Edmonton biologists want you to come to their Nerd Nite wedding

He'sa paleontologist with an affinity for dinosaur tails, she'sa behavioural ecologist who is nuts about squirrels.

Both love science, sci-fi classics and long walks through the wilderness.

Amanda Kelleyand Scott Persons are two biologists in love.

When two self-proclaimed nerds fall for each other, they might attribute their attraction to chemistry, biology, pheromones, and maybe even physics.

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But Kelley and Persons need no such explanation.

From themoment they first locked eyes in ecology class at the University of Alberta four years ago, they knew there was no formula for those fireworks.

Their romance has since taken them across the country, and the worldfrom photographing African wildlifeto discovering the horned skull and skeleton of a new dinosaur in the badlands of Alberta.

I have a dinosaur tie picked out just for the event.- Scott Persons

Persons proposed at the edge of an inactive volcano inNgorongoroCrater inTanzania, Africa,after a memorable day of seeing lions, rhinos and zebras on a safari.

"That evening when we arrived at our lodge at the slopes of the crater, we went back to our room and I waited for Amanda out on the balcony,"Persons saidduring an interview on CBC Edmonton's Radio Active.

"I like tothink I did a pretty good job, because we had the jungle mist rolling in, and there was buffalo off in the distance foraging, and I proposed there."

"He did do a good job, I said yes. It was pretty convincing." Kelley said with a laugh.

And after a long courtship, they're finally tying the knot and you're invited.

Nerd Nite nuptials

Their wedding will be as non-traditional as the proposal.They'll be exchanging vows at a public Nerd Nite event at Edmonton's Old Timers Cabin.

And all Edmonton nerds are formally invited to theceremony on July 25, although seating is limited.

Nerd Nite centres aroundacademic talks about everything from computer coding to space exploration, and the couple'swedding will be no exception.

"When we first started planning the wedding, we started to think about the guests that were going to be there. We couldn't help but notice we had a lot of cool people that were coming,"Kelley said.

"So we thought we should take advantage of them and use them for our entertainment."

Persons'mentor, acclaimed paleontologistPhilip Currie,will set the tone for the evening with a talk called 'A Romantic World View of Dinosaurs.' He'll talk about "the secrets to a softer and sweeter side of dinosaurs" with a look at the courtship rituals of the prehistoric creatures.

Following that romantic interlude, fellow paleontologistRobert Bakker will take guests on an epic dinosaur battleas he tries to solve a 145 million-year-old murder mystery.

The happy couple can'twait to tie the knot in front of friends, family and fellow nerds from across the city.

"I have a dinosaur tie picked out just for the event," Persons said.

You are formally invited to the wedding ofAmanda Kelley and Scott Persons

• When:Monday, July 25, 2016
• Where:TheOld Timers Cabin(9430 99th St.)
• $20 in advance on saleMonday, June 27 at 9:30 a.m.
• Cash bar
• Dress code:Semi-formal. (Hey, it's a wedding, after all!)
• (Children 17 & Under Will Not Be Admitted)