A couple in the Philippines tied the knot on Tuesday inside a Catholic church submerged in floodwaters, defying the odds as heavy rains continued to batter the region.
Leian Lieza Galang, dressed in an off-shoulder white gown and clutching a bouquet of white blooms, waded through murky waters inside Saint John the Baptist church in Hagonoy town to marry Gilbert Chico. The groom, in full formal attire, said, “We were in complete uniform. We did not mind that our gown and coat got soaked.”
The parish priest declared the couple husband and wife in a shortened late-morning ceremony. Wedding photographer Mikko Rey Alfonso explained that the parish had advised postponement due to rising floodwaters, but the couple insisted on proceeding. “Since they wanted to see it through, we the servants of the parish did the best we could to make this a special day for them,” Alfonso said.
The church had been partially underwater for nearly a month. Seasonal monsoon rains in August pounded the northern third of the archipelago, causing landslides and flash floods that killed 34 people, according to official figures.
A video posted on the parish’s Facebook page showed the bride embraced by her parents in front of empty seats decorated with plastic flowers. Another image captured a boy carrying wedding rings down the aisle, waist-deep in floodwater.
The couple arrived together in a rickshaw with an elevated chassis, keeping their clothes dry until they stepped into the church courtyard. To help the bride move safely through the water, her gown was altered & shortened. Fewer than 15 guests attended the ceremony.
Chico, who works as a rigger in the Middle East, said the wedding had originally been planned for December. Despite the circumstances, the couple’s determination to wed became a symbol of resilience. “They love each other. Nothing could stop their union,” Alfonso remarked.
