Rocha. They measure 35 inches and 36 inches respectively and got married 18 years ago.

Paulo and Katyucia, met on a social media website and started chatting on MSN Messenger.

It was love at first sight for Paulo, who has a rare genetic condition called diastrophic dysplasia dwarfism.

'I found her very beautiful from the first moment I saw her,' he said.

But Katyucia didn't reciprocate and at first blocked him on the instant messaging site.

She has achondroplasia dwarfism, a condition that affects bone growth.

'The first time I started talking to Paulo, he was really annoying. He had cheap-pick up lines,' Katyucia said.

Paulo, who works as a legal secretary, said: 'She thought I was trying to flirt but I was just being nice. According to her I was a really boring guy.'

That would have been the end of the matter, if Katyucia hadn't suddenly decided to unblock him 18 months later. 

Now, Paulo and Katyucia have started planning their ceremony, not long after Paulo summoned the courage to pop the question.

He told Katyucia ahead of time that he would take her out for dinner. 

'I'm super nervous,' Paulo said beforehand. 'Everything I researched, everything I planned on saying... I am going to forget it.

'I am going to do what my heart tells me. Everything is going to be improvised.'

Their friends didn't know ahead of time that they were about to witness a proposal.

All were sharing sushi when Paulo began: 'As everyone knows, we've been together for eight years, between living together and dating.

'And we haven't gotten married yet. And since you are friends that have accompanied our journey for a long time I wanted to share this with you and ask her to marry me.'

Katyucia had a startled look on her face during his monologue. She asked him if he was serious and jokingly checked if he had a fever.

Then, once she made sure Paulo meant every word, she finally replied: 'Of course I do!'

Their friends cooed and one of them burst into tears. Katyucia, who said she felt 'shocked' after the proposal, urged everyone to clink their glasses.

She and Paulo have tasted food in preparation for their big day and Katyucia has begun trying on wedding gowns.

The smitten couple are open to the possibility of children in the future - although it may be difficult for Katyucia to carry a baby full-term because of her size.

She said: 'We've discussed having kids. My pregnancy would be high risk because the size of my uterus wouldn't support a baby.

'We've decided to let things happen at the right moment. In regards to the future we say: "Never say never."'

She added: 'In terms of personal goals, I want to one day get married, I want us to have our own house and have our own dogs. Whether we have kids or not, I want to be happy, that's what I want.' 

Source:dailymail