New England Aquarium Reviews

We LOVED our choice to get married at the New England Aquarium for so many reasons. We would recommend to everyone.
Unique locations - location is beautiful and truly so unique. Everyone enjoyed cocktail hour with the fish and penguins and then the harborwalk was beautiful for the ceremony and at night
Catering / Food - Food was delicious and we got many compliments on it
Value - For a wedding in the heart of Boston it's a great value!
Service - The staff from the aquarium / internal catering team (Patina group) were exceptional. they were so responsive and made our dreams come true in many many ways! They are also so flexible (as long as it doesn't endanger the animals!) on the ideas we had

Thank you!!

My husband and I got married at the New England Aquarium in Boston, and it was truly magical!

Venue/Location: We wanted a wedding venue that was (1) outside, preferably by the ocean, (2) close to the airport for our many out-of-town guests, and (3) memorable. After months of searching and almost settling on a venue that was beautiful but outside of the city, on a whim, we booked a tour with the Aquarium. I knew instantly that it was the perfect venue. Right on the water with a beautiful backdrop of the harbor, in the heart of Boston, the Aquarium offered the picturesque, convenient, and memorable experience we were looking for. On our wedding day, we lucked out with perfect weather (always a risk with outdoor venues), and in spite of a few congratulatory yells from excited boaters on the harbor, it was everything we’d hoped for and more. Our guests easily navigated to/from the airport, loved the opportunity to explore/sight-see in Boston, and told us over and over how awesome, fun, and special it was to explore the Aquarium.

Food/Event Staff: The Aquarium contracts exclusively with the Patina Restaurant Group for its catering and event services, so please note I am not certain about who on the staff was associated with each group. That said, the food was spectacular, the chef and day-of service staff were highly professional and accommodating, and the planning/coordination team will forever be in our hearts as the most awesome group of people to work with. A few notable examples (of many):
- Only two of our guests (including my mom) are vegan, so we weren’t thrilled about having to choose a vegan meal for the vegetarian option. Amanda and Abigail (primary and secondary points of contact/dream team) worked with the chef to create an entirely vegan meal for the two guests and make a vegan version of some of the passed hors d’oeuvres. My mom was so happy.
- Throughout the planning process, Amanda and Abigail were responsive and supportive. They frequently made useful recommendations, followed up on questions and logistics, and were extremely accommodating to our budget.
- As I was about to walk down the aisle, I suddenly felt worried that my vows never made it from the photographer's camera bag to my MOH. By some miracle, and without anyone else noticing, Amanda worked her magic so that my vows were in my sister's hands by the time I needed them.

My wedding at the New England Aquarium was a dream!!! The team there worked so hard to make my vision become a reality. Amanda and Krystal are miracle workers. By the last few weeks, they were able to finish my sentences, they knew my event inside and out! I felt so prioritized and taken care of. The ceremony space is stunning and who can beat a cocktail hour inside the aquarium around all of the penguins!! We had a blast, and now I am trying to figure out how I can have another event there. I wish I could give them 100 stars!!!

The New England aquarium was a unique venue that wow’d all of our guests. Catered by the patina group with excellent food and service, the ambiance and educational exhibits made a special night even more special.
The responsiveness and coordination of the team was extremely efficient, timely and I felt supported the whole way through. I would highly recommend this one of a kind venue!

Everything about working with the venue was amazing from communication to execution to environmental conscious decisions I recommend getting married there 100 times over. Also the pantina catering group is phenomenal, food and drinks were incredible. Plus the photos were cooler than cool

The New England Aquarium isn't the typical wedding venue, and that's why we chose it. Both our ceremony and reception were inside the main gallery. Our ceremony was conducted on the penguin platform, and our guests had epics views of us while standing on the spiral around the Giant Ocean Tank. They really made us feel like stars.

Our whole wedding planning experience with NEAQ was amazing. They provide an event coordinator. Ours, Tie, guided us the whole way through. She arranged nights for our private food and wine tasting and a separate night, at our request, for a sound check of their audio system when we started to freak out about getting a DJ or not. She answered all of our questions in a timely and friendly manner and worked closely with our own wedding planner to arrange all of the crazy details we came up with. She provided complimentary parking for all of our appointments. On the day of our wedding, Tie also had her staff to help set up our centerpieces which was above and beyond (normally a separate vendor would do that).

