Balloon crew members tie the knot at 50th Balloon Fiesta

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Two balloon crew members got married Wednesday, and because of the weather it was not exactly what they planned- but it was nothing short of memorable. 

It was a moment 10 years in the making that Kenneth Wendel and Katrina Lomax saved for the 50th anniversary of Balloon Fiesta.

“Ken proposed to me on New Year’s Eve, and I was like oh my gosh when should we get married? And I was telling Andrew Holly and the other pilots, and they were like ‘why don’t you get married in fiesta,'” said Lomax.  

You see, ballooning has played a big part in their relationship. 

“We started dating a little over 10 years ago, and we’ve been crewing since 2014 here for the balloons Puddles & Splash,” said Lomax.  

In fact, Puddles & Splash — the two giant penguin balloons they help crew — were supposed to be witnesses at their wedding. Unfortunately, the rain caused the wedding to be moved indoors, so they said their I-dos at the Balloon Museum.

“They threw the whole thing together in 15 minutes, they said yes they opened their doors to us,” said Wendel. 

Balloons and penguins, maybe not the way they planned but both were there for their special day. 

While Wednesday had some last minute changes, some things will never change

“She’s changed my life and I’m looking forward to the next 100 years,” said Wendel.