Hotel Indigo Athens

Rehearsal Dinner

Welcome Cocktails

Taylor Grady House

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Reception

Dear Family and Friends, We are so excited to see you and so grateful you have traveled to our favorite city to celebrate with us! Below, you will find a few important details about our ceremony and reception: Our ceremony &amp; reception will all be held at 634 Prince Avenue We will be celebrating with an open bar! We encourage you to designate a driver or use ride-share services such as Uber or Lyft. Because our venue does not have a place to turn around, ride-share drop-off and pick-up will be located at Cobbham Triangle Park,695 Prince Avenue Parking will also available at the following locations and will be marked with event parking signs: Clarke County School DistrictLive-point Dental Office740 Prince Medical Commons With love, Charlotte &amp; Conner

Our Wedding

These stories were written separately and not shared with each other until after they were finished, so enjoy! If you ask Conner... It all started September 8th, 2018. Just like any other Saturday in college, my friends and I drank all day watching Georgia beat down on South Carolina and then headed downtown for obligatory victory beers. At some point during our time out on the town, I stumbled into General Beauregard’s on Clayton St - a fine southern drinking establishment. As I meandered near the back of the crowd, I saw a real life princess near the door in a blank stare gazing right at me. So I did what any reasonable person would do, I told the drunk guy to my left “that girl is staring at me, I’m going to go talk to her”. As she walked my way, the drunk guy to my left beat me to the punch and started dancing with her. I was lucky because this joker had two left feet and was somehow shorter than she was. I summoned up my liquid courage and bumped him out of the way to dance with my new found love at 1am. I must have made somewhat of a positive impression because I ended up getting her number - score one for the good guys! I woke up and contemplated the very important next day text to my new found southern princess belle queen and I shot and scored again - first date secured! I took her to my go-to first date spot in Athens, Iron Factory. You’re probably thinking “Conner you had a go-to first date spot?” yeah I did, it was the nicest place I could afford and I had a terrible first date there a month prior so I knew where the backdoor was if it went south. I was able to reverse my Iron Factory fortune and we officially started dating sometime in December 2018 between getting back from Thanksgiving and semester finals ,we have no idea when the actual date is so we made December 1st, 2018 as our official dating anniversary. We dated the rest of my senior year, which was her sophomore year, and boy did we have fun. College ruled.&nbsp; I moved to Atlanta to start my working career and she was still in Athens for the next three years of undergrad &amp; grad school. We did long distance Atlanta to Athens for three years! It sounds crazy now but honestly we were young &amp; dumb and didn’t know any better so we just kept going. Man those Sunday 1.5 hour drives home really, really, really sucked. But I de facto had 3 extra years of college through Charlotte and that was awesome. Then Charlotte finished grad school and moved to Atlanta and I was still on the road every week for work. Those first few months of adjusting to us both being in the same city all the time were tough, everybody gives advice on how to do long distance but nobody tells you how hard it is to be close to each other again. And then we did the thing, we moved in together. Wow, I was not prepared to not live in a bachelor pad anymore. I went from having life size cutouts of Dale Sr and Dale Jr with 2 TVs in the living room to having candles everywhere. It took some adjusting but let me tell you this - I am marrying one HELL of a cook and I am more spoiled more than you know. Please do not feel bad for me that I have to do all the laundry, fold on the clothes, do all the dishes, clean and vacuum all the floors, take out all the trash, etc etc etc. Again, please do not feel bad for me because I am well fed. Charlotte is the absolute love of my life. She makes my world go round and makes everything better. She is the best life partner and I could not imagine doing life without her. What I love most about her? She loves like Jesus does. No conditions, no “yeah, buts”, she just loves with her whole being. She