FLOODS FAIL TO STOP WEDDING
A beaming bride defiantly marching up a flooded church aisle in Bulacan province has won hearts as the country suffers a fresh bout of monsoonal rains.
Jobel de los Angeles, 24, married the father of her two children on Saturday as Tropical Storm “Karding” (international name: Yagi) and the southwest monsoon brought heavy flooding to Metro Manila and nearby areas,
including their town, Hagonoy, in Bulacan.
In a Facebook video shared over a thousand times, De los Angeles is all smiles as she walks through brown floodwaters in a white gown and veil before her suited groom clad in flip-flops takes her to the altar.
“Even if it floods or it rains, nothing can stop me. You only get married once, will you postpone it? I was marrying the man I love,” De los Angeles told Agence France-Presse (AFP) by phone.
“My gown got wet and heavy but I told myself it was as if I was walking on a red carpet,” she said.
Cause for celebration
The Philippines endures an average of 20 typhoons and storms each year.
The latest storm brought misery to many, with 20,000 residents fleeing the riverside district of Marikina in Metro Manila where floods swept away cars.
But for De los Angeles, the weekend was cause for celebration.
Double ceremony
She said she and her partner of seven years did not expect bad weather but never considered calling off their wedding even after floodwaters entered the church in Hagonoy.
It was a double ceremony, with their 5-month-old daughter baptized in the same event, she added.
Guests were photographed barefoot, including children who were afraid to slip.
“We didn’t want a new schedule as we were already stressed out. Our hometown is really flood-prone,” De los Angeles said.
“No car wanted to bring us to the church so I just rode a boat. We didn’t expect so many people would still turn up, even the entourage,” she added.
‘It’s truly memorable’
The bride’s aunt, Teresa Bautista, posted the video of her niece, which has drawn comments from social media users hailing the event as the “wedding of the year.”
“I felt bad for them but at the same time I am happy they got it through,” Bautista told AFP.
De los Angeles said she had no regrets.
“It is truly memorable. I am so happy,” she said. “It shows the lesson that there are no what ifs.”
Even if it floods or it rains, nothing can stop me. You only get married once, will you postpone it? I was marrying the man I love Jobel de los Angeles Bride