The Florida Aquarium

The Florida Aquarium was the most BEAUTIFUL place I could have picked to get married. My husband and I are both tied to the ocean and it was so symbolic of our relationship. Many of our guests told us this was the most beautiful wedding they had ever been to, and while I wasn't striving to make that goal- it sure was nice to hear. Along with this venue, I was assigned a wedding coordinator, Natalie Melillo, who was so helpful and answered all my questions thoroughly- which made planning a wedding so much easier. She was there on my wedding night to make sure everything fell into place and pieced together perfectly. I did not have to worry about a thing all night! I had the most amazing experience ever!

I want to say thank you to the entire staff for making my wedding soooo wonderful. A special thanks to Ashley and Ms. Pat for their timely responses and helping hand. It's truely appreciated and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts! The Randolph family

We had such a great wedding thanks to the staff at the Florida Aquarium. The set up was beautiful. Ashley was our event coordinator and she was AMAZING! She made every wish I had come true and took care of it all. She was so easy to work with and so professional, not to mention sweet as can be! She was there for me to answer any question I had no matter how silly it was. Without her, our wedding would not have gone over so smooth and I cannot thank her enough for that. Their prices are quite affordable compared to other local venues and this one sure is unique! I recommend all bay area brides at least check it out!

I can't say enough good things about The Florida Aquarium. Our wedding was beautiful and they made it so easy. Ashley Valentine was THE BEST coordinator I could ask for. When I began planning my wedding, I was a little nervous on how it would all come together since I didn't have a wedding planner. The aquarium staff are so hands on, it felt like I did! Any time I had a question or needed a vendor recommendation, they were there for me. I thought since I didn't have a planner, I'd have to run around organzing things during my wedding, but they took care of EVERYTHING and executed my vision perfectly! My family is a little flighty/erratic but Ashley managed to wrangle them and made sure everything went smoothly. So many of our guests are still raving about the wedding! We had our ceremony and reception in front of the coral reef and everyone said it was the most beautiful wedding they had ever been to. Pick the aquarium and you won't be sorry! They are THE BEST!

The most incredible wedding ever!! The venue, decor, food, wait staff, chef, catering manager (Pat Discianno) and our wedding planner, Natalie Melillo were the absolute best. As our ceremony was being performed, a sea turtle came gliding across the reef almost like it was planned. Everyone was so kind and helpful, the wedding went off without a hitch. All the guests were blown away and marveled at the entire event. If you are looking for something unique and memorable, please consider making this your choice, you will not regret it. Thank you Florida Aquarium and staff for helping us create a wedding that will never be forgotten.

I had my ceremony and reception at The Florida Aquarium. It was the absolute best time I have ever had. My coordinator was Natalie Melillo and she was such a joy to work with. Very diligent and made me feel so comfortable and confident that everything would be perfect. And it was! I don't have ONE horror story about my wedding day, everything was wonderful! I had guests come up to me after my wedding and tell me how nice the staff was and what a great time they had. The venue is so unique; it provides so many different options for ceremony and reception space. The scenery is beautiful, inside and outside, serene, calm and gorgeous. Not only does it create a beautiful backdrop for the wedding party, but the guests really enjoy themselves at well. The Florida Aquarium will turn your wedding into an event; one unforgettable event :-)

My sister got married at the FL Aquarium in Ausgust 2011 and I had the pleasure of planning it for her. If anyone is looing for an amazing place to have a wedding then look no further than the FL Aquarium!! It was the MOST amazing wedding EVER. The staff there is amazing and my sister couldnt be happier. The whole place was beautiful and they went above and beyond to make her day special. Ashley Valentine was our even coordinator and she is FABULOUS and Susan Clay was our Catering manager and she was AMAZING as well. It definitely was a night none of us will forget!!! We love you guys!!! Thanks so much!

We had the most spectacular and impressive wedding at the Aquarium, with a huge help from Ashley (our coordinator) and Pat (our caterer). Our expectations were far surpassed with the amazing water effects lighting (you have have have to get this), organization and planning, incredible food (I received more compliments on this), and INCREDIBLE background. There's no way I could have imagined how amazingly cool it would be to say our vows in front of a shark and moray eel. The staff were fantastic and I'd highly recommend them for anyone to work with. Unless you're a pain. Then you should leave them alone. :) We had the best time ever! -The Peloquins

