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Jennifer Latka and Michael Roth moved to Wilmington for careers, family, and love. When it came time to plan their wedding, they relied on some of their adopted city’s most outstanding attractions.

A fter their wedding mass at St. Mary Catholic Church on Fifth Avenue, Jennifer and Michael rode in a horse-drawn carriage to Water Street and the Cape Fear River Deck at Candles, Etc. on the waterfront in Chandler’s Wharf.

‘We wanted something a little different from the big wedding halls back home: The bridge, the river, the nostalgic look.’

Jennifer Latka Roth

Stretching more than a mile along the Cape Fear River, downtown Wilmington’s Riverwalk links many very popular sites for wedding ceremonies and receptions. These include the new Convention Center, two hotels, a cruise boat, and the decks adjoining the waterfront restaurants of the Chandler’s Wharf complex. The Candles Etc. shop manages the Cape Fear River Deck, which is normally covered with a large canopy for protection against sun and rain. Elijah’s Restaurant, part of River Enterprises Events, offers catering and additional deck space, as seen here.

J ennifer and Michael met while working in a hospital in upstate New York. In 2007, Jennifer moved to Wilmington, where her parents had also relocated, and Michael soon followed. The couple are both registered nurses, employed at New Hanover Regional Medical Center. She wanted an October wedding, to be close to her parents’ anniversary, but their reception site was booked up. The ultimate wedding date, Nov. 21, 2009, was pleasant and cool. “We’re hot-natured,” Jennifer said, “So it was nice for us having an open-air reception along the river.” She gives full credit to both sets of parents for their help with the wedding, especially her mother, who did much of the planning. “They were our strength.”

Ceremony: St. Mary Catholic Church,    Father Bob Kus officiating Reception: Cape Fear River Deck Catering: Elijah’s Restaurant,    River Enterprises Events Cake: Sweet T’s Cakes Photography: Baca Photography Rentals: A Tent Event Music: DJ Professionals & Video Florist: Moxie Floral Design Studio Transportation: Azalea Limousine    and Wilmington Trolley