Liean Liza Chico waded through waist-high floodwater to marry Gilbert Chico at a submerged church in the Philippines on Tuesday.
The newlyweds, who exchanged vows at St. John the Baptist in Hagonoy, Bulacan, had been warned by parish officials to postpone their ceremony as heavy monsoon rains inundated the province. The couple rejected the advice, choosing instead to brave the murky water that had completely saturated the sanctuary while family and friends looked on from the flooded walkway.
“We had been looking forward to this day for so long, and we did not want the rain and flooding to stop us from getting married,” the couple said.
“It may not have been the wedding we imagined, but it is certainly a day we will never forget.”
Footage captured from the choir loft shows the bride making her way down the aisle through murky water, eyes fixed ahead, seemingly unfazed by the conditions around her. A mellow Filipino love song played as she advanced toward the altar where Gilbert, dressed in a brown suit, stood waiting alongside the priest. Her parents were positioned to escort her the final stretch to the groom.
Photographers stationed nearby continued shooting throughout the ceremony, documenting the couple as they proceeded with holy matrimony despite the extraordinary circumstances.
The wedding unfolded amid severe weather battering Luzon, the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. The Southwest Monsoon, known locally as Hagabat, has been dumping heavy rain across the region in recent days.
Bulacan Province had already been placed under a province-wide state of calamity on Aug. 20 as prolonged flooding worsened. Across the Philippines, 9.1 million people in 10 regions have been affected by the combined impact of tropical cyclones and the seasonal monsoon, according to the Filipino Office of Civil Defense.
A total of 178 cities and municipalities nationwide are now under a state of calamity, including 24 in Bulacan, 21 in Pampanga, 12 in Bataan and 13 in Zambales.
The Chicos’ determination to proceed with their nuptials came as authorities scrambled to respond to widespread displacement and damage across the affected areas. While many residents were forced to evacuate or suspend daily activities, the couple and their guests gathered inside the swamped sanctuary to witness the unconventional celebration.
The bride’s procession through the flooded aisle, captured in video obtained by Viral Press, has drawn attention to both the couple’s resolve and the severity of the flooding that has disrupted life across multiple provinces. Guests stood ankle- to waist-deep in water as the ceremony proceeded.
The parish’s recommendation to reschedule had been based on the potential danger posed by the rising floodwaters, which had transformed the church interior into a wading pool. The couple’s decision to proceed nonetheless turned their long-anticipated wedding into a striking scene of devotion amid disaster.
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