Get extra lift from AOPA. Start your free membership trial today! Click here
News & Media Fly-In Wedding

Newlyweds tie the knot at fly-in wedding

Inspiration for your own aviation-themed wedding or proposal

October 19, 2021 By Cayla McLeod Hunt

Georgia Hanson and Parker Thaxton made their fly-in wedding dream come true at a private grass strip in Georgia.

  • Newlyweds Georgia and Parker Thaxton depart their wedding in the Thaxton family’s Cessna 170. Photography courtesy of Crista Stubbs Photography.
  • The couple walks down the aisle as husband and wife. Georgia Hanson and Parker Thaxton were married in a wooded area just beyond the grass runway.
  • The groomsmen pose for the camera after exiting their airplanes.
  • Georgia and Parker Thaxton take a quick break from socializing to enjoy a few slices of pizza.
  • The newlyweds prepare to depart their ceremony in the Cessna 170.
  • The bride tosses her bouquet in front of the hangar.

After 4.5 years of weekly airplane-side dinner dates, one in-flight prom proposal, and hundreds of sunset flights, Parker Thaxton, 23, and Georgia Hanson, 21, tied the knot at their fly-in wedding at Eagles Landing, a private airpark community in Williamson, Georgia, in October.

Thaxton arrived in style in his family's polished Cessna 170. His groomsmen followed, flying a Stinson 108, a Cessna 185, an Aeronca Champ, and a Cessna 172. Once they chocked their aircraft, the groomsmen walked from the grass runway to the wooded ceremony site, with ZZ Top's Sharp Dressed Man playing in the background.

The bride, who arrived at the ceremony site in a 1930s Chevrolet truck, said, "Since Parker and I first started dating, I always knew our wedding had to be at an airport...not to mention it's just awesome to fly in and out of your own wedding."

Following their "I do's," the newlyweds socialized with guests and ate pizza before hopping in their getaway vehicle—the Cessna 170—before the sun set (driving back later for their hangar reception).

"The 170 is like a part of the family,” the groom said. “We had to include it in the wedding."

Aviation-themed wedding and proposal ideas

If you're feeling inspired by Parker and Georgia Thaxton’s aviation-themed wedding, here are a few other pilot-friendly wedding and proposal ideas.

  • In-flight elopement: If you and your spouse-to-be are spontaneous and prefer a more private ceremony, consider getting married in the air. Ask a friend to officiate, enlist another friend to fly, and get married in the back of anything from a Cessna 172 to a Dassault Falcon jet.
  • Seaplane wedding: Select a venue with a seaplane-accessible ramp or dock (such as Florida’s Tavares Seaplane Base) and have the bride arrive by floatplane.
  • Grass-strip wedding: Like the Thaxtons’ wedding, fly in and out of your ceremony at a private grass strip.
  • Backcountry proposal: Fly a backcountry aircraft into a remote strip and propose as you help your partner exit the aircraft.
  • Fly-in proposal: Invite your partner to a fly-in event and pop the question after handing a camera to a friend so the moment can be shared with family and friends.
  • Checklist proposal: Have your partner read items from a mock checklist for an in-flight task. While they are distracted, pull the ring out of your pocket as your co-pilot reads the words, “Will you marry me?" from the checklist.
  • ForeFlight proposal: Plan and fly a flight path that reads “Marry me,” and then reveal the GPS track right before popping the question.
  • Flyover proposal: Arrange for a photographer to meet you and your partner at a local grass strip and ask a friend to flyover. As the airplane gets ready to flyover you and your partner, start pulling the ring out of your pocket. Meanwhile, the photographer will be capturing the big moment.
Cayla McLeod
Cayla McLeod Hunt
Contributor
Cayla McLeod Hunt (previously an AOPA social media marketer) is a private pilot with a love for tailwheel and backcountry aircraft. She enjoys flying with friends and introducing others to general aviation.
Go to Cayla McLeod Hunt's Profile

Related Articles