I cannot say enough good things about the Florida Aquarium and their staff. My wedding was an absolute dream and could not have been ANY better. Ashley was my coordinator, and is now one of my favorite people on earth. She was fantastic throughout the entire process and offered great suggestions along the way. My guests are still talking about the cupcakes at my wedding, which were a suggestion of Ashley's. She was even there to wipe icing out of my hair when my new husband got a little crazy during the cake cutting! On the day of my wedding, everyone kept asking me how I was so calm. I know it was because I knew that everything was going to be just right because Ashley would make sure of it. She was there every step of the way on our whole wedding day, making sure that everyone knew exactly what to do. I can honestly say that my wedding could not have been any better. I've had several people tell me that it was the most beautiful wedding they had ever been to. If you are looking for a unique venue that is flexible and a great value the Aquarium is the place. I will forever be grateful to Ashley and the entire Aquarium staff for making my special day so perfect! Kristen Widell

The staff at the Florida Aquarium gave us our dream wedding. Ashley Valentine was our coordinator and Pat Discianno was our catering manager. Both of these ladies are angels on Earth! With such a popular venue for all sorts of events, I can only imagine how busy they are - but we ALWAYS felt like a priority. They were always there to answer any questions - and responded back via email/phone within minutes! Ashley took complete command of all the planning aspects - from decor to leading our rehearsal. Thanks to her, everyone and everything was always where it needed to be. She was there to offer suggestions and was 100% committed to helping us achieve our visions. She suggested the "water effect lighting" in the ceremony space and color coordinating "gel lights" in the reception area - both were just beautiful! Guests were awed at the beauty and smoothness of the entire event. Pat was amazing at planning and setting up our meals/beverages. She truly wanted to give us the best options within our means - her suggestions and guidance were just priceless. I had so many guests claim that it was the best wedding food they have ever eaten. Throughout the planning process, I had so many people comment about how calm and relaxed I was. This was only because I had complete faith in Ashley and Pat - and they didn't let me down! I can only say that these ladies, along with the fun and friendly serving staff made our wedding a precious memory. Everyone commented on how unique, beautiful, and memorable the evening was. We will never forget you guys :-) Ashleigh and Andre' 6-25-11

If ypu are looking for a WOW wedding, this is the place. Ask for Natalie. She was our wedding planner there. We just got married 6/22/11. Natalie was amazing. We are so grateful of how she took care of us. She’s been a joy to work with over this past year. She’s friendly, fun and goes above and beyond. The only thing is that we wish there was a way water could have been provided at a lower cost. The price of water is ridiculous. But other than that, the crew was friendly, welcoming, and I’d refer anyone to the aquarium. It was truly a one of a kind experience.

Our wedding & reception at the Fl. Aquarium was the best wedding ever!!! I may be a little biased but all of our guests have made comments on how amazing the everything was. The whole staff made the evening flow so well and everyone had such a memorable experience. You can not pick a more beautiful or fun setting for the kick off to your new life. Plus, you will have the most amazing pictures!! The setting alone is breathtaking, not to mention unique. If your looking for a venue that will give you amazing service, 100% satisfaction and absolutely zero worries, then look no further. The Aquarium gives you all that and more. Trust me!!

Our wedding was May 28, 2011. Our coordinator was Natalie and our caterer was Susan. I can not say enough about how fabulous our day was!! Natalie was the best, She's so professional, friendly and you can tell she loves what she does. She's such a wonderful person! I loved working with her. And on the day of the wedding she made me feel comfortable and stress free. Susan was also great, the day of the wedding the food was so good, wonderful presentation and the staff were absolutely great! We had such a great wedding! Friends and family give us so many compliments of our choice of a wonderful venue!

Natalie, our wedding planner, and Pat, our caterer, were AMAZING!! Both went above and beyond our expectations of providing ideas, advice, responsiveness and flexibility throughout the 9 month planning process and "day of" wedding reception. Comments from friends and family echoed the common thread of: "Best Wedding we've ever attended", "I want my daughter's wedding to be JUST like this", "The most fun we've ever had at a reception", "The waiters were even extra friendly, fun, and festive". Most importantly, the bride and groom felt their wedding was MORE PERFECT than they could even have imagined!! The Florida Aquarium was truly an ideal setting for a magical wedding!! Signed, Father & Mother of the Bride

