SPANISH FORT, Ala. — With all the holiday parties, toy drives, choral cantatas and sleigh sightings during December, it’s easy to overlook a quiet little ceremony in Bay Minette.

The staff at 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center couldn’t let a wedding joining two of their own go completely unnoticed, though, so a simple picture of Capt. Michael Dorie and the former Kellie Cuhaj — accompanied by an apropos nautical knot — graces the cover of the facility’s most recent newsletter.

“We wish you a long and happy life together,” the message reads, and Kellie Dorie said the low-key nuptials exemplify the couple’s style.

“We went down to a little chapel about two blocks from the courthouse in Bay Minette,” she said.

Capt. Michael Dorie operates both WildNative Inc. and 5 Rivers Delta Safaris.

Kellie Dorie, a Daphne native who works as an educator for the environmental education center and in its Cypress Gift Shop, said she met her husband when she joined the 5 Rivers family two-and-a-half-years ago. They began dating six months later.

“It’s really nice that he’s here, and that we have that in common. It’s good to be able to go home and talk about your frustrations or your successes and know the other person understands exactly where you’re coming from,” she said, adding, “It’s nice that we’re a partnership at home and at work.”

Michael Dorie clarified that they don’t actually work side by side.

“She works for the state of Alabama and I am the co-owner of a private tour company. My company has a variety of locations that we operate from, and 5 Rivers just happens to be one of them,” he said.

5 Rivers Manager Hank Burch wished the couple well, but couldn’t help taking a little glee in their “quiet little wedding.”

“Yep, we’ve married off some of our staff,” Burch said. “I think that we’ve been fortunate here with our staffing to bring in good people who have a common interest in the beauty and diversity of the delta and the overall mission of our facility. With that much common ground, I guess one thing led to another and they can now carpool to work.”