A couple refused to let waist-deep water get in the way of their wedding as they tied the knot in a flooded Catholic church.
Leian Lieza Galang was forced to wade through murky brown water in her white wedding dress as she walked down the aisle of St. John the Baptist Church in Hagonoy, Philippines, on Tuesday.
Bizarre footage shows the bride holding a bouquet of white flowers as she carefully makes her way through the flooded church, seemingly unfazed by the water around her.
The pews were empty, but decorated with plastic flowers in an attempt to make the ceremony as normal as possible despite the extraordinary circumstances.
Leian and her groom, Gilbert Chico, both in their 30s, were eventually pronounced husband and wife by the pastor in an abbreviated ceremony in the late morning.
Wedding photographer Mikko Rey Alfonso said the parish had urged the couple to postpone their big day as the waters continued to rise, but they were determined to go ahead.
‘The parish had advised them to postpone the wedding due to the rising water upstream. It was their decision to continue,” he told reporters.
The church had been partially flooded for almost a month after weeks of heavy rain.
A couple refused to let waist-deep water hinder their wedding as they tied the knot in a flooded Catholic church
Bizarre footage shows the bride holding a bouquet of white flowers as she carefully makes her way through the flooded church, seemingly unfazed by the water around her
Leian Lieza Galang was forced to wade through murky brown water in her white wedding dress as she walked down the aisle of St. John the Baptist Church in Hagonoy
A video clip of the wedding posted on the parish’s Facebook page showed the bride being embraced by her parents, who also braved the flood waters on the special day.
“Because they wanted to make it a success, we, the servants of the parish, did our best to make it a special day for them,” Alfonso said.
Heavier than usual seasonal monsoon rains hit the northern third of the mainly Catholic archipelago in August, triggering landslides and flash floods that killed 34 people, according to the latest official figures.
‘They love each other. Nothing could stop their union,” Alfonso said.
A video clip of the wedding posted on the parish’s Facebook page showed the bride being embraced by her parents, who also braved the flood waters on the special day.
Another striking image showed a young boy wearing the couple’s wedding rings as he waded down the aisle with water reaching his waist.
The bride had arrived at the church aboard a rickshaw with a raised chassis, which allowed her to keep her dress pristine until she entered the flooded courtyard.
She even had the train of her wedding dress shortened so she could walk safely through the water, Alfonso said.
Fewer than fifteen people attended the unusual ceremony.
