Two Southwest Passengers Got Married in an Impromptu Mid-Flight Wedding

There's a reason Southwest is hubbed at Love Field

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Published on 05/04/22

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southwest mid-flight wedding — Courtesy of Southwest Airlines

When it comes to wedding planning, it doesn’t get much easier than hopping on a plane, flying to Vegas, and getting the deed done. But sometimes, even the most straightforward plans can go awry, and that’s exactly what happened to Jeremy and Pam Salda.

What started as a joke about eloping in Vegas once the mask mandate had been lifted quickly became real. On April 24, Jeremy and Pam, who had been dating since August 2020, donned a suit and white dress, respectively, hopped a flight from Oklahoma City and arrived at Dallas–Fort Worth for a layover en route to Vegas. And then their flight to Vegas was canceled.

Lady luck, however, re-emerged by their side.

Fellow passenger Chris Kilgora, an ordained minister, was ticketed on the same canceled Vegas flight. When he learned of their foiled plans at the gate, he graciously offered his services to the couple—if they could make it to Vegas.

The trio was able to book tickets on Southwest flight 2690 that departed from Dallas’s other airport, Love Field, and after a mad dash across town, they successfully boarded the plane. Curious about the couple’s attire, their pilot, Captain Gil, asked about their story and joked with Pam that she and Jeremy should just get married on the flight instead.

Once again, the joke became real. “Let’s do it!” exclaimed Pam, according to a Facebook post by Southwest.

And so they did. A flight attendant stood in as maid of honor, while others offered what they could—one passenger, who happened to be a professional photographer, snapped photos, while another passenger donated a bit of a powdered donut as the wedding cake. And the whole plane signed a makeshift guestbook with their seat numbers.

“Southwest has been the love airline for nearly 51 years, and we always enjoy an opportunity to celebrate our customers in special ways,” a Southwest representative told TripSavvy in an emailed statement. “Our employees are famous for their heart and hospitality, and we know our crew, our customers, and the couple will remember this flight for a long time to come. We offer our congratulations to the newlyweds and well wishes on their new life together.”