Irvine Nature Center is the perfect choice for a nature-inspired wedding, and we are pleased to feature this Real Wedding shared from Shelly Pate Photography.
Alex and Kathleen were married at the Nature Center at Owings Mills on May 21, 2022. Alex is a bass player and bluegrass musician who wanted to incorporate his love of music into the wedding. This passion plus the couple’s combined love for nature set the stage for the performance of a lifetime at this music and nature-inspired wedding.
Kathleen explained their choice of the Irvine Nature Center as their venue: “We both love nature, and Irvine has such beautiful vistas of rolling fields, forests, and green spaces. We wanted to get married outdoors in a place that also celebrates nature.”
Irvine Nature Center offers three outdoor ceremony spots that can seat up to 170 guests, and a tented patio for receptions.
Vibrant florals were the highlights of their pastel and floral color palette. The bride had a gorgeous bouquet and small flowers added into her wedding hair updo.
Each bridesmaid was matched with a different floral pastel-colored dress and the maid of honor wore a bright floral pattern. Spring colors and lots of florals were definitely the vibe of the day.
Kathleen summarized their wedding vibe saying, “Our color palette is soft, spring earth tones dusty blues, dusty roses, soft greens). We both had a hard time narrowing down our colors because we love the idea of bright, beautiful celebrations. So, we decided to include lots of hues!”
Due to the groom being so involved in the Baltimore bluegrass scene, all of his groomsmen were band members. Each of them brought their instruments and had a jam session together once they were all finished getting ready!
The groom wore a pink tie in honor of his Mom who loved the color and had passed years prior. His sisters even surprised him with a tie pin that said “love mom” in his mom’s handwriting. The bride wore bee earrings, the groom wore a handkerchief heirloom, and his bow from his bass instrument was included in photos with the bride’s pearls.
Literally, almost every guest was a musician who was told to bring their instrument! At the end of the ceremony, all the guests stood up and those who had brought their instruments (which was most of them) started playing a song together as they walked back to cocktail hour.
It became a Bluegrass Banjo Parade following the newlyweds through the woods all the way to the cocktail hour spot. Kathleen, who plays the harmonica, joined in playing harmonica alongside her husband!
Alex’s band, Charm City Junction, played a beautiful waltz for Kathleen as she walked down the aisle with her dad. The groom’s band also played through the reception, with him joining in at one point to play a waltz he had written for his bride as a surprise wedding gift. Honky Tonk dancing came to life with the band teaching the guests specific dances as the night progressed.
Vendor List:
- Event Venue: Irvine Nature Center
- Event Planner: Full Moon Marketing & Events
- Caterer: Putting On The Ritz
- Cake Designer: Charm City Cakes
- Dress Designer: Justin Alexander
- Dress Store: K&B Bridals
- Floral Designer: Hiddenvale Flowers
- Band: Charm City Junction
- Photographer: Shelly Pate Photography
