Skip to main content
Weddings

About

Birch Aquarium is a unique wedding venue that is located in La Jolla, California. This beautiful establishment is situated on a Californian bluff, offering gorgeous views of the water beyond. Here, couples and their guests can revel in sunsets as the colors of the sky melt into the horizon, creating a dreamy backdrop for any ceremony.

Facilities and Capacity

This aquarium is home to different types of exhibits with various species. Couples may choose to tie the knot by the fishes in the Giant Kelp Forest or have a grand celebration with up to 500 guests under the open air within the Tide Pool Plaza. Other event locations include the entrance courtyard, accommodating 300 people, and the Galleria, suiting up to 400 guests. Also available are the Nigella Hillgarth Education Plaza, Smargon Exhibit Courtyard, and Cafe Pavilion areas. In total, the Birch Aquarium offers 30,000 square feet of well-maintained space that feature attractive viewing locations throughout. When couples book an event here, they have exclusive access to the facility. This means that they and their guests can get lost within an underwater wonderland. Many species live within the exhibits here, including seahorses, leopard sharks, loggerhead sea turtles, and more. Any proceeds collected from occasions held on the premises are out towards Birch Aquarium’s mission to support education and conservation initiatives.

Services Offered

This venue has exclusive caterers that can be chosen from who source their ingredients from local vendors. They offer farm-to-table dishes that provide a rustic and homey feeling to any occasion. In addition to wedding events, couples can book other excursions that they and their guests can enjoy. These include options such as the Ocean Discovery or Shark Discovery programs, the Tide Pool Encounters, and the Private Kelp Forest Dive Shows. These programs allow people to get up close and personal with aquatic animals, experiencing moments with them in unique environments. By adding one of these excursions, many special memories can be made. More information about these extras can be found on this venue’s website.

Messages sent successfully.

Bundle and save time!
Contact Birch Aquarium and their preferred vendors

illustration popular

Venues you may like

See other venues that are popular with couples right now

Reviews of Birch Aquarium

4.3 out of 5 rating
4.3 out of 5 rating
3 Reviews
86% recommend it
  • Quality of service
    4.8 out of 5 rating
  • Average response time
    4.7 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    4.5 out of 5 rating
  • Value
    4.2 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    3.3 out of 5 rating
Weddingwire
4.3/5 3 reviews
Google
4.5/5 7387 reviews
Chrystal
Chrystal Sent on 07/26/2022
4.8 out of 5 rating

Beautiful Venue

I didn’t even know you could have weddings at this aquarium. It was perfect for our wedding. They were very responsive and worked very well with my wedding planner Renee Hirsh. Just a beautiful venue.
N
Nicole Sent on 11/06/2014
4.7 out of 5 rating
Can you ask for a more beautiful venue?! Overlooking La Jolla and a whole aquarium for your guests to explore is pretty spectacular! We got tons of compliments on our choice of location. The events ladies were awesome at communicating and answering every question I had, as well as accommodating last minute site visits. They have a big list of approved caterers to choose from, which at leasts helps you narrow down the choices a little bit. The only hard things with the venue are time constraints since it is open to the public until 5pm everyday. The cost is also not the cheapest and you literally have to bring in everything you need, but again, location, location, location!
K
Karissa Sent on 08/22/2018
3.4 out of 5 rating
My feelings on this venue are quite mixed and the rating is lower due to mainly one or two factors. First however, this venue is unique, gorgeous, and offers an absolutely beautiful view of the ocean and coastline. The space is relatively easy to work with and offers its own inherent beauty. The few issues we ran into were: inconsistent statements on the rules from the varying wedding planners, many hidden and extra fees, and an unexpected excess of needed insurance for all vendors. Many of these hidden and insurance fees were not bluntly stated at the initial meetings as they should have been, thus both families felt extremely mislead by the initial cost estimates provided. Overall, this venue is highly recommended if one can deal with the regulatory restrictions and costs.
illustration message bubble

Are you interested?

Message vendor

Awards

3

Pricing

Do you want more pricing details?

Preferred Vendors

Continental Catering
4.8 out of 5 rating , 72 Reviews
· Wedding Caterers
Crown Point Catering, Inc
4.6 out of 5 rating , 14 Reviews
· Wedding Caterers
The French Gourmet
4.7 out of 5 rating , 147 Reviews
· Wedding Cakes
Hyatt Regency La Jolla
5.0 out of 5 rating , 6 Reviews
· Hotel Weddings
Brothers Signature Catering & Events
4.9 out of 5 rating , 9 Reviews
· Wedding Caterers
Behind The Scenes Catering and Events
4.7 out of 5 rating , 13 Reviews
· Wedding Caterers

Map

illustration visit

Would you like to visit?

Request a visit

Other vendors in San Diego for your wedding

Wedding Venues