Lydia & Emerson
Things To Do
Birmingham Zoo
Our own wonderful venue. We may be biased, but we always have a blast here--even when we're not get married. One of our first dates was here. We urge our guests to visit the zoo park if they're still feeling adventurous after the wedding celebrations. (Lydia's favorite exhibit is the otter habitat; Emerson's is the orangutang enclosure.)
Books Beans & Candles MS
The place of our very first date! Known as the home of the "witches on the hill," Books, Beans, and Candles sells metaphysical merchandise and runs a tearoom with the kitchen of their Victorian house.
Rojo
It's no coincidence that we chose to live within 5 minutes of Rojo in Highland Park. Having patroned this restaurant since she was five, Rojo is essentially the north star of Lydia's family. As a couple, this is our favorite restaurant to share a meal together and gather with our favorite people. We encourage guests to visit and pay their respects to Alabama's coolest Tex-Mex spot if they're looking for a place to eat.
Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema
Supporting the arts is close to both of our hearts. Sidewalk Film is a nonprofit and the creator and host of Birmingham's annual indie film festival, Sidewalk Film Festival (AKA one of our most-anticipated weekends of the summer). They also produce the SHOUT LGBTQ Film Festival and organize a wide variety of educational programs for aspiring filmmakers. This brick-and-mortar location features two screens, a bar with craft cocktails, and atomic decor with accents of movie references. If you get to catch a movie here, you can also visit the Pizitz Food Hall next door, which features dozens of local food and drinks as well as an outdoor courtyard.
Queen's Park
Co-owned by Laura Newman, who won the United States Bartender Guild (USBG) World Class competition, and became the first female bartender to win the title in the U.S. Needless to say, the people of Queen's Park are masters of cocktails. The interior is inspired by vintage glam, and offers cozy seating areas.
Rail Road Park
Named for the railroad tracks that border it, Railroad is the most popular park in the city. Lydia has also identified this as a great place to spot/meet dogs.
Saturn
An atomic-themed concert venue in the Avondale entertainment district. If you're not able to see a show, stop by to browse their selection of vintage games, including tabletop and video, and get a specialty cocktail or craft beer native to Birmingham.