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Weddings

About

Fernbank Museum of Natural History is a cultural wedding venue located in Atlanta, Georgia. Couples can exchange vows right by dinosaurs and fossils for a uniquely memorable wedding ceremony. The Museum has a rich history of its own, as well as experienced staff and the ability to accommodate even huge wedding parties.

Facilities and Capacity

With a number of large event spaces, the Museum can accommodate a wide range of wedding celebrations, from intimate gatherings of loved ones to gala events of up to 2,500 guests. The Great Hall features standout lighting and a stunning glass ceiling and can host up to 350 seated guests or 500 guests in a reception. Rental of the Hall also includes a reception in the Lobby for up to 350 guests and the open-air Terrace for up to 250 guests. Both the elegant Fernback Café and the dramatically-lighted Star Gallery offer options for smaller groups to dine and dance. Either space hosts up to 100 seated guests or 125 in a reception or 200 for ceremony. Conference rooms, exhibition galleries, and the giant screen theater grant even more options for couples and their guests. Complimentary on-site parking is readily available for guests.

Services Offered

Wedding events that can be held at the Fernbank Museum include engagement parties, ceremonies, and receptions. Event space rental fees include the use of tables, chairs, and a dance floor. Couples will have access to get-ready rooms to prepare and to relax on their big day. On-site staff can advise on preferred outside vendors and take care of setup and cleanup of celebrations.

Cuisine

Museum staff can offer beverage service for wedding celebrations, with a choice of open, limited, or credit card bar offering beer and wine, and liquor. Speciality cocktails, martinis, and craft beer are also available. Catering services can be obtained through outside vendors.

Other Services

In addition to wedding events, the Museum is available to host a wide variety of events. These include birthday parties, high-school proms, and private gatherings. You can contact the venue staff directly with inquiries about any and all events.

History

In 1939, Emily Harrison and Dr. Woolford Baker led a group of conservationists to establish Fernbank as a non-profit organization to preserve 65 acres of forest. The Fernbank Museum of Natural History was opened in 1992 on the border of the original forest. The Museum has ever since inspired people to learn about the natural world and offered enjoyable and memorable experiences to visitors.

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Frequently asked questions

Do you have a site fee for wedding receptions at your venue?

Yes

What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during peak season?

$2,500

What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during off-peak season?

$2,500

Do you have a site fee for wedding ceremonies at your venue?

Yes

What is the starting site fee for wedding ceremonies during peak season?

$2,500

What is the starting site fee for wedding ceremonies during off-peak season?

$2,500

Which of the following are included in the starting site fee?

Bridal Suite
Chairs
Clean Up
Glassware
Parking
Set Up
Tables

What is the starting price per person for bar service?

$25

Which of the following are included in the starting price for bar service?

House Liquor
House Wine
Limited Bar
Premium Liquor

How many event spaces or rooms does your venue offer?

7

Describe your venue:

Museum

What kind of settings are available?

Indoor
Uncovered Outdoor

Which of the following wedding events does your venue service?

Ceremony
Reception
Bridal Shower
Engagement Party
Elopements
Rehearsal Dinner

What event services do you offer?

Bar Services
Get Ready Rooms
Wifi

What bar services do you provide?

Bartender(s)
Cash Bar
Champagne Toast
House Beer
House Liquor
House Wine
Limited Bar
Liquor License
Open Bar
Premium Liquor
Signature Drink
Specialty Beer
Specialty Wine

What event items are available?

Chairs
Dance Floor
Drapery
Tables

What food and beverage items are available?

Barware

What transportation and access is available?

Parking
Wheelchair Access

What months are included in your peak season?

March
April
May
June
September
October
November
December

What months are included in your off-peak season?

January
February
July
August

Reviews of Fernbank Museum

G
Grayson Sent on 05/08/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Best Venue Ever!

Wow! We could not have imagined a better venue. The cafe was the perfect location for our ceremony and looked every bit as grand at the great hall where we held our reception. The great hall perfectly accommodated our 200 guests for a buffet dinner with plenty of room for a large dance floor. The dinosaurs make for a an insanely cool backdrop, but it's also easy to avoid having one in every single picture. We also had a cocktail hour in the lobby of the museum which worked out perfectly. The DJ's music setup in the great hall reverberated up through to the lobby, so he didn't even need to move his equipment for cocktail hour. The museum was extremely accessible thanks to ramps and an elevator, which were much appreciated for our grandparents.

The two event planners with whom we worked were very professional and organized, helping us plan out the space, schedule walkthroughs and rehearsals, and understand cost breakdowns. Their preferred venders lists were very helpful. Overall, the space was perfect for us, and the venue staff were easy to work with. We would highly recommend Fernbank to any couple.
Steve
Steve Sent on 11/19/2023
5 out of 5 rating

An amazing all-in-one venue for your wedding... and your vendors!

The Fernbank was the perfect venue for our wedding of 150+ people, and Hallie Swift & team were amazing to work with!!!

When looking for a venue, we wanted something within the city that had a great room for everyone to be in together all night and had indoor/outdoor combinations for 150+ guests. The Fernbank hit all of that AND MORE!

Finding something that didnt require guests to be in multiple rooms was very difficult in the city but the Fernbank was a great all-in-one for our ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception to each have their own dedicated & BEAUTIFUL space!

PLUS, you really can't top the wow factor of having your reception and dance floor under their giant dino skeletons. This will absolutely wow your guests and just add such a fun element to the night.

