Couple on their way to Las Vegas to get married end up tying the knot over Arizona

They met the officiant an hour earlier, all of their guests were strangers, and the entire ceremony could have been derailed by a "fasten seatbelts" announcement, but Jeremy Salda and Pam Patterson wouldn't have changed a thing about their wedding on board a Southwest Airlines flight to Las Vegas.
The plan was for Salda and Patterson to fly from Oklahoma to Vegas on April 24, so they could get married. They first bought tickets for a flight that was canceled, and had to rebook. Salda and Patterson made it to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, dressed in their wedding attire because they were on a tight schedule once they made it to Vegas, but their connection was delayed and then canceled.
Not all hope was lost, however. An ordained minister also on his way to Vegas started talking to the couple, and soon, a plan was hatched: Salda, Patterson, and their new friend would book a Southwest flight out of Dallas Love Field Airport, and if they didn't make it in time to their pre-planned ceremony, the minister would marry them.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
They got an Uber and made it to Love Field, and once the Southwest crew heard what was happening, plans went into motion to hold the wedding on the plane. As soon as it reached cruising altitude, the lights were dimmed and the ceremony started, somewhere in the sky over Arizona. Patterson told People she let Salda know she wanted "to be his co-pilot for life," and if "there's ever any turbulence, I want to weather it with you."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
How will the new tax deductions on auto loans work?
the explainer Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act introduced a tax deduction on auto loan interest — but eligibility for the tax break is limited
-
Is Trump actually going to prosecute Obama for 'treason'?
Today's Big Question Or is this just a distraction from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal?
-
5 best movie sequels of all time
The Week Recommends The second time is only sometimes as good as the first
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'
Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Bellagio: glitz and glamour on the Las Vegas Strip
The Week Recommends Find la dolce vita in the Nevada desert at this luxurious hotel
-
Feel the groove with these music-centric getaways across the globe
Let the rhythm move you
-
Get a taste of place at these regional US restaurant chains
The Week Recommends Eat where the locals do
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards