The first hot air balloon wedding in Uttar Pradesh cost the newly weds around Rs 80,000.

Private bank employee Dev Prashant Trivedi tied the knot with Etah girl Archana in the hot air balloon above the Aishbagh Ramleela ground on Thursday evening, as hundreds of invitees and onlookers cheered them. Special screens were also set up to facilitate a closer look of the 20-minute ceremony.

Apart from the pilot, the balloon basket accommodated three persons, Prashant, Archana and the priest, who also doubled up as a cameraman.

"I wanted to make my marriage memorable and, therefore, this idea of solemnising the ceremony in the air came to my mind. I discussed it with my parents, friends and would-be wife Archana, who readily agreed to the proposal," Dev Prashant said.

"Prashant told me about this and I liked the idea instantly. But before going ahead, I discussed it with my parents," Archana said.

The idea of solemnising the marriage ceremony was made possible by Prashant's uncle R P Sen, who is director of an aero sports firm.