The wedding night itself was magical. The staff was extensive and all very professional (wait staff, servers, bar tenders, our 2 roaming educators, security, and everyone behind the scenes). All of the floors were open to our guests to enjoy the exhibits, and the bars were opened on each floor as the night progressed, which was excellent given the size of the venue. We kept the touch tank open and staffed it during cocktail hour. The food was incredible, especially the salmon. They accommodated all special requests for allergies (vegetarian and gluten free). Our guests raved about the food. Surrounded by penguins, we danced the night away.

NEAQ has everything you need for a wedding (well actually, for any event) and if they themselves don't handle it, they have preferred vendors for everything else. We didn't have to think about renting tables, chairs, dinnerware, coat check, etc; it was all included. The couples' night tasting happened about 2 months before our big day. All of the details that we stressed out about and/or didn't get around to, we found answers to that night. Yes, we hired the DJ, who was DJ'ing for the couples' night. We also went with their preferred limo company and rented 2 busses. Phew!

If you want to experience what an evening event could look like, get tickets for the NEAQ Valentine's Day event, "That's A-Moray" which is also when the proposal happened (2018) and our engagement photos (2019). 

The overall cost for having NEAQ as our ceremony site and catered reception was on-par with other venues we looked at. NEAQ captured our heart, and we are so glad to get married there. Every time we visit, we remember our wedding day all over again. We would do it again in a heart beat!

(This review was written together by both the bride and the groom. We are both very happy with NEAQ.)

A little over a week ago, I had the most whimsical, magical wedding at the New England Aquarium! I am still getting messages about how much of an incredible time guests had that night! There's something about drinking and eating alongside the penguins that can't be replicated. I cannot thank Erin enough for going along with my crazy, random, ideas and setting up all of my decorations: mermaids, lobsters, pirate ships, treasure chests, vinyl records, disposable cameras- she met with me once, and set it up perfectly! The food was absolutely delicious and every single person that worked the wedding was so attentive and friendly. The incredible views was an added bonus! If you are looking for a unique venue that gives your guests an enjoyable experience, I can't recommend the New England Aquarium enough!

We cannot say enough good things about our experience with NEAQ!!! We adored the venue, and many of our guests complimented us on how unique our wedding was and how fun it was to be in the aquarium space. The NEAQ staff was absolutely incredible throughout the twists and turns of our planning, including adapting to the rain plan when a summer shower was identified for the hour of our ceremony. (getting married amidst the penguins was so memorable!) The food was amazing; we also received many complements from our guests there. And the pictures! We got some awesome images unlikely any of our friends' wedding pictures given how special and different NEAQ is. If only we could do it all over again! :) Thank you, NEAQ team!! (Erin, Della, and Tie in particular)

We had our wedding at the aquarium on 4/21/2019 and we couldn't be happier with our choice!! We initially started working with Tie as the catering manager and then Renee Sabo took over and they were both absolutely wonderful!! Renee is an amazing person; we felt like we were working with our best friend. She was on top of everything. She made everything to make sure that we were enjoying the night. Very responsible, very approachable, always smiling, always understanding. We were so so lucky!!! We love you Renee!!! Emel and Levent

We wish we could give the NEAQ and our coordinator, Tiesha, more than 5 stars. Our wedding day could not have been more perfect and it is largely due to the incredible staff at the Aquarium. We chose the NEAQ because we wanted more of an offbeat location and as we had lots of guests traveling, the Aquarium offered an opportunity to give them a unique experience. Throughout the planning process, Tie was incredible--she was very responsive, very helpful and truly a joy to work with. She and the staff at the Aquarium took care of so many details that we were really able to relax and enjoy our day. It was even better than we ever could have dreamed and we would not have changed a thing! Moreover, our guests raved about everything--from the touch tank (we had it open during cocktail hour), to the food, to the venue itself--and said it was the best wedding that they had ever attended. I cannot recommend the Aquarium as a venue enough!

