We gave you the save-the-dates, then came the invites and now… The Korwins!
On Saturday, July 3 Josh and Alyssa became husband and wife right here at the Natural History Museum! The happy couple opted to use the Grand Foyer for their ceremony. The Dueling Dinos were surrounded by handmade tissue flowers with colored LED lights in the center. Josh’s brothers Zach and Devin provided the musical accompaniment on their acoustic guitars. 
Instead of traditional bridal vows, the couple read limericks! They really are too good not to share… (taken from Josh’s website)
Alyssa’s vows
Honesty and friendship are key
To have a good marriage with thee
But when things get funny,
I swear I won’t runny
And make my new home in a tree.
Josh’s vows
I vow to be honest and true,
loyal, and kindhearted too.
We’ll author each page,
and grow old in age.
And one day, I’ll clean up your poo.
The reception was held in the African Mammal Hall. As we mentioned in a previous post, the couple was going with a “1960s-concert-in-the-park-meets-prehistoric-hipster-safari” theme. Their centerpieces included items from our own member’s loan collection, some books, cars, birds… well, maybe I should let the groom explain the centerpieces in his own words:
“So when faced with dressing the tables in the African Mammal Hall we decided on a sort of Eclectic Safari Picnic theme. To start it off we definitely wanted to have the classic red and white checkered Italian tablecloth. To have that picnic look, I wanted to incorporate some green grassy elements and found some 16″ moss sheets that worked perfectly.
The rest of the decor was pretty much a scattered bit of eclectic craziness on my part.
First came the Glowing Sun-Jars: made with glass Mason jars from Ikea, sprayed with glass-frosting spray and outfitted with a color changing glowing orb inside.
Second were the Birch bark log vases: cut from Birch firewood logs and drilled out by my dad. We then outfitted them each with a fabric
daisy, a few grass strands and a flower bud puff. For some reason we never realized the vases were the same height as the Sun-Jars (which threw the balance of the decor off) so my mom scrounged together some vintage books to stack them on!
Next came the little BMW Isetta wind up toys from Kinsmart. There wasn’t really much of a reason for choosing these beside the fact that Isettas are one of my favorite production cars ever (because they are just so out there and awesome). I decided to incorporate them into the decor purely for guests to play around with. Some people also got vintage porcelain sparrow figurines on their tables as well.
And last but not least… the Chocolate covered Almonds. My dad over-ordered these cute little boxes for a client. All we had to do was make a few more “Future Korwins” stickers and we were all set to go!”
Thanks Josh!
I also could not wait to share their attire! Josh was decked out in a navy blue velvet jacket, floral shirt and red desert boots!
Alyssa began the day in a beautiful floor length gown that she made herself.
After the ceremony she changed into a BCBG Max Azria mini with gladiator sandals and what may be the coolest piece of dinosaur jewelry we have seen here!
Mark Rivera from TGIS catering (http://www.tgiscatering.com/) was on hand throughout the evening to make sure that all the guests were well fed. The couple opted for food stations that served Korean street tacos, gyros, japanese salad, glazed salmon and designer mini cupcakes.
All of these amazing photos you see here were taken by Sakura Photography. Check out her blog post from Josh and Alyssa’s wedding at http://www.sakurakoontzblog.com/?p=1924
Also, Carel Struycken, a friend of Josh and Alyssa’s created a picturebubble! If you would like to get the feeling of standing in Grand Foyer during a wedding ceremony, please check this out: http://www.picturebubbles.com/gallery/alyssajoshwedding01.html
So a big congratulations to Josh and Alyssa!
It was great getting to meet both of you as well as your families. Thank you for choosing to spend you special day with us. Everyone here at the museum wishes you a lifetime of happiness and non-dirty limericks!
For more information on holding your wedding here at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, please call the Special Events Information Line at 213-763-3221, email us at specialevents@nhm.org or visit http://www.nhm.org/site/about-our-museums/event-rentals-filming/event-types/weddings.
With only two witnesses and an officiant we were able to find a cozy corner in the Pavilion of Wings- a part of the museum that holds special value to the couple. The ceremony itself was less than ten minutes, but one of the most touching I have had the pleasure of witnessing here at NHM!
While the Pavilion of Wings was perfect for a wedding of only 5 people, most brides have a few more guests than that! Fortunately the Natural History Museum has space inside the building for up to 300 for a seated dinner as well as standing room for 1000! But if it is an outdoor space that you are looking for, keep checking back for updates on our new outdoor garden spaces, slated to open by the end of April 2012!
