tonic
The place where good lives - good news, good style, and good deeds... more about us
Positively good.

news / projects

us / world / business / social responsibility/ technology / science / entertainment / life & style / travel

Weightless Wedding

By Lisa Jo Rudy | Tuesday, June 23, 2009 11:47 AM ET

Email
Share:

Add a comment Add a comment

Losing weight for her wedding was a snap for bride Erin Finnegan. That's because she and sweetie Noah Fulmor celebrated their nuptials in microgravity -- in the world's first weightless wedding. The couple exchanged rings and vows inside a specially modified Boeing 727-200, in a ceremony held thousands of feet above the Gulf of Mexico.

According to a Reuters article,

To recreate the weightless experience without going into space, the plane executed parabolic flight maneuvers, climbing sharply and descending several times during the one-hour flight. Inside the 90-foot-long (27-meter) padded "floating zone," the ceremony was accomplished with a lot of bumping and fumbling, as bride and groom, guests and witnesses alike tried to coordinate their movements in a microgravity environment.

What do you wear to a weightless wedding? The bride wore a white pantsuit and earrings made to resemble tiny planets. Her hair was held in place by specially made wires. The groom wore tails - stiffened for the occasion.  But no amount of preparation could make that first kiss less awkward. The groom noted that he had trouble lining up his lips for the wedding kiss. "The physics of the first kiss were off. I could feel where I was going, I knew where I needed to be, but it was hard to reconcile the differences," he told reporters.

Despite its awkward moments, though, Fulmor felt the wedding was a huge success. "I've waited my whole life for this," he said. "What I remember most was the feeling of weightlessness, both physically and emotionally."

 

Lisa Jo Rudy is a veteran freelance writer living in Cape Cod, Mass.

Email
Share:

Add a comment Add a comment

Sign up now for the Daily Tonic! We ship a dose of goodness right to your inbox every day.

connect with tonic

RSS

Twitter

Facebook

YouTube

good you've done

  • Helped Project Angel Food prepare and deliver nutritious meals to men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.
    Donated one year of Tonic Mailstopper to Project Angel Food for fundraising auction.
  • You helped Tonic plant 1,498 trees in North America, Central America, Africa and Asia.
    Tonic contributed to Sustainable Harvest International, American Forests and Trees for the Future.
  • Sent musical instruments to the U.S. Gulf Coast
    Donated $425 to Music Rising

...more good things