Thousands of feet up in the air, Auckland couple Lynley Bendall and Ally Wanikau became one of the first same sex couples in New Zealand to be legally wed this morning after taking off from Queenstown.
The couple exchanged pounamu necklaces instead of rings after pledging their commitment and love for one another in front of their family, friends and swathe of media on board an Air New Zealand flight from Queenstown.
Cheers, applause and whistles erupted as the celebrant, Kim Jewel Elliot, proclaimed: "You are married!''. The champagne then started flowing and stewardesses handed out canapes.
Modern Family star and marriage equality advocate Jesse Tyler Fergusson, who also recently married, was a guest at the ceremony and toasted the newlyweds at the reception in a hangar at Auckland Airport.
Ms Bendall said the whole morning had been "overwhelming'' but was clearly extremely pleased to finally be able to marry her partner of 14 years.
"It's the fact we're finally equal,'' she said.
After cutting their rainbow cake and tossing their bouquets from a ladder next to the black plane, Ms Bendall and Ms Wanikau celebrated with their loved ones. As part of Air NZ's wedding package, the couple will have their honeymoon in Palm Springs.
The couple won the Love is in the Air competition after their three young children made a video about why their wanted their mums to be married.