So happy we chose the Aquarium. The venue was beautiful and so much fun. The staff (especially Tiesha) were all so helpful and accommodating. The day/night of out wedding was seamless thanks to them. Tie had everything under control and I didn't have to worry about a thing. The team also set up the venue beautifully. We received endless comments about how much fun guests had - cocktail hour in the aquarium was a hit. Very happy with our choice and very appreciative that we had such a great team at the Aquarium helping us from day 1.

Our wedding on June 23, 2018, at the New England Aquarium, was an absolute dream! We had our ceremony outside on the Harborwalk looking out on the Boston Harbor, an hour cocktail reception inside the Aquarium and our reception/dinner/dancing inside the tent behind the Aquarium also on the Boston Harbor. It was such a memorable night that not only my husband and I cannot stop talking about but many of our guests are still talking about as well! Planning events can be very stressful but in this case, it was very easy. From the first email I sent to the NEAQ to the last person to clean up after our event, everyone at the Aquarium was a pleasure to work with - especially our Catering Manager, Tiesha Cole. GOSH, Tie thank you, thank you, thank you! Tie was beyond organized, professional, unbelievably timely in her responses, and just an absolute joy and pleasure to work with! I had A LOT of questions, from the cocktail hour food, bar options, signature cocktail, entree/dessert, venue restrictions and overall evening timeline and Tie listened to each and every question and made it ALL come to life. It was supposed to rain on our wedding day and Tie knew how concerned we were with moving the whole ceremony inside. She was very accommodating and understanding and let us make our decision as late in the day as possible. Everything turned out perfect (and didn't rain) and the seals helped us celebrate by barking in approval while we said our vows. Overall, it was the most amazing day and one that I know everyone will remember forever. Thank you, NEAQ for helping us create something so memorable.

Our wedding reception at the New England Aquarium was everything we ever dreamed of and SO MUCH MORE! Our guests cannot stop raving about the unique experience they had! We got married 6/2/18 & did a 75 minute cocktail hour inside the aquarium followed by dinner, dancing, & dessert outside under the tent on the Boston Harbor. Our 152 guests raved about the exclusivity of having the interior of the aquarium to ourselves for the entire evening. Dinner/dancing was the perfect time (7:45pm) as the sun was setting and all of our guests rushed to the harbor to take gorgeous sunset photos. Our first dance has the backdrop of the harbor and the permanent outdoor tent is a gorgeous staple. Words cannot express how much we LOVED planning our wedding with the NEAQ wedding coordinator, Tiesha. Tiesha was organized, professional, very quick in her response time, and just an absolute joy to work with! Tie listened to our vision the entire time and made it ALL come to life! For the menu tasting, you get to see what the full entrees will look like the day of your wedding and everything we tasted was honestly incredible that all 4 of us had difficulty narrowing down the options because of how much we loved the food. The aquarium (Tie) was also honest with us every step of the way which we genuinely appreciated. Ex: When selecting numbers for passed apps/ appetizer stations, Tie informed us if we had too much food which helped cut costs. We did a Ben & Jerry's ice cream station & it was a HUGE hit. NEAQ understood our vision and executed it seamlessly so that we could fully enjoy the entire night with our guests. If we had to do it again (maybe in a vow renewal) I would ALWAYS choose the aquarium, and not change a single thing! Our wedding day will be one of the happiest days of our lives together and we are so thankful to the aquarium for providing such a unique and memorable venue and staff to make it all possible.

Having our wedding at the New England Aquarium (main gallery) was a magical and mind-blowing experience. Beyond the already impressive atmosphere, the aquarium crew made sure that everything ran smoothly, making it perfect to the smallest detail.

We interacted with Sara, their sales manager, who was helpful and responsive, as well as Renee and Tiesha, the catering managers, who were not only really fun to deal with (during the tasting etc), but also went out of their way to make sure everything was always in order, despite a particularly tight deadline. They tried hard to cater to all our personal requests, from creating the specialty cocktails we wanted, to selecting the cutest stuffed toys as favors for the guests.

On the day itself, there was an entire army of staff that transformed the aquarium (within an hour of closing time) into the wedding venue of our dreams. Everything, from the table decorations to the layout and food presentation, turned out exactly as we had specified, yet it was more beautiful than we had even imagined.