is the most beautiful girl in the world with a heart of gold and soul full of joy and adventure. Although it hasn’t always been easy, we have always battled and fought for each other - we have grit &amp; determination and a love that knows no bounds. She is the best in the world and I will shout that from the mountain tops for the rest of my days. I love you Paris and back a billion times Char, I cannot wait to marry you! If you ask Charlotte... If you told me the day I met Conner was the day I would meet the person I would spend my life loving, I would have thought you were crazy. It was September 8th, 2018 and I had my best friend (and maid of honor!), Mary Grace, visiting me in Athens from Clemson. If you knew Mary Grace sophomore year, you knew that she always liked to visit this little country music bar known as Gens when she came to Athens. It was not a bar that I frequently went to, but it is a great time and shes very convincing so why not! Probably 4+ drinks into our night, this very tall guy with a beard whisks me away (and mind you it was mid-dance with this other guy that all I can remember had red hair and was probably only 3 inches taller than me). After dancing to a couple 90s country songs, I ask this mystery man his name. I swear I thought I heard him say "Karlyn" three times before I gave up and accepted that it wasn't worth the effort of asking to repeat himself for a forth time. It wasn't until he put his number in my phone that finally figured out that his name was Conner and that I have terrible hearing. After a short conversation, we parted ways and I honestly forgot about him until he texted me the next morning while I was eating breakfast. Luckily, we have never stopped texting since that morning! He asked me out on a first date the week after we met. We went to a Korean BBQ restaurant downtown (RIP Iron Factory). My first green flag was that a guy from the suburbs knew about and liked Korean BBQ, which I would quickly find out was the only surprising food that he had tried and liked since moving to Athens. As we all know now, I quickly introduced him to all my favorite foods (sushi and oysters) and they have turned into our favorite foods. Conner was a senior and I was a sophomore, so I knew that he would be graduating soon and this was just what we would call a "situationship." Before I knew it, I was meeting his roommates, his cousin, and all his friends from all parts of his life, and I was falling in love with him very quickly. When we finally "defined the relationship" and I started to refer to him as my boyfriend, I wasn't very hopeful it would last past his graduation. He was moving to Atlanta and he hadn't even said "I love you" to me yet. Well fast forward 7 months to the day he moved out of Athens and of course that was the day we decided admit we loved each other and to try a commuter relationship from Atlanta to Athens. Don't get me wrong, only seeing each other on the weekends wasn't easy. But the 3 years we spent driving to see each other solidified my feelings that I would do anything for Conner and I knew he would do the same for me. Conner supported me through some very difficult moments and sacrificed a lot just to spend time with me. We traveled, discovered some of our favorite restaurants and bars, and got to know each other better than we probably know ourselves. Through that, I found my best friend and biggest cheerleader. After 3 years of driving back and forth from Atlanta to Athens, I finally graduated from grad school and moved back to Atlanta. Woohoo! During that first year, we moved in together to our beloved Virginia Highland house and combined all of our belongings (which is so much harder than people talk about!). I probably asked the question "when are we getting engaged?" every day if not multiple times a day. I was so passionate about marrying Conner that I did not care how many times I annoyed him with that question. Well, after a very long wait (if you know you know), Conner finally asked me to marry him in the most dreamy, romantic city in the world! After that, we had the best trip exploring Europe together and enjoying starting our new season of life together. And I know Conner was so happy to finally change the topic of getting engaged to planning our dream wedding! We are so thankful to everyone who has supported our love story and are extremely lucky to have wonderful role models to teach us what we want our marriage to be. We cannot wait to celebrate with all of our favorite people soon in Athens!

