James Allen News Center

Merritt Island, FL 32952 – Saturday, June 20 was a special day for the world, and, in particular, for lovebirds Noah Fulmor, 31, and Erin Finnegan, 20.  The wedding was made both original and logistically difficult by the couple`s desire to have their ceremony take place in a zero-gravity environment.  Fortunately, for a mere $16,000, they were able to fulfill this dream.

The couple exchanged vows and wedding rings with some difficulty, and had some issues with the kiss as well, but it was all worth it to the unconventional pair.  The Zero Gravity Corporation offers weightless flight experiences for anyone who can afford them, but this was the first time the company had the opportunity to host a wedding.  The ceremony, held in a padded, modified Boeing 727-200 aircraft, was broken into 30-second segments as the plane made parabolic arcs high in the atmosphere to create moments of weightlessness. 

The bride, who wore a pantsuit that often billowed during the zero-gravity moments, later remarked that, "It was weirder than I expected."  Within the 27 meter "floating zone", bride, groom, guests and witnesses often bumped into each other even as they tried to control their movements.  The groom had his tuxedo specially stiffened so it would not float out of control during the event. 

The kiss turned out to be difficult, and Fulmor admitted that, "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 difference."  In the wedding photos, the kiss was finally executed when Fulmor held Finnegan steady between his knees as they floated upside down in their ultimate romantic moment.  Finnegan later remarked that, "Noah knocked into my nose and I thought it would bleed."

Officiating the ceremony was Richard Garriott, an investor in Zero Gravity Corp. and the son of an astronaut.  He said that the couple`s love of space convinced him to oversee the first zero-gravity wedding, saying, "If there`s a couple who should be doing this, they`re clearly the ones.  Noah and Erin are huge space fans."

Finnegan was delighted that the final act of throwing the bouquet went off beautifully.  She noted that, "The bouquet toss was as though it was staged in a movie, and we were watching it.  It floated out and was caught effortlessly by one of the bridesmaids."