Also, the venue is perfect for your vendors and will make the day so much easier on you and/or your wedding team. Hallie Swift was our venue coordinator and she was great to work with! All of our vendors also had talked about how great the loadin/strike/loadout and the communication is with the Fernbank. Happy vendors, make for a great wedding as well!

We are so glad with the decision to have our wedding here and love that we can continue to go back in the years to come to relive those memories.
A
Chris Sent on 02/21/2020
5 out of 5 rating

Fine Art Wedding Photographer

I've photographed a couple weddings at Fernbank and its truly one of the best venues in Atlanta. I've shot over 150 weddings across the southeast and this is one of my favorite locations. The amount of creative space both inside and outside to work with in making portraits in almost unending. Also, it's just a very classy environment. I hope to photograph another wedding here soon! - Chris Jones, Sowing Clover Photography
Kaylyn
Kaylyn Sent on 07/09/2019
5 out of 5 rating

Such a unique wedding venue!

The Fernbank Museum is such an awesome and special wedding venue! As museum buffs and science nerds, we loved having our wedding at Fernbank, and our guests really enjoyed the unique space! Lauren was also amazing to work with and did an excellent job making sure that everything was perfect for our wedding!
N
Nancy Sent on 05/14/2017
5 out of 5 rating
Our daughter had to get married on May 6th due to grad school schedule and who knew this was the most popular date in Atlanta to get married! We were shocked when our first venue choices were already booked 13 months out from our date. When Fernbank was available we quickly snatched it. We now realize that it should have been our first choice all along. The space they give you is amazing! Our cocktail hour was on the steps outside the museum and beautiful. The guests then went down the spiral staircase to the reception. Everyone stopped to take photos because it was stunning. We got comments like "best wedding I have ever been to," "how did you find such a cool venue?" etc. Sarah was great to work with and always smiling and ready to help us when needed. We embraced the museum and organic theme of the museum with our centerpieces, but you could also create a very formal space. It was more than we had hoped for!
C
Chanell Sent on 05/11/2017
5 out of 5 rating
Sarah Parris is amazing! When we met her at Fernbank a year before the date we set, we knew this was the place to go. She was incredibly responsive, always friendly and calming (the weeks leading up can be crazy stressful), and ready to give tips for ceremony/reception logistics. I cannot imagine having the wedding anywhere else. From sending us layouts, telling us what decorations were approved and allowing us to do multiple walkthroughs, Sarah was on it!
J
Jessica Sent on 12/10/2016
5 out of 5 rating
We worked with Jennifer, who isn't even their wedding contact, and she was absolutely FANTASTIC! She gave wonderful advice and was extremely accommodating. The Fernbank made our dream wedding happen. We've gotten nothing but compliments on the wedding, including that it was the best wedding they'd ever been to!
U
User2660611 Sent on 06/16/2016
5 out of 5 rating
Fernbank was a great location for a wedding reception! The space was large enough to accommodate all of our guests without feeling crowded. We got so many compliments on the uniqueness of the space! All of the staff were extremely helpful and wonderful to work with, especially our main contact Sarah Parris. She was willing to work with us on any details or ideas we had and ultimately helped to make the night better than all of dreams!
A
Ashley Sent on 06/12/2016
5 out of 5 rating
We loved having our wedding at Fernbank! Everything went as planned, and it was a gorgeous venue. It was nice to be able to have the ceremony and reception at one location since we had a lot of out of town guests that didn't know the area very well. Sarah was amazing to work with, she responded promptly to each and every one of my many emails. Im so glad that we were able to create memories at this amazing venue.
S
Stephanie Sent on 03/30/2016
5 out of 5 rating
We had our recent wedding at Fernbank and it was great. Sarah the event coordinator was great as well. The venue is beautiful. We were able to use much of the facility, the ceremony was in the cafe, the cocktail hour in the main entrance, and the reception in the great hall (with the dinosaur in the background). My only suggestion if you want extra cool photos is to add uplighting. If you are looking to have a beautiful and unique venue, this is a great place to have your wedding.
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Awards

49
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2017 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2016 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2015 Winner

Map

Fernbank Museum frequently asked questions

Fernbank Museum includes the following items and services for wedding events in its starting site fee:
  • Bridal Suite
  • Chairs
  • Clean Up
  • Glassware
  • Parking
  • Set Up
  • Tables
The bar service starting price at Fernbank Museum includes:
  • House Liquor
  • House Wine
  • Limited Bar
  • Premium Liquor
The space offered by Fernbank Museum for wedding events is known for:
  • Museum
Fernbank Museum offers the following indoor/outdoor options for weddings:
  • Indoor
  • Uncovered Outdoor
Fernbank Museum offers the following types of wedding events:
  • Ceremony
  • Reception
  • Bridal Shower
  • Engagement Party
  • Elopements
  • Rehearsal Dinner
Fernbank Museum offers the following services for wedding events:
  • Bar Services
  • Get Ready Rooms
  • Wifi
Fernbank Museum offers the following furniture and decor items for weddings:
  • Chairs
  • Dance Floor
  • Drapery
  • Tables
Fernbank Museum is recommended by 92% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 4.6 out of 5 with the following breakdown: 4.7 in quality of service, 4.7 in professionalism, 4.6 in average response time, 4.5 in flexibility and 4.5 in value.
Fernbank Museum currently offers 2 offer promotions for wedding services.
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