The wedding dinner ran like clockwork, without a hitch. Our guests enjoyed themselves tremendously — many claimed it was the best wedding they’d been to, and I am certain it had less to do with us than with the amazing food, service and ambience. Few venues can beat the experience of wining, dining and celebrating alongside the fishes and penguins, and yet they are competitively priced — if you are considering the aquarium, just go for it!

The NEAQ was simply the best -- we really couldn't have made a better choice for our wedding!! They were a really incredible venue, and the staff goes above and beyond to make the day ultra-special. The planning process went super smoothly; the team here is super friendly, responsive, and helpful, and although there are a lot of specific requirements to work around in order to protect their animals, they are really flexible and accommodating to help get your wedding day perfect.

On the day of, the service was just superb -- the food was excellent, and our guests had such a wonderful time dancing with the penguins, watching the sea turtles, etc. Everyone couldn't stop talking about what a great venue it was!! And compared to other venues in Boston, it was very reasonably priced. You really can't make a better pick!!

Our October wedding at the Aquarium was even better than we could have imagined it! We hosted everything inside the Main Exhibit space-- our ceremony was on the Penguin Tray, followed by cocktail hour at the top of tank, and then dinner and dancing back down on the main level. The staff was absolutely fantastic, from the planning stages, to the tasting, right through to the end of the wedding night. These guys are pros! They've done tons of weddings and it shows in their experience. The venue itself is beautiful and unique. We loved that there was something for all of our guests-- those that wanted to dance joined us on the dance floor, while others enjoyed wandering the exhibits! It's certainly a night we won't forget. Thanks to everybody at the Aquarium!

I can't say enough good things about the New England Aquarium as a wedding venue! We held our ceremony on the terrace and reception in the Harbor View Tent. The waterfront venue is stunning and cocktail hour in the aquarium is unforgettable. Something magical happens in the aquarium at night, the lights are dimmed, the animals are restful, it's almost unrecognizable from the bustling daytime aquarium. The food is delicious, it was hard to choose among all of the options! I think, however, one of the best things about getting married at the aquarium is the staff that work with you to make sure everything is perfect. They went above and beyond in every way to accommodate our requests, whether it was related to ceremony timing, beer selection, food offerings, you name it. Day of the wedding, there are SO MANY people there to help with the wedding to make sure everything goes smoothly. I was amazed at how well it was all coordinated. If you're looking for a unique, beautiful location to get married in Boston, you can't go wrong with the New England Aquarium.

My husband and I got married at the NEAQ on 9/9/17. We cannot say enough about the Aquarium and the entire staff there. From our booking with Sara to planning with Abigail then Renee to our day of coordinators (Keleigh and Sandy), we had top notch service throughout. The Aquarium has been planning events for a very long time and it is clear by how smoothly everything unfolded. We loved that they have their own kitchen (where the food is delicious and expertly prepared) and their own tables/chairs/linens/silverware/etc. (which you get to choose the details of). In addition, the NEAQ provides a lot of extras we took advantage of (table numbers, toasting glasses for the bride and groom, display at the bar for signature cocktail). Whatever was not included was clearly communicated in case we wanted to provide these extras for our guests (i.e. guestbook, bathroom amenity baskets, ceremony programs, reception menus, dance floor flip flops). We were able to drop those off the day before the wedding and the staff set up everything! Further, the week of the wedding, our wedding event coordinator at the NEAQ contacted each of our outside vendors (cake, band, tent/table decor) to make sure all deliveries were set for the big day. Which, as we got closer to the wedding, was a huge load off our backs! And last, but certainly not least, I have to mention that we looked at a lot of venues in Boston and Cape Cod and we found the NEAQ to be very reasonably priced for a wedding venue in the heart of Boston.

The NEAQ was such a unique wedding venue. Our guests have been raving about our wedding ever since 9/9! Everyone was so impressed with each part of the ceremony and reception! My husband and I highly recommend having your wedding (or any event really) at the NEAQ if you can. Everything was meticulously planned and executed. Thank you to the staff for creating and facilitating the best setting possible for the most memorable day of our lives!!

