Carrie & Russell
Carrie & Russell
A Localist Walks into a Bar ...
I’ve been trying to think of the quintessential Carrie-meets-Russell story, and I can’t do it. The truth is, we “met” a few times. There’s the time we joked about ski ball with my sister. The time he told me to stop reading a book at the bar (he says he has nothing against reading in bars and was just flirting). The time I realized he actually knew who I was because he donated to my Kickstarter to fund my book. The time my friend Michelle waited until I stepped away from our table, then waved Russell over and told him to ask me out. There’s the first time he asked me to hang out (to watch an Alabama championship game) and I said no, because I didn’t know enough about football and didn’t want to look stupid. There’s the time he actually asked me out, and I said yes. All those moments — every moment from the first several months that we knew each other, happened at Paramount, where Russell worked and I liked to hang out and eat french fries.
On our first date, we got into the subjects of religion and politics almost immediately. We disagreed about a lot, but one thing we agreed on was that those are subjects that matter, and if anything’s worth having a conversation about (and maybe even an argument over), it’s probably those things. We still have conversations like that all the time. I hope we have them for the rest of our lives. We still don’t always agree, but we’re better at seeing each other’s point of view now, and I think that makes us better at seeing other people’s views, too.
This past Christmas, Russell took me back to Paramount. They were closed, of course, but he convinced me they were having a small private staff party and asked if I wanted to stop by. I’m always up for Paramount, so I said yes. When we walked in, the place was empty except for Christmas lights. A song that we both love and that’s been a recurring favorite in our relationship was playing over the speakers. Russell brought me to the spot where we first met and got down on one knee. I’m honestly not sure what he said because I started crying, but I said yes. (Well, actually, I didn’t say anything, because I was crying too hard. But the yes was implied.)
Moments like this are meaningful to me, and Russell and I both want our wedding to be one of them. We'd love it if you’d come celebrate with us and meet a few of the other people who’ve been important in our lives. We’ll eat some cake and have some fun ... and maybe a few of us will even talk politics or religion. ;)
RSVP
Please Text to RSVP
Please RSVP by texting your name and the number in your party to 205-686-3585. You can also text questions and any clarifications you might need to that number and we'll answer. Don't worry if you don't see a response immediately; we'll be checking in every few days.
Venue Directions
Venue Directions
Our venue opens in the spring, so we’ll add better directions then. The address is 2912 6th Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35233; it’s near Birmingham’s Lakeview district, a few blocks away from Birmingham Breadworks. There will be plenty of free parking available.
Transportation & Accommodations
Traveling to Birmingham
Our airport is the Birmingham Shuttlesworth International Airport (for local flavor at the airport, grab Jim N Nicks or Good People). If you want to kill a few hours before your flight, East 59 Vintage & Café is about 10 minutes away, and they have good coffee, sandwiches, and plenty of seating so you can hang out for a bit. Birmingham also has an Amtrak station, Greyhound and Megabus — all those stations are really close to our venue (about 5 minutes driving or a half hour walk). Birmingham has Lyft and Uber; our cabs are really not dependable, so we wouldn't recommend taking a cab except from the airport, where they will be waiting.
Where to Stay
The closest hotels to the venue are the Redmont and the Tutwiler; both are historic hotels, so they’re very beautiful but also fairly pricey. Any hotel in Birmingham or the surrounding areas (Vestavia, Hoover, Mountain Brook) will be just fine and not far from the venue by car. If you’re looking for an AirBNB, the Lakeview, downtown and Highland Park neighborhoods are closest to the venue. Southside is also close, but be sure to check the reviews for safety concerns, since some parts of Southside are great and safe and some are a little more dodgy.
Things to Do in Birmingham
Things to Do in Birmingham
Paramount — If you want the true Russell-and-Carrie love story experience, Paramount is your #1 stop; it’s where we met, where we got to know each other, and where we got engaged. It also has incredible food, lots of local beer, sports on TV, and tons of video games.
Pizitz Food Hall — Less than 10 minutes from the venue, the Pizitz is your best all-around, open-all-the-time bet. Get a biscuit and coffee at Alabama Biscuit Company, try a cappuccino at Revelator, or grab some food: poké from Ono Poké is Russell’s favorite; Carrie likes the chicken pita from Eli’s, and we both love burgers and fries (or tater tots) from The Standard. Lichita's makes Russell’s favorite ice cream in the world. The Pizitiz is open early in the morning, into the night, and on the day of the wedding. Street parking is free on the weekends; on weekdays, you can park in the parking deck for two hours for free.
Birmingham Breadworks — With amazing bread and pastries, good brewed coffee and close proximity to our jiu jitsu gym (it's across the street), Birmingham Breadworks is one of our favorites; we both get coffee and ham & cheddar croissants. (They're closed on Sundays.)
Railroad Park & Rotary Trail — Railroad Park and the Rotary Trail are blocks away from each other, so you can visit both. Railroad Park is a great place to hang out, go for a run, play with kids (there's a playground) or just watch the trains. There’s lots to eat and drink right by the park, but the only place we usually frequent is Red Cat for coffee. (We usually go downtown to eat since it’s so close.) You can grab a selfie with the (probably) most Instagrammed sign in Birmingham at the end of Rotary Trail.
Birmingham Botanical Gardens — Our gardens are free and incredibly beautiful; wandering through them is a great way to spend a few hours. You can bring coffee or a picnic in if you’d like — Western Supermarket is across the street, so it's easy to grab a few snacks, a bottle of wine, or even a full meal — their hot bar meals are surprisingly tasty (they have biscuits in the morning and Southern favorites like fried chicken throughout the day).
Also in this neighborhood, you’ll find a couple of coffee options: Revelator is best if you’re looking for a perfect cappuccino, and O’Henry’s (inside Western) is a good choice if you hate fancy coffee shops and just want an old-school cup of dark roast. (There's also a Starbucks in the neighborhood if you're into that sort of thing.)
Brick & Tin is also nearby, and they have the best brisket in town (at least according to Carrie’s dad).
Open Mondays: Bamboo, Pizitz, Carrigan’s, Trattoria Centrale, Birmingham Breadworks, coffee shops
Open Sundays: Paramount, Pizitz, Trattoria Centrale (for brunch — there will be a long line, but it will be worth it), Chez Lulu (also a great brunch), Satellite for coffee