The Upstairs at Avondale Brewing Company

Rehearsal

Rehearsal Dinner

Avondale Brewing Company

Welcome Party

The Barn At Shady Lane

Wedding Day

Up-Down Birmingham

After Party

Good People Brewing Company

The Day After

Winter

Our Wedding

Our Story

Photos

Terrance Jackson

Kelsey Moore

Robyn Hill

Renée Reinecke

Emmett Smith

Amber Gibson

Annie Simpson

Samuel Floyd

Emma Bigley

Josh Howells

Steff Jones

Rhod Perryman

Elwyn Rhys Evans

Benjie Talbott

Jessie Brooks

Tom Lloyd

Georgia Goold Jones

Wedding Party

For our international guests:Firstly, we are so honored that you are making the journey to Alabama to be with us for our wedding weekend! We suggest you plan on getting to Birmingham by Friday, February 13th, at the latest, as arriving flights tend to get in late in the evening. We want you to have Saturday to rest and manage jet lag before the celebrations begin!There are no direct international flights to Birmingham from the UK, Australia, or Japan, so you will most likely have a flight connection in Atlanta, Charlotte, Philadelphia, or Dallas. Please make sure to leave enough time to go through immigration between flights! Once you are through immigration, you will have to pick up your bag, hand it to security, and then go through security yourself (again) before boarding your domestic flight to Birmingham. Please check if you need an ESTA visa to travel to the US. The application fee is $21 and can take up to 3 days to process. Application and information be found at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta For our US guests:We are also so thrilled you are making your way from all over the country to share in our celebration! We would love to have you at the welcome party on Saturday evening, so we suggest you arrive no later than Saturday afternoon. For everyone:The airport code for Birmingham Shuttlesworth International Airport is BHM. Make sure to listen up for Morgan Freeman's voice during the airport announcements. :) If flying into Atlanta (airport code ATL) is a better option for you and more affordable, there is a shuttle service that runs between Atlanta and Birmingham - <a href="https://groometransportation.com/birmingham/?&amp;sd_client_id=205e7dca-a54f-45b6-bc91-47825fb2468c" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Groome Transportation</a>.

Getting Around Town

We have planned the weekend and locations to (hopefully) make it as easy as possible for you to enjoy Birmingham! There are plenty of restaurants, bars, and activities within walking distance of all downtown Birmingham hotels. For the welcome party:We suggest using Uber to get to Avondale Brewing Company! Please know that this is Valentine's Day so we suggest booking a ride in advance. For the wedding ceremony and reception:We have a shuttle service that carries 40 passengers that will be available to our guests. Guests who have RSVP'd "yes" to the shuttle will be contacted by Nat &amp; Gruff to confirm their seat. The shuttle schedule will depart from the Hilton Garden Inn/Home2 Suites at 3:50 pm on Sunday to bring guests to the wedding. If your seat on the shuttle has been confirmed, please be on the shuttle by 3:45 pm.There will be one early departure from the wedding reception back to the hotels at 8 pm, otherwise the final departure at the end of the reception will be 9:15 pm. This shuttle will make a stop at Hilton Garden Inn/Home2 Suites then Up Down (the after party location). You are also more than welcome to get a rental car or take an Uber or cab to/from the wedding! If you plan to use an Uber or cab, we highly suggest booking your ride in advance as the wedding venue is not downtown and waiting times could be long. If you plan to use a rental car, please make sure you have a designated driver! There is ample free parking at the wedding venue.

Hotels

We do not have a wedding hotel block for our guests, but we recommend the following hotels for being close to attractions, restaurants, and Nat and Gruff! :) Nat and Gruff will be staying at the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Birmingham (18th Street South). The Hilton Garden Inn Downtown and the Home2Suites Downtown are next door to each other. This is also where the wedding guest shuttle will pick up and is a 12-minute walk from the after party location, so we recommend staying at one of these two hotels.

Our top recommendation!Next door to the Home2Suites.Natalie and Gruff are staying at this hotel.The wedding shuttle will pick up from this location and these two hotels are a 12-minute walk from the after party location.

Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Birmingham

Our top recommendation!Next door to the Hilton Garden Inn where Nat and Gruff are staying.The wedding shuttle will pick up from this location and these two hotels are a 12-minute walk from the after party location.

Home2 Suites by Hilton Birmingham Downtown

A 15-minute walk from the wedding shuttle pick up location and 20-minute walk from the after party location.

The Kelly Birmingham, Tapestry Collection by Hilton

For those guests who would like a more upscale hotel, we recommend the Elyton.A 12-minute walk from the wedding shuttle pick up location and 20-minute walk from the after party location.

Elyton Hotel, Autograph Collection

Travel

Q + A

One of Natalie's favorite childhood activities, and now a place that she and Gruff share together because of his love of science.A wonderful museum housing interactive science exhibitions and experiments, a 5-story IMAX dome theatre showing documentaries and movies, a "touch tank" aquarium, and fossils of Alabama dinosaurs.

McWane Science Center

A must-do in Birmingham. This eye-opening museum documents what life was like before and during the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham in the 1960s. After you visit the museum, why not walk across the street to the historic 16th Street Baptist Church where you can see a stained glass window donated by the people of Wales following the 1963 bombing.

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

Birmingham's brewery scene is not to be missed! Some of our favorites are below:Good People Brewing Co.Avondale Brewing (welcome party location!)Cahaba BrewingBack Forty Beer Company

Visit a brewery

Natalie grew up performing in the community theatre scene in Birmingham. This community holds a very dear place in her heart to this day, not just because her dad continues to perform in shows across the city. Why not support some local theatre while you're here?Natalie's favorites include:Birmingham Festival TheatreVirginia Samford TheatreTerrific New TheatreTheatre DowntownRed Mountain Theatre Company

Attend a local theatre production

The "moon" over Birmingham :) Vulcan, the Roman god of the forge, is the largest cast iron statue in the world. He watches over the city of Birmingham in a nod to its industrial roots.The museum hosts exhibits about the coal, iron, and steel industry in Birmingham, while the park is home to Vulcan himself. You can take an elevator up to the upper platform for a great view over the city!

Vulcan Park and Museum

Originally built in 1927, the Alabama is a staple of downtown architecture. From live music to classic movies, this stunning vaudeville theatre will take your breath away when you walk in... not to mention most performances begin with a short concert on the original 1927 Wurlitzer Opus pipe organ - AKA "Big Bertha"Bonus fun fact: This is where all of Natalie's dance recitals took place from the ages of 4 to 18!

Alabama Theatre

A 19-acre park in the heart of downtown Birmingham that celebrates the industrial and artistic heritage of the city. Voted #7 best city park by USA Today in 2024!

Railroad Park Foundation

The Birmingham Museum of Art houses a diverse collection of more than 29,000 paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings, and decorative arts dating from ancient to modern times. The collection presents a rich panorama of cultures, featuring the Museum’s extensive holdings of Asian, European, American, African, Pre-Columbian, and Native American art.Free to visit and open Tuesdays - Saturdays.

Natalie & Gruff

Natalie & Gruff

Wedding Party