Married Over Skype: California Couple Joins Duo That Wed At Dubai Hotel (VIDEO)

SEE UPDATE BELOW.

Volcanic ash in Iceland thwarted plans for a London wedding, so what did the couple stranded in Dubai do?

They got married over Skype!

All it took was a laptop with a webcam, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. British-born Sean Murtagh, 24, and Aussie Natalie Mead, 30, said "I do" using Skype last April, allowing the wedding to be broadcast in real-time to family and friends back in London (the officiant was also in London).

UPDATE: A California couple joined Murtagh and Mead in celebrating this rare event this past weekend: a Skype wedding. Samuel Kim and Helen Oh, both 27, married via Skype, the O.C. Journal Register reported.

According to Reuters, Kim had become ill with a lung infection, but that didn't stop him from marrying Oh via Skype from a California hospital. Family and friends tuned in.

Skype was quick to take note of the rarity with a blog post:

While we'd never wish any couple to be apart for their own wedding, we are sure glad that Skype could play such a big role in the wedding of Samiel Kim and Helen Oh from Southern California, who couldn't be together on their wedding day. Unfortunately, Samiel was in the hospital, but that did not deter Helen from her big wedding day plans with 500 guests. The show must go on, and it did! -- thanks to a Skype video call connecting Helen and her soon to be husband, Samiel, while he was at the hospital.

WATCH video from last April's Skype wedding:

Comments

[derrickhoyle]

07:07 PM on 03/07/2011

I don't think swinging is tolerated in Dubai.

[black series]

06:48 PM on 03/07/2011

Thats not new. My uncle got married on a telephone.

[GodsHonestTruth]

01:44 PM on 03/07/2011

although i am not planning on having my wedding over skype, god willing...i did, however, have my proposal/engagement party over skype.

My fiance lives in Iran and we have a little more than just physical distance keeping us apart.

Unfortunately, we dont even have skype anymore as the IRI has blocked the site.

[goodog]

01:35 PM on 03/07/2011

"Couple Married Over Skype"

...soon to divorce over facebook.

[StuckAtHomeMom]

01:19 PM on 03/07/2011

I don't get the big deal, they were together. What's the difference between this and watching it later on video?
I would do it, it was fun for them, they wanted to get married, everything was setup. I think it's funny and a great little news snippet, but I don't see what the big deal is.

[KIVPossum]

01:14 PM on 03/07/2011

Is that legal? Doubt Ms Black is authorized to conduct wedding ceremonies in Dubai

[bettyx1138]

01:11 PM on 03/07/2011

yawn. next.

[LittleMittens]

12:41 PM on 03/07/2011

clever tech solution to the geographically challenged. Maybe next time they will have the intelligence not to travel out of the country just before an important date...

[EJavaM07]

12:23 PM on 03/07/2011

I know a beautiful Romanian woman that I'm going to propose to now.

Are you listening, LP, my binary babe?

[KIVPossum]

01:15 PM on 03/07/2011

haha, go see the sweetie. Romania is a beautiful country

[jasev01]

12:16 PM on 03/07/2011

this takes all the fun out of the wedding night

[bagelmart]

01:02 PM on 03/07/2011

Why? The couple were together in Dubai.

[jasev01]

01:14 PM on 03/07/2011

because your friends and family are not their with you.  And because Dubai is pretty dry.  You might be able to get an adult beverage but I'd be careful about it and things you do.  Look at that other couple from Britain.

[andee v]

12:05 PM on 03/07/2011

Could be worst. At least they didn't twitter their vows...

"You went over 140 characters.. Annulled."