The New England Aquarium is a dream setting to have a wedding. My wife and I could not be happier with our wedding there and services they provided. I mean come on, we got married with the penguins, seals, and all the other amazing "guests" that call the aquarium home. Its a picturesque setting on the beautiful Boston Harbor located in the heart of the city. Who could ask for more. The Aquarium and their staff run a great operation and do an excellent job to make sure your wedding day is as perfect as you dreamed. Its safe to say the Aquarium will always hold a special place in our hearts.

The New England Aquarium can't be beat! Our guests were blown away, everyone had an amazing time and the staff made the planning easier! We were thrilled with our event!

Our wedding at the Aquairum could not be more prefect thanks to Renee and the entire staff at the aquarium. Renee went above and beyond to make sure every detail was perfect, the food was amazing and the staff went over and above to make sure every one of our guests was having the best time.

If I could give NEAQ more stars I would, what an amazing venue! We had our wedding here on a Friday evening in May and it was beautiful. Our ceremony was outside on the water, it created a gorgeous backdrop! Our guests are still talking about what a fun and unique experience our wedding was! The staff was phenomenal from booking the date to service throughout the night I have nothing but praise! I also haven’t stopped hearing about how amazing the food was. Our wedding was a dream come true and I would not have had my wedding anywhere else!

The aquarium was a very special place for us since we had our first date there. We wanted our wedding to be as special as our first day, and I must say, I don't know how, but Abigail and her team absolutely exceeded our already unrealistic expectations. Everything about the whole process was incredibly easy. We first met with Deb to discuss the contract and start envisioning what our wedding would look like. We were then transitioned to Abigail who after our first phone call (I was out of town planning), my question to her was "why would I need to hire a wedding planner?" since she took care of absolutely everything in terms of logistics during the process as well as the day of. She was incredibly prompt and answered every single one of my million questions, and was incredibly accommodating and understanding of last minute changes that we had to do. She also helped us with ideas of what we could do with the space since she knows it so so well, and it turned out to be absolutely fantastic. The food, the venue- everything was just PERFECT, and all of our guests kept telling us the same thing too!

We had such a positive experience getting married here! From the very beginning when we signed the contract until the end off the evening of the big day Abigail, our wedding coordinator was awesome. She helped us navigate through picking our menu, the layout of the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception and just making sure all the little details were in place. She also helped us get information about rehearsal dinner venues and chuppahs. On the day off everything went smoothly and looked beautiful. We couldn't have asked for anything better and we really appreciate everything that Abigail and the aquarium did for us.

We had a fairytale wedding at the New England Aquarium! The aquarium is such a cool place filled with beautiful tanks, amazing photo ops inside and out on the harborwalk as well as at the nearby parks. Your guest will forever remember that you got married in the aquarium and there were penguins there who so happen to be mated for life (with their color coordinated wing bands)! The tent is huge and can accommodate large weddings but can also be made quite intimate for smaller groups. We had 130 guests and it felt like just the right size. The tent can be decorated beautifully and the chairs and linens offered at the aquarium made everything come together beautifully. We had an orchid purple, creamy off white color scheme and they had the perfect linens for us. The food was great and cocktail hour inside the aquarium was so much fun! We got married on Saturday, July 2nd and we even had free fireworks on the Harbor!! There are so many amazing things about working with Abigail, I can barely list all the wonderful things but I will try. She is organized and knows all the vendors and is so pleasant to work with. She makes sure you’re on target with your planning and helps with getting all your vendors together for your big day. It is clear that she loves her job because she does everything so well and everyone (vendors and guests and everyone) loves her! The biggest miracle that she somehow pulled off was this – there was going to be a concert for Boston Harborfest on the pier next to the aquarium that was going to be loud and start at the same time as my quiet wedding ceremony on the harbor! I was so worried that we would be drowned out as we say our vows and our pianist would not be heard at all. SOMEHOW, Abigail worked it out with the Harborfest coordinator to start the concert later! My guests were so surprised as the music stopped and our ceremony started! THANK YOU, ABIGAIL and New England Aquarium for the most amazing wedding day!