Filipino Couple Marries in Waist-Deep Floodwater at Bulacan Church

Gilbert Chico and Liean Liza Galang married at St. John the Baptist Parish Church in Hagonoy, Bulacan, Philippines, after monsoon flooding filled the church with waist-high water. The parish suggested rescheduling, but the couple proceeded, telling the Associated Press they had waited too long to let rain and flooding stop them. The groom, a rigger working in the Middle East, had planned to marry during a December holiday trip home, but an ankle injury sustained playing basketball forced him to return to the Philippines earlier than expected, leaving little time to wait for the church to dry out. The bride walked down the aisle through the flood, her gown altered to shorten its train. Fewer than 15 friends and relatives attended the abbreviated late-morning ceremony. The groom told Agence France-Presse that the couple remained in full uniform despite their soaked gown and coat. Wedding photographer Mikko Rey Alfonso said parish staff did their best to make the day special, adding that nothing could stop the union. The wedding followed unusually heavy monsoon rainfall in the region.