Our story: 

Our Story

Engaged in Paris - June 29th, 2024

Photos

Weekend Itinerary

Wedding Party

Q + A

If you would like to book outside of these dates, please call the sales department at 706.286.1712.

Hotel Indigo Athens Downtown - Univ Area, an IHG Hotel

Traveling to Athens for the wedding:

If you’re flying in, the nearest major airport is Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), which is about 1.5 hours away from Athens. Option 1: Renting a CarRenting a car at ATL is a great option if you’d like the flexibility to explore Athens and the surrounding areas. Directions from the airport to Athens are to take I-85 N for approximately 21 miles and then take SR-316E toward Athens. We apologize in advance for any Atlanta traffic you might hit on your journey. There are several rental car companies at the airport, and we are happy to help you book or recommend our favorites.Option 2: Taking a Groome ShuttleIf you prefer not to drive, Groome Transportation offers shuttle service between Atlanta and Athens. The shuttle ride takes approximately 1.5 hours, and reservations are recommended. You can book your shuttle directly through their website (link below) or by calling their customer service (706- 612-1155).Athens has plenty of Ubers that you can use to explore Athens if you choose to use Groome. If you need additional travel details or assistance, feel free to reach out to us! Safe travels!

Groome Transportation

Travel

Our Favorite Restaurants 

Best sushi in Athens! If going with a group, book a karaoke room by calling 706-206-6800. Karaoke and sushi - what's better than that!

Shokitini

Best cuban (also Kirby Smart's favorite) you will ever have with an awesome atmosphere! This restaurant is BYOB and charges $2/person and gives you a bucket of ice. We recommend stopping at Five Points Bottle Shop down the street to buy some local beer! Used to be cash only and TBD if it still is.

Cali N Tito's

Classic southern food! Arguably the best restaurant in Athens. You can also book a clear igloo to eat outside in the winter. Be sure to get a reservation to eat here.

Last Resort Grill

An all timer! Good for lunch or dinner and Sunday brunch. The Place is so good it has been featured on College Game Day. Quaint, cozy space located in the heart of downtown across from North Campus.

The Place

The perfect blend of amazing Athens food and quirky, local feel. The BEST burger and fries in Athens and fantastic drink menu. A great option for lunch or dinner - you won't regret it!

Trappeze Pub

You want local Athens weirdness? You've come to the right spot. As weird as White Tiger is, the BBQ and the food is equally as good.

White Tiger Athens

Voted best lunch in Athens by notable food critic, Conner Gates. Out of this world sandwiches, damn good personal pizzas, quick service, and cold beer. Located in downtown, this is a great spot to stop in for a superb lunch experience.

Ted's Most Best

Our most beloved bagel spot in Athens! Can cure even your worst hangover.

Ideal Bagel Co

The new kid on the block and came to play. It started in a trailer 20 mins outside of Athens and did so well they opened up a spot in Athens! The best coffee, donuts, and biscuits in town. Please stop here and grab a cool sticker to take home.

Cafe Racer

Our Favorite Bars and Breweries

Want award winning beer? You've found the spot. Located in downtown, you can stop in here for a beer or 12. Please note there is no food here (but there is plenty of food very close).

Creature Comforts Downtown Taproom and Brewery

A quaint drinking establishment with great views of North Campus. You won't find many students here as this is an older much more chill crowd. We highly recommend you stop here for a cocktail or a beer. Note this can be hard to find - look for a staircase next to the bubble cafe.

Blue Sky Bar

An amazing rooftop bar! Go in through the side entrance on W Clayton Street and take the elevator up.

Georgia Theatre

Conner &amp; Charlotte's favorite bar in Athens. Many drinks and fun times have been had over the years at Mags. You will find older college and grad/law school students here but don't fret - all are welcome. Great outdoor patio to people watch in the heart of downtown.

Magnolias of Athens

Charlotte's go-to spot after work in grad school. A little outside of the downtown area, but has great beer and even better food.

Akademia Brewing Company

An Athens hidden gem. Located in the basement of The Pine restaurant (which is also a great tapas spot). This is an older crowd bar and you won't find many students here. Walk around to the back of the building to enter. A great after dinner bar if you eat in five points.

The Root

The best arcade bar there ever was. Play Mario Kart with your friends, dunk on your wife in NBA jam, or just relax and enjoy a serious game of Jenga. All games are FREE, this is not a drill! Play until you can't play anymore. Conner is begging you to please go.

Wonderbar Athens

Where our love story began! This is the Athens country bar filled with college kids and proud blue collar locals. Please do not spend a lot of time here!! It smells like 20 years of college kids drinking and I am not even sure if the bathrooms are still operational. We put this on here so you can peak in - we met right in front of the stairs to the right.

General's Athens

Things to do

A little bit outside of town but well worth the drive! There is a great indoor area, walking trails, and a playground.

The State Botanical Garden of Georgia

Bring your clubs and play at the UGA golf course. Home to Georgia's golf team but also open to the public. It's a great track! Book your tee time through the link.

University Golf Course

Some of Charlotte's favorite shopping is in Athens! Check out Heery's Clothes Closet, Cheeky Peach, and The Indigo Child!

Shopping in Downtown

Home to non-releasable native animals to the state of Georgia and a great walking trail!

Bear Hollow Zoo

One of the things Athens is known for is all it's great breweries! Athens Trolly Tours runs a beer trail tour on Thursdays and Fridays and we highly recommend booking if you are coming to town a little early!

Charlotte & Conner

Charlotte & Conner

Registry