Lodging & Travel

Hotel Blocks

Courtyard Atlanta Alpharetta/Avalon
($139 per night)

The Hotel at Avalon
($206 per night)

Sean’s Guide for Visitors

Hello! The travel guide below was written by brother of the groom, Sean McLaughlin. All of the wedding events take place in the north-central suburbs, so I have focused this guide on things to do that aren't too far from there. If you any questions or would like to know what to do in other parts of town, please reach out. I love to give recommendations!


Just looking for something to do for a couple hours before the wedding? –– Look here!

  • Avalon – popular outdoor shopping mall located next to the hotel blocks

  • Downtown Alpharetta – restaurants, shops, and a brewery 2/3 mile from hotel blocks

  • Downtown Roswell – between hotels and church – art galleries, restaurants, shops and two breweries

  • The Battery – 9 miles / 25 minutes from church – entertainment development associated with the Atlanta Braves’ stadium. one brewery

  • Buford Highway – 9 miles / 25 minutes from church – See Top Picks below

Airport Guide

As mentioned, Atlanta has the busiest airport in the world. Navigating its extensive layout can be intimidating for unfamiliar visitors but with these helpful tips you can make your way like a seasoned hand

  • All the concourses/gates are connected via an underground passage. Arrival, departure, no matter where you’re going, follow the “Baggage Claim/Ground Transportation” signs and take the escalators down to The Plain Train.

    • The Plain Train arrives every two minutes. It will take you to whichever gate you need to go, Gates A-F and Baggage Claim.

    • The one exception is the T Gate. That is the concourse located near check-in and baggage claim. If you arrive at the airport for your departure flight you will not need to ride the Plain Train to get to the T Gate.

  • Departure Tip: Check https://www.atl.com/times/ for the wait times at security lines. If you do not have TSA precheck, you may find entering through the International Gate to be faster. You can access the entire airport from that entrance.

Atlanta Overview

Weather – February in Atlanta is typically highs in the 50’s and lows in the 30’s, although it is not unusual for those to shift 10 degrees up or down. The good news if you want to do something outside, snow is extremely rare. With a hat and some gloves being outside will not be a problem.

History – Atlanta is over 200 miles from the nearest ocean; it is not located in a mountain pass nor on a major river; nor does it not hold any strategic military geography. The entire reason Atlanta exists is because it was a good location for two rail lines to intersect. From that intersection, a center of commerce emerged and it is now the capital of Georgia. Atlanta’s connection to transportation continues today as its Hartsfield Jackson airport is the world’s busiest in terms of passengers per year.

Layout – The city of Atlanta has around 500,000 residents while the metro area has over 5 million. Most of those have moved here in the last 30 years. The more recent development coupled with no natural borders means metro Atlanta is very spread out. Plan things close to each other so you don't spend all your time in a car. On that same note, please account for traffic delays if you have anything time dependent.

For wedding events the general layout is in a fairly straight line, starting furthest north is the reception venue (in Milton), going south are the hotel blocks (in Alpharetta), then the church (in Sandy Springs), and for those flying the airport is furthest south, it's six or seven miles past downtown Atlanta.

Chattanooga?

For those driving south to the wedding, Chattanooga could be a nice stop. It’s about two hours north of Atlanta. There is a nice downtown (with a better aquarium than Atlanta’s). You can see the historic Chattanooga Choo-Choo or go up Lookout Mountain for a great view.


Top Picks for Sightseers

A cemetery and a grocery store may seem unconventional but they are a great way to experience Atlanta

  1. Atlanta History Center – 33 acres of gardens, a very good history museum, a beautiful 1920’s mansion, the Cyclorama (a 49 foot tall panoramic painting), and more
    https://www.atlantahistorycenter.com/visit

  2. Oakland Cemetery – Victorian garden cemetery and city park with views of the downtown skyline. Get a guided or take self-guided tour to learn both general Atlanta history and about some of the more colorful residents of the cemetery. Located near a lot of other attractions but not as close to wedding activities
    https://oaklandcemetery.com/tours/

  3. Buford Highway and Buford Highway Farmer’s Market – Buford Highway Farmer’s Market is unlike any grocery you have ever been and fun to look around even if you don’t need any food. The produce section alone is bigger than some entire groceries (six varieties of eggplant, for example); there’s a large fish market; and the aisles have food from all over the world organized by region (Western Europe, Caribbean, India, Japan, etc.). Buford Highway the road is located in an area with a large immigrant population and there are lots of delicious restaurants of all sorts of cuisines (and at reasonable prices).

Other Popular Tourist Attractions

In addition to being a little out of the way for the wedding, I have found that some of the most commonly recommended Atlanta tourist destinations tend to be overcrowded and underwhelming (particularly the ones downtown). However, if you have a strong interest in them don't let me stop you! It's only my opinion after all.

EXCEPTION: If you are traveling with kids then I think some the touristy things would be pretty fun for them. (Aquarium, World of Coke, College Football Museum, etc)