An AP photographer put on his waders and captured a kiss at a wedding in a flood
Newlyweds Jade Rick Verdillo right, and Jamaica kiss during their wedding at the flooded Barasoain church in Malolos, Bulacan province, Philippines on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
MALOLOS, Philippines (AP) — Aaron Favila has been a photographer with The Associated Press since 1998. He has covered everything from disasters, terrorism, politics, local sports and the Olympics.
Here is what he had to say about this extraordinary photo.
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Why this photo?
The Philippines experiences at least 20 typhoons every year. I have been shooting floods ever since I have been a photojournalist, so I am used to seeing water. Climate change has worsened flooding everywhere. Upon learning about a wedding at the flooded historic Barasoain church, I knew it would be different and it would be beautiful.
How I made this photo
I got a tip from a photographer colleague about the story. I had an hour window to make it to the venue and had to drive out of town and cross several flooded roads during a heavy downpour. The flooding in the area was too deep for our vehicle to pass, so we had to stop. Luckily, a rescue truck passed by, and I rode that.
Their wedding photographer was setting up the couple for their portraits. I used a telephoto lens for this picture. There were several kissing shots, but this one is a cleaner version with altar background and the flood water.
Why this photo works
It works because it is a unique take on the usual flood pictures. It shows resilience, love and joy.
I approached this story with a wedding photographer mindset. I knew that I had to show floods, but I also wanted to show more details and emotion of the couple and guests. Weddings are a celebration of love, and I wanted to show that - and the floods. If I was shooting for deadline, I would have ran out after the first kiss. But for this one, I stuck till the end to make sure I captured every moment … like a wedding photographer.
I was pleasantly surprised on how well the photo was received. Our story was posted everywhere. Guess the world wants to see a lot more love these days.
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This story has been corrected to remove “first” from the headline in regards to the kiss; to clarify that the tip was from a photographer colleague; and to correct the spelling of Aaron Favila’s last name, which is Favila, not Favilla.
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