My wedding ceremony and reception took place at the Florida Aquarium this past March. I was never one of those little girls that dreamed of what my wedding would look like, yet somehow the wedding I had was the one of my unrealized dreams! I worked with Natalie Melillo and she was by my side every step of the way. She was in constant contact with me through the whole planning process and she was able to give this not so girly, non-wedding knowledgable bride helpful opinions and advice on what selections would be best for me. Natalie truly went above and beyond the call of duty and I am sure her job description. She did not just help me with aquarium related things but also with some more practical wedding advice like how to handle bridesmaid dress selections and drama filled relatives. She made an effort to get to know me and my now husband as people and not just clients, and the end result was a wedding that was such an extension of us as a couple that people are still talking about how perfect our wedding was for the two most marine concious people they know. Our photographer snapped a picture of Natalie and us on the wedding day and she signed our guest book surfboard....she was not just a wedding planner but an important and integral part of our big day. She is the sweetest person and we were so lucky to have her with us! Everything about this venue was perfect for us and all the staff members made an effort to ensure our day turned out perfectly. They helped with my husband's rushed DJ efforts and treated our guests and vendors like gold. The food was superb, the drinks were yummy and the catering staff members made sure everything was presented perfectly. One of the most important part of my wedding were the animal encounters we selected; I am obsessed with penguins I made sure Natalie knew this from the start. She made sure they brought them out to me and my husband for pictures. The trainers made sure I got the time I wanted with the animals I loved and it was one of the most special memories I have of that day. To make a long story short, my husband and I are full time students who did not approach wedding planning with a ton of cash in our pockets. I can say that the money we spent on this venue was worth every penny and cannot imagine having my wedding anywhere else.

The Florida Aquarium was an amazing place to get married! Not only did we have a gorgeous back drop of the coral reef tank for our ceremony, we also were able to relax and have a great time at our reception on the tiki deck! Besides having such a great venue, I could not have imagined my wedding day without the help of the amazing staff at the Florida Aquarium. Natalie was so much fun to work with and helped us navigate our way through the craziness of planning a wedding! I could not have done it without her! She made my wedding day perfect and stress free! It was a wonderful day and I would recommend this venue to anyone!

The Florida Aquarium was great. Natalie was our coordinator and was so professional and on top of things. Her response back to my needs and questions was phenominal. It was such a beautiful and great setting for marrying my true love.

I was SOOOOOOOOOO impressed by how flexible the Florida Aquarium was with everything from my food choices to wedding timeline. Natalie was the Wedding Coordinator and Pat was the Catering Manager. Natalie was literally with me every step of the way! She suggested vendors who turned out to be AMAZING and even helped me with unique centerpiece ideas on a budget! I was sure there was going to be disasters throughout the big day, but to my extreme pleasure...it was perfect! I can't express how much I recommend this venue to anyone who is looking for a gorgeous venue and unique experience. All of our guests couldn't stop saying how fabulous the aquarium was! Pat was soo helpful, particularly in the last days. Kenny supervised the cooking of the wonderful meals--we had dill salmon and margarita chicken that were divine. If by chance anyone reads this from the Aquarium I'd like to thank you again for EVERYTHING!

Natalie was our coordiantor and she was fantastic throughtout the entire process!!! She recommended exeptional vendors and took care of many of the details for me!!The day went off without a hitch and evrything went PERFECT!!! We received so many compliments on how beautifula nd unique the ceremony and reception was! We had the pasta bar as food and people went crazy over it! The Aquarium made my dream wedding a reality!!!

My wedding reception took place on August 14th, 2010 at the Florida Aquarium. Ashley Valentine was my coordinator and Susan Clay, the caterer. First of all I can't stop telling people how FABULOUS the whole experience was, and it was utterly and totally due to Ashley and Susan's fantastic work! They went above and beyond to ensure the guests were comfortable and more importantly that I was stress free that day! The challenge with my wedding is that I live in NY and my husband is in Tampa, so you can imagine coordinating this type of event is no easy task! I met them both twice before the big day and they were very patient while I hit them with lists of questions and follow ups. Always with a smile and always with a professional attitude. The day of the wedding was a blur for me but it went smoothly! The food, the beautiful and breathtaking fish tank, the PENGUINS (Yes my darling hubby wanted the penguins as the animal exhibit for both the guests during the cocktail hour and then for us when we arrived) .. everything was beyond perfect. Ashley was sheer perfection at ensuring that everything ran on time and flowed smoothly from one event to the other. Susan made it a point to come out and check up on me as well... I really can not stop saying enough good things about the staff at the Aquarium. They truly go above and beyond to make sure that you have the best day ever! And so you don't think it is just me, my husband also had a fantastic time as well! From the beginning he said he did not want the traditional cookie cutter reception that everyone has in a hall.. he wanted something different, something that had a Florida theme to it. He got exactly what he wanted and his face lights up like a Christmas tree whenever we talk about that day to our friends! Simply put, you can not go wrong with the Florida Aquarium - outstanding service from the staff, excellent food and the most unique experience you will ever have - I guarantee it!