This 19th century church in the Philippines may have been submerged by the rains of Typhoon Wipha, but Jade and Jamaica were determined to go ahead with their special day regardless
Knee-deep in floodwater, Jade Rick Verdillo and Jamaica Aguilar sealed their new union with a kiss in the aisle of the Barasoain Church in the Philippines. The surrounding pews in the 19th- century church were submerged by the rains of Typhoon Wipha and a seasonal monsoon.
The night before their big day, Aguilar admitted that she almost called her wedding off. “It was the most critical time for us – should we cancel and reschedule? It was 50/50 for me,” she says. But the pair pressed on. “It was challenging,” Verdillo explains, “but we focused on what’s really important – our relationship and the people who love us.”
After the ceremony, the newlyweds joined guests in taking doxycycline tablets in their first act as a married couple, an antibiotic to protect against flood-borne diseases.
Despite the conditions, family and friends came to witness the vows. “You will see love prevailed because even against weather, storm, rains, floods, the wedding continued,” says guest Jiggo Santos. “It’s an extraordinary wedding.”
Such scenes are not unusual in the Philippines. Two years ago, another couple exchanged vows in the same flooded church, at the same time of the year, and a similar ceremony was recorded in Bulacan in 2018.
With the Philippines experiencing around 20 tropical cyclones each year, half of which make landfall, experts warn these ‘wet weddings’ may become more common as outdated drainage systems fail to cope with increased flooding.
For Verdillo, the day was as much about resilience as it was celebration. “I feel that challenges won’t be over,” he reflects. “This is just a test. It’s one of the struggles we’ve overcome.”
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