This is a nice beach to visit, not too far from the venue! It is quant, has many surrounding dining options and is easy to access. The water may even be warm enough to swim in by May (especially if you are used to the cold water up north)!

This is a nice place to take a walk! There are rocky areas, a beach, paths and more! We recommend going at sunset and grabbing Britts Donuts on the way (our favorite doughnuts)!

Our favorite doughnuts! Totally worth the trip... get at least 6 per person... trust us!

If you want to visit a typical/cheesy beach boardwalk with an arcade, funny novelties and gifts, bars, food and a small fair, this is for you! There is also access to Carolina Beach in walking distance.

If you want local ice cream, get a scoop from here! There are two locations. We prefer the location in the Brooklyn arts district (address shared) where you can walk south from the shop towards local breweries (Edward Teach and Flytrap) and a few food options. Right next door (Palate) is a local wine bar with local beer options as well! The other location is in a shopping center with many restaurant options and boutiques, but it is more modern. Other location: 1127 Military Cutoff Rd

Downtown Wilmington is cute and small. It is an easy few hours you can spend somewhere with lots of shops to visit, food to eat, older buildings to see and a lot of random activities to partake in! These include: Museum of the Bizarre, an escape room, the riverwalk (it is a nice stroll), ghost tours, food tours, historic tours... and probably more that we don't know about! There are a few breweries, two wine bars (we recommend Wine Knot as it is hidden on a high floor of an office building), a multitude of restaurants and many clothing shops and boutiques!

There is a reason why we took our engagement photos here! We're hotdog people and this hole-in-a-wall run by the sweetest older southern lady is the spot for the perfect dog-fix. If you need one, grab one here!

This is a really nice area to visit for a long walk! They are beautiful gardens that have super old oak trees including the ancient Airlie Oak, dating back to 1545! It is free to visit on the 1st Sunday of each month (aka May 4th).

Yummy fresh pasta! They offer other great dishes and appetizers as well.

Super locally sourced food, the Chef is a friend and it is southern-style cuisine.

Well-prepared seafood in a very pretty environment! The owner of this restaurant is a dear friend of ours and Julia's family. He also owns Circa 1922 and Origins, both wonderful restaurants to visit as well!

Our favorite burger spot in town!

Another beach in the area to visit if you'd like to take a drive about 30 minutes north!

This area of town is newer and comprised of renovated cargo containers. There are bars, places to grab food, a plant shop, vintage clothing stores, a cider brewery, an arcade, a building dedicated to art and art classes and more!

The owners of this restaurant are also fisherman and oyster farmers (super cool)! They are as local as it gets and great people. If you want hyper-local food from Wilmington and the surrounding area, this is your place.

A cool bar to visit if you want to play some games and you like dive bars!

A great local coffee shop and roaster close to the venue! It is a hidden gem on a more industrial street, so be sure not to drive past! They have great coffee and yummy breakfast options.

Not only is there a water park, but there is also an arcade, laser tag, go carts and a kids jungle gym area. This is great for all-age fun!

This is a great coffee shop! We love the atmosphere and the coffee is great! It is in a nice older building downtown Wilmington.

This is a cute coffee shop to sit down at and hang out if you have some work to do on your computer or if you want to read a book. It is a house on Wrightsville Ave that was renovated into a shop!

A classic southern-style diner with a 70s vibe! Cheap and easy food. Very straight forward breakfast! Small booths and bar seats only.

A solid option for breakfast and lunch offering southern-style breakfast as well as classics! This is downtown Wilmington!

This restaurant is a great option for a simple and solid meal! Nothing fancy, but hits the spot! They offer breakfast, lunch and dinner but this varies depending on the day of the week.

This is one of our favorite bars! Very laid back, family and dog friendly and usually have live music going on! There is a delicious taco place attached to it as well called Block Taco.

Really cool and unique spot for game-lovers! They have a whole area for board game playing, a room for VR and an open room concept for video game playing. Each section represents a different era of gaming! Pretty cool!