Amanda McMurphy & Dustin Schroeder

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A WILDLY FUN CELEBRATION

STORY BY CHRIS CHRISTEN
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SOMETHING NEW PRODUCTIONS

Amanda McMurphy is wild about Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo. She visits there at least a dozen times a year.
She joked that she fell in love with Dustin Schroeder partly because he bought her zoo memberships throughout their courtship. “I have three years' worth of passes from him.”
Of course, there was more to the love story than walks through the Lied Jungle. But their shared appreciation for the zoo made it a natural place to hold their wedding ceremony and reception. “Our nieces and nephews were excited” when they learned of the location, Amanda recalls.
Amanda and Dustin exchanged vows May 28, 2011 in the Scott Kingdoms of the Seas Aquarium. The bridal procession passed through the aquarium tunnel (their favorite feature of the zoo) as sharks and other saltwater fish swam around and overhead. They then celebrated with a 320-person reception at Durham TreeTops Restaurant overlooking the jungle.
The couple used tangerine and shades of green in their wedding decor, and hung boxes of animal crackers on the chairs as favors for guests.
The Memorial Day holiday weekend proved ideal for out-of-town guests. On May 30, Amanda and Dustin participated in a 5K run at Boys Town. Then they were off to Montego Bay, Jamaica, for a six-day honeymoon. 