Rosalyn Ferrer, 50, and Rommel Basco, 55, are a couple in the Philippines. They have been together for 24 years but they couldn’t get the wedding they desired because of their dire financial situation. Getting enough food to eat every day was a more pressing issue. Their home is a small shack set up in an empty patch of land where they reside with their six children. Richard Strandz had a chance encounter with the couple when they were collecting plastic items to sell for food. Strandz owns a hair salon near their home and he contacted some friends to arrange a wedding package and makeover for the couple. This includes helping them process the documents for their marriage license and funds for a church wedding. However, they didn’t predict the pictures from their stunning wedding shoot would go viral. [1]
Homeless Couples Gets a Makeover and Wedding After 24 Years
In the photoshoot, Rommel and Rosalyn were dressed to the nines in a fancy suit and wedding gown. [2] Rosalyn explained, “I once dreamed of having a white wedding but that was when I was a little girl. It went out of my mind long ago. We never had enough money and all we concentrated on was getting enough food to eat each day. Now I feel so blessed that it has happened. I’m so thankful.”
They met Richard by chance but their story had a strong impact on him. “I found out about how the two have been living together for more than two decades but cannot afford a small wedding,” he said. “I was touched by their love story so I contacted my friends who had a wedding supplies business and thought of surprising them with a charity wedding.”
Although the surprise began with the glamor photoshoot, Richard and his friends will also pay for the church wedding after the marriage license is processed. As Richard explained, “True love is something that should be celebrated. It’s very special, no matter whether you’re rich or poor.” [3]
Now their wedding album by Rab4love Studios, called “SA HIRAP at GINHAWA” or “through thick and thin“, has gone viral with thousands of comments praising the photoshoot. “True love is so simple, you don’t have to make it complicated,” said one response. “All you need is to be grateful of one another’s presence and learn to appreciate whatever you have.”
“This story has been inspiring me,” said another, “about the true love, it’s above any boundaries and even they’re poor, they still have each other, sometimes we can’t see such kind of love in rich peoples.”
Read: This bride didn’t have a gown or photographer on her wedding day. A hospice caregiver helped her redo it, 77 years later.
“Through Thick and Thin“
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Sources
- “VIRAL: Homeless Filipino couple who can’t afford wedding gifted one.” Yahoo News. February 28, 2021
- “Homeless Couple Get A Makeover And A Surprise Charity Wedding After Being Together For 24 Years.” Bored Panda. Hidrėlėy.October 2020
- “Homeless couple of 24 years who could never afford to marry are given a surprise wedding after a hairdresser saw them collecting plastic scraps to sell for food.” Daily Mail. Latoya Gayle. February 26, 2021