𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗔𝘀 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵

𝐁𝐘 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐓𝐀 𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐂𝐄,

𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐚, 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚.

A Philippine couple has captured global attention after going ahead with their wedding ceremony inside a Catholic church that was submerged in hip-deep floodwater, refusing to allow weeks of heavy rainfall to derail their special day.

Leian Lieza Galang and Gilbert Chico exchanged their wedding vows on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, at Saint John the Baptist Parish in Hagonoy, Bulacan, a town north of Manila.

Dressed in a white off-shoulder wedding gown and carrying a bouquet of white flowers, Galang was seen carefully wading through murky floodwater as she made her way down the church aisle to meet her groom.

The floodwater was reportedly deep enough to reach the hips of some people inside the church, while a photograph from the ceremony showed a young boy carrying the wedding rings through waist-deep water.

Despite the extraordinary conditions, the couple remained determined to proceed with the ceremony.

According to wedding photographer Mikko Rey Alfonso, the parish had advised the couple to postpone the wedding because floodwaters from upstream areas were still rising. However, the couple chose to continue with their plans.

The parish priest subsequently conducted an abbreviated late-morning ceremony and pronounced the couple husband and wife.

The church had reportedly been partially underwater for nearly a month following unusually heavy seasonal monsoon rains that battered northern parts of the Philippines.

“We were in complete uniform. We did not mind that our gown and coat got soaked,” the groom said, according to reports.

To make it easier for the bride to move through the water, her wedding gown was reportedly altered to shorten its train. The couple also arrived at the church aboard a high-clearance rickshaw, helping them keep their wedding clothes relatively dry before entering the flooded venue.

Fewer than 15 people reportedly attended the unusual ceremony, which was supported by parish workers determined to make the occasion memorable despite the difficult circumstances.

The wedding was originally planned for December, but Chico, who works as a rigger in the Middle East, returned home earlier than expected after suffering an ankle injury while playing basketball. The couple subsequently decided to bring the wedding forward before he returned to work.

The dramatic images and videos of the bride walking through the floodwater have since attracted widespread attention online, with many viewers describing the ceremony as a striking symbol of love, determination and resilience in the face of adversity.

The wedding came as heavy monsoon rains continued to affect parts of the Philippines. Recent flooding, landslides and flash floods had reportedly claimed 34 lives, according to the latest official tally cited by AFP.

For Galang and Chico, however, the rising waters could not wash away their plans to begin married life together.

“They love each other. Nothing could stop their union,” photographer Mikko Rey Alfonso said.

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