Welcome to Wilmington

FAQs

  • Rehearsal Dinner ~ Cocktail Attire, no tie

    Welcome Party ~ Coastal Cocktail - sundresses, maybe a jacket but definitely no tie

    Wedding ~ Black Tie Optional - we love a tuxedo and floor length dress, but nice dark suits and fancy shorter dresses are also welcome! Be sure to bring dancing shoes

  • All wedding weekend events are 21+ to ensure the relaxation and enjoyment of all of our guests. We kindly request that you leave your children at home for the weekend.

    If your invitation has indicated that you are welcome to bring a date, please do so and let us know their name on the rsvp card. Otherwise, please only respond for the guests listed on the envelope so we can keep our festivities limited to the people we know and love.

  • Uber/Lyft is widely available in Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach but not on Figure Eight Island.

    If you would like to have more flexibility in exploring Wilmington and the surrounding area, then a car rental is a great idea, but it is not necessary for the weekend’s events if you are staying downtown or on Figure Eight Island. Please see the Transportation Schedule tab for more details.

  • Wrightsville Beach is a wonderful beach less than 20 minutes from downtown. There are many public beach accesses, restaurants, bars and shops on the island, with some of our favorites listed below. 

    Please note that only residents and those renting houses can access the beach on Figure Eight since it is a private community.

Things To Do

Historic Downtown Wilmington

We recommend exploring via foot. There is a beautiful riverwalk and numerous bars, restaurants, shops, and art galleries all located in historic buildings. Some of our favorites are below.

  • Drift Coffee & Kitchen - good coffee & breakfast

    Hidden Grounds Coffee - cute coffee shop with a nice patio

    The Half - amazing sandwiches

    Cousins Deli - great subs and melts

    The Copper Penny - great bar food

  • Circa 1922 - tapas

    Caprise Bistro - French

    Savores - Panamanian; good margaritas

    Tarantellis - delicious pasta

    Dram Yard - amazing food and drinks

    Yosake - casual Asian with cocktails

    RUMCOW - tapas

    Olivero - great Italian/Spanish food, a little further away

  • The Market - cute wine shop on the water

    The Ibis - great coffee in the morning and cocktails in the afternoon

    The Underfront Co. - great cocktails in underground lounge

    Gazebo Bar - outdoor bar with fire pits and good cocktails

    Prost Beer Garden - outdoor German beer garden

    Breweries - Ponysaurus, Front Street, Edward Teach

Cargo district

The Cargo District is a vibrant, new social district less than a 10 minute drive from the downtown Aloft Hotel. It is known for its use of repurposed shipping containers to house small businesses, restaurants, and shops. We recommend taking a quick Uber or driving over to the Cargo District to explore during the day.  Some of our recommendations are below.

  • Rift - great bar with food (The Mess Hall)

    Alcove Beer Garden & Beat Street Tacos - fun for drinks and tacos

    Tap Yard - cool outdoor bar

    Hi-Wire Brewery - good outdoor brewery

Wrightsville beach

Wrightsville Beach is a coastal island with loads of beach town charm and a gorgeous public beach, around a 20 minute drive or Uber from historic downtown Wilmington.  We recommend packing a day bag and visiting for breakfast or lunch if you want to check out the beach, piers or Intracoastal waterfront, or getting your exercise by walking/running the Wrightsville Beach Loop. 

  • Sundays - great coffee and smoothies near Crystal Pier

    Adapt Kitchen & Juice Bar - coffee near the main strip of Wrightsville 

    The Workshop - coffee & smoothies/breakfast near the main strip of Wrightsville 

    Drift Cafe - good sit down breakfast on the way onto the island

    Zeke's - coffee & acai bowls on the way onto the island

  • Trolley Stop - famous beach hot dogs

    Tower 7 Baja Mexican Grill - delicious Mexican and margaritas

    Oceanic - dining on the pier (we recommend the drinks over the food, but the location is great!)

    Blue Water / Dockside - famous intracoastal waterway bars/restaurants on the way to the island

    Shark Bar & Kitchen - food/drinks near Johnny Mercer's Pier