North Carolina-Outer Banks

Roanoke Island Aquarium?

Hi All,

We are strongly considering a reception and maybe a ceremony at the Roanoke Island Aquarium. Does anyone have any experience with that venue?

Thanks!

Cindy

Re: Roanoke Island Aquarium?

  • edited December 2011
    We toured it last week on vacation to decide between a wedding there and on the beach.  It came in a very, very close second.  The coordinator was fabulous, the set up options are almost endless, and they seem very easy to work with.  Have you been there yet?
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    06.24.11 OBX, NC
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  • edited December 2011

    I have not been there yet but have been corresponding with the events coordinator. I am considering a wedding on the beach and reception there.  Do you know where you are having a beach ceremony yet?


    Thanks for your feedback!

  • edited December 2011
    We're doing our ceremony in Kill Devil Hills and having our reception right there at a restaurant.  We're only having 30 people though.

    Receptions at the aquarium would be really fun.  They'll leave the whole place open for your guests during your cocktail hour (or whenever) for you to walk around.  The shark tank reception area is really cool too.  It definitely gives off a different ambience than any other place we looked at.  My only hesitation was having a ceremony on the beach and then moving our guests to a different spot for a reception.  So, in the end, a restaurant near the beach won over the aquarium.

    If you aren't set on a beach wedding, you might consider having your ceremony outside at the aquarium.  They're sound side ceremony space is really pretty too-- just not sandy,
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    06.24.11 OBX, NC
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  • edited December 2011
    I am strongly considering the aquarium as well! You have good taste :-). I am trying to arrange an appointment tomorrow to tour the place, but it is short notice. I will be going down either way though, so I will take lots of pictures for ideas. Let me know if you want me to send some to you when I get back!  -Stephanie
  • edited December 2011

    My fiance and I toured the aquarium mid-June. We didn't book an appointment, we just walked in but the coordinator was really helpful and gave us a contract with all the available package options. The only thing we didn't like was how split up our whole wedding would be. We have 180-200 guests and would have had them split into 5 different rooms with food entirely seperate in order to accomodate everybody. One thing we loved was that they have a touch and learn kind of exhibit just off the big shark tank that they let kids go and play in (an employee monitors the exhibit and can answer any questions about the animals) for the whole time you've reserved the aquarium. If you have a smaller wedding I would suggest going to take a look!

  • jloneal85jloneal85 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    This is the place my fiance and I are seriously considering.  I agree with peapod though...if you have a large amount of people, you have to split everyone up.  I've been to weddings where the guests were seperated from everyone and I hated that feeling.

    I also wouldn't have the ceremony somewhere else, because the aquarium is a little ways off from the oceanside, depending on where you choose to get married.

    Some of the pluses--it's really unique, the soundside is gorgeous for the ceremony, it has a backup plan if it rains (foyer), they have a seperate area for kids if you don't want them at the wedding, the sound system is already there and piping through the entire place, and they work with you.

    The wedding coordinator there is fabulous.  My fiance was having a really hard time actually picturing a wedding there, so she let us come back the next day to see a wedding that was beign set up (we left long before anything started).  But it was nice to actually see it.  After all, when you walk into the large banquet style room, it's hard to ignore all of the sharks and fish stuck up on the wall.  But, when it's decorated, you don't even notice them!

    Good luck!!  And if you decide on it, let us know...I think we are :)
  • edited December 2011
    I got married there in May and they did a fantastic job. Our ceremony was outside on the water and then reception, dinner and dancing was inside. I loved it. The staff were so helpful and the events coordinators both are amazing. We worked mostly with Beth but talked to several people there.

    We used Argyles for rentals, dinner, bar and cake.
    The Embellishers for floral and day of coordinations.
    AMMC Photography for our E-Session and wedding shoot and have actually booked them for a family session this fall. They are amazing and have the best deals on products.
    Matt at Outer Banks Music Masters was our DJ and he did an awesome job.

    Check out my wedding recaps at http://boards.weddingbee.com/profile/jgoulart

    If anyone has any questions... SHOOT!  :)  I'll try to check the boards often.
  • jam679jam679 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    We're getting married there next June 4 and doing the ceremony at the Elizabethan Gardens.  To be honest, I didn't even consider the aquarium as an option at first, but we decided to make a last minute stop during the wedding expo and I fell in love with it!  Michele and Beth are awesome and very helpful!  It's definitely a unique venue, the shark tank room is great and the touch tank area would be great for entertaining kids (and adults I'm sure)!  

    If timing is important to you, I think you have to wait until the aquarium closes before you can start your ceremony/reception - which is around 5pm (I think).  We're having our ceremony at the gardens at 5:45pm and then heading over to the aquarium after.

    We looked at a bunch of other places for our reception and this is the one that stood out the most!

    Happy planning!    
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  • obxbride17obxbride17 member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    We are having our reception at the Aquarium in Pink Knoll Shores and I'm really excited about it! Like someone else mentioned, I am slightly concerned about the guests being spread out too much during dinner, but am hoping we can come up with something to make it work a little better.
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