Mystic Aquarium and Institute for Exploration

What an amazing place to have a wedding!!! The ambiance is gorgeous, and your guests will NEVER forget your special day! We held the ceremony on the lakeside patio and the reception indoors, in the main part of the aquarium. Guests could explore and see the sites during the reception. The only problem we had is that it is difficult to take good photographs in the aquarium, so make sure your photographer "practices" before hand!

This was an absolutely AMAZING place to have a wedding reception. It didn't cost anything more to have the party here than at even a fancy banquet hall, and had WAY more charm, beauty, uniqueness and class than any mere function room. How can you beat a coral reef, shark tank, tide pool, belugas, etc for decorations, ambiance? We spent almost nothing on decorations because the Aquarium itself is so gorgeous inside and out. They also catered the event, and have a TON of options, from cocktail hour fare to full sit-down meals. We opted for two different types of stations, and guests could go up to each as many times as they liked and then sat down at tables along the Aquarium's main floor, surrounded by beautiful fish tanks, etc. to eat. The food was fantastic. The staff was incredibly attentive to detail, went far above and beyond the services we paid for, and were really interested in giving our special day as much attention to detail as possible. They made some special accommodations for us, too. You are a little limited as to exact times you can start your party due to the fact that it is a working Aquarium, but we managed to have a 6 hour party starting at 7pm, and I think that's plenty.My guests years later comment that it was the best reception they've ever been to (even fathers who have since celebrated their own kids' weddings!), and no one I've met can top the Aquarium as a venue! I HIGHLY recommend it.

Kathy at the aquarium was fantastic! She worked with us to provide us with what was perfect for us. We were able to create our own menu with our favorite foods at no additional cost! We brought in our own centerpieces even though we could have used hers. She responded to every one of my millions of emails that I sent to her, usually the same day. She was a pleasure to work with!

The aquarium is a spectacular venue to have a reception. The food is excellent, and you can really make it a special experience for everyone. Where else can you dine with the sea lions, sharks, and clown fish!

We loved our wedding, and loved that it was at an aquarium... however, the Mystic Aquarium was very unprofessional, changing their minds throughout our entire experience- and at the last minute wouldn't let us use our DJ. We were disappointed with their professionalism.