Wedding guests had to watch a bride and groom take their vows over an internet connection after the happy couple were left stranded by the closure of Britain's airspace.

Sean Murtagh, 24, and his new wife Natalie, a 30-year-old Australian, were flying back to the UK from their home in Brisbane for the ceremony on Saturday.

The couple married at a civil ceremony in Brisbane three weeks ago and were holding a humanist ceremony for family and friends in the UK.

Sean's parents, of West Ealing, and Natalie's mother made it from Australia to London in time but the newlyweds found themselves stranded when they changed planes at Dubai on Thursday. It looked like their plans were in ruins until the couple used Skype to let the ceremony go ahead as their guests gathered in Trailfinders Sports Club in Vallis Road, Ealing.

Maria Murtagh, Sean's mother praised Sean's friend Danny Burton and general manager Dave Robinson and events manager Sallieann Davis of Trailfinders for coming up with the idea and making it happen.

She said: "It was fantastic that something so good could come out of what was potentially a bit of a disaster. They rescued the day."

The couple asked staff at the Millennium Airport Hotel in Dubai if they could use a laptop in their room, but staff instead became the couple's wedding planners.

Mr Murtagh said: "They decorated the lobby of the hotel. They made us a three tier wedding cake, set up a laptop with Skype and a projector. It's spellbinding the amount they have done for us. It's been an incredible day. We were never going to forget it anyway but we certainly won't forget it now."

The couple's parents had brought their wedding outfits to the UK so Mr Murtagh borrowed a shirt, trousers, jacket and even cufflinks for the celebration, while the bride wore a black, green and blue dress which she had packed for their short honeymoon in Singapore on their way to the UK.

Humanist celebrant Caroline Black, who conducted the ceremony, said: "I've done lots of humanist weddings but not one like this at all. It was absolutely brilliant. It was just like any other wedding except the bride and groom weren't there."

Humanist wedding services are not legally binding in England and must be supplemented by a civil ceremony.