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

What we really want is all of our friends and family together for our big day, but for the traditional gift-giver out there we are registered at: