Footage shows floodwater stretching from the entrance to the courtyard of the bride’s home, reaching a depth of around 40cm. Yet guests remained in high spirits, rolling up their trousers and wading in to celebrate and offer their best wishes to the newlyweds.

The wedding amid floodwaters in Quang Tri. Video: Le Phuoc Sanh

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Guests roll up their trousers as they arrive for the wedding feast. Photo: Screenshot from video

The wedding was that of bride Duong My and groom Thai Huynh, both 28 and from Quang Tri Province in central Vietnam. The flooding was filmed on the afternoon of Sept. 13 at the bride’s family home in Tan Duc Village, Trieu Phong Commune.

Thai Huynh said the bride’s family had organized an intimate meal that afternoon, inviting close relatives and neighbors to join the celebration. They had prepared 10 tables of food for their guests.

A tropical depression caused the nearby Thach Han River to rise unexpectedly. At around 2 p.m. on Sept. 13, floodwater began flowing into the bride’s home, which lies beside the river in a low-lying area. By 6 p.m., the water had peaked at nearly knee height for an adult.

“The situation caught our family completely off guard because this is not normally the flooding season in my hometown,” Thai Huynh said. “So it wasn’t a case of us deliberately going ahead with the wedding despite knowing there would be flooding.”

Despite the sudden inundation, the family and guests remained calm.

“People in my hometown are used to flooding like this,” the Quang Tri groom said.

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The traditional gift-bearing ceremony and wedding celebration at the bride’s home on the morning of Sept. 14. Photo: Courtesy of the couple
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The bride and groom had a wedding to remember. Photo: Courtesy of the couple

The bride’s family went ahead with all 10 tables of food as planned, while guests cheerfully waded in to celebrate and eat amid the floodwater. Instead of sitting on chairs, some rolled up their trousers and ate standing up, creating an extraordinary scene at the flooded wedding.

“We planned to postpone the wedding the following day if the water did not recede, to make sure everyone was safe, even though that would have caused more complications and expense.

“Fortunately, the water had completely receded by around 3 a.m. on Sept. 14. The family stayed up all night cleaning the house and preparing for the ceremony to welcome the bride later that morning,” Thai Huynh said.

With the floodwater receding just in time, the Quang Tri couple were able to enjoy a smooth and complete wedding celebration. Thai Huynh arrived to collect bride Duong My, with ceremonies held at her family home before the couple moved on to a restaurant for the wedding meal.

The formal wedding ceremony at the groom’s family home, about 3km from the bride’s home, is scheduled for the morning of Sept. 16.

“Without the unexpected flooding, we would have had an ordinary wedding like any other couple,” Thai Huynh said. “But because of those images of the flood, our big day became a little more special and memorable.

“I’m deeply grateful to our families, relatives and friends for coming to celebrate and wish us well despite the difficult conditions.”

Thanh Minh