Gay weddings begin in New Zealand

When Lynley Bendall and Ally Wanikau walked down the aisle to exchange vows, the fasten-seatbelt signs were off.

The couple celebrated the legalization of gay marriage in New Zealand Aug. 19 by getting hitched in a plane at 39,000 feet (11,900 meters). Along for the ride was Jesse Tyler Ferguson, star of the ABC sitcom “Modern Family.”

Aug. 19 marked the first day same-sex couples could marry in New Zealand, where the law was changed back in April. About three dozen same-sex couples planned to marry in towns and cities throughout the country.

Bendall and Wanikau were flying high after winning a promotion by national carrier Air New Zealand.

They have been together 13 years and have three foster children.

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