The Ceremony

The Ceremony will take place at 4:00pm in front of the Matheson House. This designated historic building, is the third oldest house in Gainesville. It is conveniently located at the heart of downtown. In case of inclement weather, we will convene inside the Matheson Museum (just next door), which exhibits the history of Alachua county and surrounding areas. Parking is available.

photo of the house

The Reception

Following the ceremony, we will celebrate with a cocktail at Alpin Bistro at 5:00pm. Refreshements, cheeses, charcuteries, and sweets will be served. Alpin is within walking distance from the ceremony (less than 10 min).

Alpin

Additional Information

Accommodations

If you are from out of town and need accommodations, we suggest you stay at one of the Bed and Breakfasts situated close to downtown. There are many hotels, with the Hampton Inn conveniently situated half-way between the locations for the ceremony and the reception. Airbnb is also an option.

Restaurants

Gainesville offers a good selection of restaurants. Dragonfly is a Japanese restaurant with sushi and small plates. Crane makes delicious ramen, and is one of our favorite places. If you are looking for pizza, Satchel’s is a Gainesville institution, V pizza makes good Italian-style pizzas, and Big Lou’s makes New York style ones. The Top serves New American food, and has a seperate bar with a large selection of drinks. For a special dinner in an intimate atmosphere Manuel’s Vintage Room makes good pasta and steaks.

For lunch, the Vine Bakery and Daily Green offer quick, fresh, healthy options (vegetarian/vegan friendly).

For authentic and inexpensive Mexican food, check out El Indio and La Tienda

Our local breweries include First Magnitude and Swamp Head.

Things to do

The natural areas around Gainesville are spectacular. Just outside of town, Payne’s Prairie (the La Chua Trail is a local favorite) and Sweetwater Park give you the opportunity to see alligators and many bird species. A little further away (45 min), you can kayak down the gentle flow of the Ichetuknee Springs State Park. At Devil’s Millhopper you can walk down into a sink hole and learn about the geology of Florida.

At the Florida Museum, you can learn about the natural history of Florida, the culture of the native people, and you can walk among live butterflies in the Butterfly Rainforest. Next door, the Harn Museum of Art is known for its African, Asian, Contemporary and Photography Collections.

The Kanapaha Gardens display a wide variety of native and exotic plants in a beautiful and relaxing setting.

There is a bike-sharing service in town that you can use to explore part (or all) of the Hawthorne trail, or just take a stroll around Depot Park.

If you have any questions, feel free to email us [email protected]

Please RSVP by March 31st, 2017.