Howdy family and friends!

We are less than two weeks away from doing the dang thing y’all! We are so excited to have each and every one of you in Wilmington with us as we tie the knot and embark on our next chapter in our journey together. It means more than we can put into words that y’all all traveled here to be a part of our special day(s). Alex and I are so grateful for each of you and couldn’t imagine getting married without all of our people surrounding us in one of the most fabulous places on earth.

As we get down to a single digit days countdown, we wanted to send out some timeline, attire, and general event reminders as well as mention some must-sees and top eateries we recommend as you discover how amazing Wilmington is!

Wedding Weekend Kickoff - Friday, May 24th @ 6 PM

The Palm Room – 11 East Salisbury St., Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480

Calling all of our Rhinestone Cowboys! Kick off our wedding weekend with us at The Palm Room! Listen to live music, grab your favorite drink and leave having met new friends to disco on the dance floor with us on Sunday night!

Attire: Cowboy Disco – think Rodeo meets Disco via Sequins! Men: boots are a MUST, cowboy hats are strongly encouraged. Women: boots are a MUST, sequins are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED and disco vibes are requested 😊

*please note – there will be metered street parking around the bar. Ubers are encouraged/readily available in the area.

Rehearsal Dinner – Saturday, May 25th @ 6 PM

Country Club of Landfall – Dye Club House – 1550 Landfall Dr., Wilmington, NC 28405

Rehearsal Dinner is by invitation only with the welcome party for all guests immediately following at 8 PM.

Attire: Cocktail – no jeans or khakis for men. Sportscoat/jacket with slacks/dress pant or a suit required for country club

*please note – there will be ample parking and should be plenty of ubers available in the area. When you arrive at the front gate of Landfall, let the security guard know you are attending the Pollak/Barrett event at the Dye Club House.

Welcome Drinks – Saturday, May 25th @ 8 PM

Country Club of Landfall – Dye Club House – 1550 Landfall Dr., Wilmington, NC 28405

All guests are invited to join us for an evening cocktail as we share stories and laughs leading up to the BIG day on Sunday!

Attire: Cocktail - no jeans or khakis for men. Sportscoat/jacket with slacks/dress pant or a suit required for country club

*please note – there will be ample parking and should be plenty of ubers available in the area. When you arrive at the front gate of Landfall, let the security guard know you are attending the Pollak/Barrett event at the Dye Club House.

Wedding Ceremony – Sunday, May 26th at 3:30 PM

St. Andrew’s On-the-Sound Episcopal Church – 101 Airlie Road, Wilmington, NC 28403

All guests are invited to be witnesses to our union in marriage.

Attire: Black Tie – women, please note you will need to walk through grass throughout the days’ events. Make proper considerations for your shoes.

*please note – we will be providing transportation FROM the church TO the Pollak residence for the reception. You may leave your car at the church overnight but must retrieve it by 10 AM Monday morning. We also will have ample parking down the street from the Pollak residence should you prefer to drive yourself and you can leave your car there overnight as well.

Wedding Reception – Sunday, May 26th at 4:30 PM – the break of dawn

The Pollak Residence – 6450 Shinnwood Rd., Wilmington, NC 28409

All guests are invited and strongly encouraged to enjoy cocktails and lite bites then dinner and dancing immediately following the ceremony. Even after Emily and Alex “sail off,” we will continue the evening's celebrations into the evening as there is a Mike Pollak signature Moon Rise coming your way around 11:40 PM. Late night bites and night caps will be served – so be sure to pace yourselves friends!!! As a heads up - sunset is at 8:14 PM and the moon rise is at 11:43 PM.

Transportation note: keep in mind this is a holiday weekend and there will likely be police checkpoints throughout the weekend so we recommend taking ubers or coordinating a designated driver ahead of time.

RSVP Black Car Services https://rsvpblackcar.com

Azalea Limo https://www.azalealimo.com

Dragan Limocab and Black Car Service https://www.draganlimo.com/

Downtown Wilmington

Wilmington is a uniquely positioned town, with a coastal beach vibe tied in with a quaint, small town on the river. The downtown area is filled with coffee shops, wine bars, eclectic restaurants, boutique shops and so much more. Wilmington has been known as one of the most iconic film locations for many movies and television shows - you can find plenty of your favorite show's iconic backdrops in downtown Wilmington as well. Check out the Cargo District and the Historic Front Street. Near (ish to downtown is also one of the largest gardens of Venus Fly Traps as they are native to Wilmington - Mere insists this is worth the visit!

Our favorite restaurants downtown are Benny's Big Time Pizzeria, Mariposa Tapas Bar, and Caprice Bistro

Wrightsville Beach

WB is one of the most whimsical and picturesque beach towns you will ever visit. Take some time strolling the island by walking "The Loop" - a 2.5 mile loop around Wrightsville Beach.

Be sure to take advantage of being at this incredible beach and enjoy a beach day or two.

For easy meals on the beach, we recommend Zeke's, Drift Coffee, Vito's Pizza, Tower 7, Shark Bar, Dockside and King Neptune’s.

Other favorite spots around town for dinner: Kippos (910-492-2893), Origins (910-769-0041), and Perla (910-239-9094)

Other favorite spots around town for lunch: Blueberry’s Grille, Sweet n Savory, Flaming Amys, K-38, Spoonfed, The Half, Mess Hall, The Cheese Smith

Bars and Hangouts with food: Satellite, Ponysaurus, The Ibis, The Concord

We CANNOT wait to see everyone and kick off the celebrations so soon! If you need anything or have any questions, please check the website first, text your buddy who is coming to the wedding too second, then if you still have any other questions, text one of Alex or my family members so they can assist - sort of kidding but not really! LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!

Love, Emily and Alex