When a couple ties the knot on an airplane, it makes for an interesting story. And when the person who officiates the wedding is the pope, it makes for a very interesting story.
Pope Francis performed a wedding ceremony for flight attendants Paula Podest Ruiz and Carlos Ciuffardi Elorriaga during a flight between the Chilean cities of Santiago and Iquique on Thursday. It truly was a blessed — and historic — event.
“We can’t believe the pope married us. A pope has never married anyone on a plane,” Ciuffardi, the 41-year-old groom, told reporters.
We can’t believe it, either. Look at these wedding photos! If it had been our wedding, we would’ve posted the photos to Facebook ASAP. (No word on whether the pope provided pizza for the reception.)
Ciuffardi and his bride, 39, are both flight attendants for the Latin American-based Latam Airlines. They previously tied the knot in a 2010 civil ceremony but were unable to follow through with their plans for a church ceremony in their native Santiago because of the devastating earthquake that struck their country the same year.
But on Thursday, they were given the opportunity to stand in front of Pope Francis at 36,000 feet and exchange vows. Needless to say, it’s a memory they’ll cherish forever.
“So emotional. This is the experience of a lifetime,” Podest said.
The newlyweds, who have two children, said they planned to take a “mini-honeymoon” before returning to Santiago, according to the Associated Press. It’s unlikely the pope will join them; he was scheduled to travel to Peru later on Thursday.