If you peer up in the sky toward Catalina at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, you’ll unofficially be attending a wedding.
That’s when Amy Thornton, 28, will be saying, “I do,” to Iraq War veteran David Wetzel, 28, aboard a new, $3 million plane, custom-fitted for weddings and vow renewals.
Wednesday is Opening Day for the new service — thought to be the first in the U.S. to offer mile-high weddings at 160 mph.
The $8,000 package includes officiant, wedding planner, flowers, cake, videographer or photographer and a one-hour flight from Long Beach. Couples can opt to land in Las Vegas, Tahoe, Napa, Santa Barbara or the Grand Canyon.
Wetzel proposed to Thornton recently after serving his second term in Iraq with the U.S. Army. The couple, of Sherwood, Oregon, then began looking for the perfect place to tie the knot. Through a friend, they heard of “Wedding In The Sky.”
A second couple will join the Cessna Caravan’s maiden voyage as a flying chapel. Leisa and Gus Ruiz will renew their wedding vows during a flight to Big Bear. They will then change clothes and serve as witnesses for the wedding.
“We were not able to afford a vacation this year,” Leisa Ruiz explained in an email. “My husband works very hard and this would be an opportunity of a lifetime for him. He is very hard to buy for, so I usually look for “experiences” rather than tangible goods. A private flight would be one of the most memorable experiences of his lifetime. ”
Pilot Gary Reeves says the aircraft is customized with wood cabinetry, leather seating, and 24 karat gold on the seatbelts, cup holders and seat accessories. The airplane is a new addition to a private airline, and travels the southwest U.S.
For more information, click: Wedding In The Sky. Email Gary Reeves. Or call: 714-493-9747.
Congratulations Amy and David!! That is so wonderful! Your wedding ceremony certainly should be unique and special to all couples, and you took it to new heights….so to speak!! I would love to see this happen in my area of Florida!! All my best to you!