Date: April 16
Her story: Kathy Lynn Felix, 32, grew up in Steubenville, Ohio. She works as a teacher in Baltimore's public schools. Her parents, Joseph and Karen Felix, live in Steubenville.
His story: James Joseph Benton, 30, was born in Baltimore. He is a construction project manager for Manekin Construction in Columbia. His mother, Nancy Benton, lives in Parkville.
Their story: The couple met through the Tinder app.
Kathy was immediately intrigued by James' picture, which showed him with his face painted green for St. Patrick's Day.
"I thought it was really funny," she said. "He seemed like he was fun and didn't take himself too seriously."
Plus, James passed one of Kathy's online rules.
"I had a strict 'swipe left' policy for anyone that was posing shirtless in a bathroom mirror," she said, referring to the Tinder practice of declining other users. "Luckily, he didn't have any pictures like that."
They had their first date at Bistro Rx on Feb. 17, 2014.
"When I first met him, I thought that he was very funny and sweet," she said. "We talked for three hours during our first date. He was thoughtful, planning dates based upon things I had mentioned in our conversations."
The two live in the Patterson Park neighborhood.
The proposal: James proposed to Kathy on Aug. 24, 2015.
The two went on a walk around Patterson Park, which is something they regularly did. A thunderstorm began, so they stopped at the pagoda for shelter.
"As we stood there, I saw him unzip his pocket out of the corner of my eye," Kathy recalled. "He pulled out the ring and said, 'Do you wanna?' With such a romantic proposal, I couldn't help but say yes. I had an inclination that something was up, but was still shocked."
Venue: Two hundred guests attended the wedding and ceremony at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen.
Flowers and decor: The colors of the wedding were blue and green. Kathy ordered the flowers — sunflowers and hydrangeas — on Amazon, and her mom made the bouquets, boutonnieres and centerpieces.
Her dress: Kathy's gown was by Wtoo Brides by Watters from Betsy Robinson Bridal Collection in Pikesville.
Bridesmaids' attire: Bridesmaids wore green dresses from David's Bridal.
Men's attire: James and the groomsmen wore tuxedos from Men's Wearhouse.
Music: DJ Dustin Lavelle provided the music. The couple's first dance was to "I Don't Dance" by Lee Brice.
Food and dessert: Ripken Stadium catered the wedding. Appetizers included crab dip, pigs in a blanket, vegetable quiches and beef-wrapped Gorgonzola cheese. Dinner consisted of carved turkey and ham, roasted potatoes and steamed green beans. The couple also served chocolate and vanilla cupcakes made by a friend.
Favors: The couple handed out Berger cookies and buckeyes, a chocolate-and-peanut-butter candy popular in Ohio, as favors.
Special touches: The couple plan to travel to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, for their honeymoon.
