Seymour Marine Discovery Center

The Seymour Center was absolutely perfect! The ocean view from the bluffs was an amazing backdrop to our ceremony and the exhibit hall was such a unique space for the reception. All of our guests raved about how amazing our venue was and the touch pool was a big hit with the kids. It was also meaningful to us that our money goes to fund marine outreach and education. The event staff were so accommodating, professional, and prompt when answering our hundreds of questions. Thank you Emily, Audrey, and the rest of the staff!

We are so happy we booked the Seymour Center for our wedding. The venue is beautiful and the Seymour Center Team are incredibly kind and helpful.

As mother of the groom I was asked to help with the planning of their 'wedding's eve' event. I found the Seymour Center online by chance and I'm so glad I did! From it's awesome location on an ocean bluff to the event room itself, it was the perfect setting for the dinner. We really appreciated that they did not require us to use their vendors (although they provided suggestions), plus we were able to bring in our own alcohol which saved us a lot of $$. The staff was so easy to work with. Of all the vendors I had contact with, they always gave the quickest responses. They were very accommodating to some of our more unique needs. We used just the La Feliz Room, but the entire Exhibit Hall was also available to rent. It is a flexible venue that can be used for a fully catered formal wedding or a more casual do-it-yourself event. Ours was somewhere in between so it was perfect. I would highly recommend this venue for any large gathering.

The best decision we made for our wedding was the venue. My wife and I are both nerds about sea creatures and tide pools, which made this venue perfect for us. Also, the coastal view and the sunset at this location is simply unbeatable!

The Seymour Marine Discovery Center is a unique and perfect place for a couple who wants a wedding venue by the ocean, especially if you tend towards a more relaxed and low-key atmosphere. The views are amazing - just what we wanted.

It is a build-it-from-the-ground-up venue, which means you can create your own vision. We only used the La Feliz room & its patio, as our wedding was small (30 people). The ceremony was on the patio, and cocktails, dinner, & dancing were inside. Had it rained, we would have moved the ceremony inside, too. The room has two walls of windows that allow you to continue enjoying the view until sunset. We highly recommend having bistro lights in the room; the room's lights are gym-like and do not have a dimmer switch. Pricing is by the hour and very reasonable compared to most other venues.

Emily and her Private Events staff were great to work with. With just two-and-a-half months to plan the wedding, their help was invaluable. Emily is a wealth of knowledge, especially for vendor categories that are not on their preferred vendors list. Particularly for the caterer, it is best to use one of their preferred vendors as the Seymour Center does not have a commercial kitchen. We used Feast For A King caterers; their food was delicious, and their service was wonderful.

Our guests were so complimentary about the venue and really enjoyed the atmosphere - and best of all...so did we! We would highly recommend the Seymour Center.

All of our guests said that our wedding was the best one they had ever attended!
The Seymour Marine Discovery Center was incredibly quick to respond to all of my questions. The events team was professional throughout the whole process and were even my personal hype team on the day of! The sea cliffs for our ceremony were perfect and everyone enjoyed the private touch tank experience for cocktail hour. Overall an amazing venue for an affordable cost!

The Seymour Center was a fantastic venue for our wedding – it had the perfect mix of stunning ocean views for our outdoor ceremony and a unique indoor reception space featuring marine exhibits. We were lucky that between booking and the time of our wedding they renovated the La Feliz reception room and replaced the older blue carpet with a beautiful hardwood floor – a dramatically superior improvement! Important things to note: Since this center is for public education, the arrangement of the exhibit hall space can change after you book (be flexible on reception set-up) and you can’t set up for your wedding until after it closes to the public at 4pm. This would likely not be a good venue for those wanting elaborate ceremony decorations or reception set-up because of this time crunch. This rule also makes it absolutely crucial to hire vendors who are familiar with the space and its cleaning rules. However, I would’ve liked a better area for guests to mingle and wait out of the way other than the parking lot in front of the center. It would be nice if they offered a ‘buy-out’ option so that we could close it even an hour earlier to allow more time for set-up, especially since there was less than 5 people in the center during that final hour. In addition, several significant features were separate costs outside of the packages such as reception lighting, storing items at the venue in advance, and a ‘get-ready’ room – so budget accordingly. Emily and her team are very kind and accommodating with answering all of our questions throughout planning and we were able to coordinate around these constrictions with their help. Our wedding day went incredibly smoothly and we had such a positive experience, and you truly cannot beat hearing ocean waves as you walk down the aisle to your wedding. Would highly recommend the Seymour Center if you are looking for a memorable and unique venue!

Photos: By Katie & Morgan Hallas

The Seymour Center helped make our wedding day so special! We had our wedding in the La Feliz room with ocean views! I believe it is so worth the price, especially knowing that the money goes back into the education programs and exhibits at the center. Clay helped us on the day of the wedding and they were so incredibly kind and thoughtful. They made sure everything ran smoothly and just made the whole day more special. Also huge thank you to Emily for helping us book the venue and kindly answering the hundreds of questions I had. I can go on and on about how great the venue and workers all were. I’m forever grateful.

We could not have asked for a more perfect location for our wedding day! The view is breathtaking, there are tons of exhibits for guests to look at during the reception, and plenty of space to hold all your guests for the ceremony and reception. Communication was always clear with the Seymour Center staff and they were super helpful whenever we had a question. Tables and chairs were provided by the venue and we had access to a kitchen right next to the reception room. I cannot put into words how perfect this location is! Added bonus: all the funds you put into this venue go straight to their education programs which furthers their amazing marine education opportunities for the whole community.

We are so incredibly lucky we were able to get married at the Seymour Discovery Center. The venue is such a unique and beautiful place. After visiting the Seymour Center for 5 minutes, we knew this was where we wanted to get married. The ceremony took place on the breathtaking bluffs overlooking the ocean. At our rehearsal, we saw dolphins swim along the coast. We utilized the exhibit hall, class room, and all of our guests enjoyed the opportunity to see the fish and sea life. The resources, preferred vendors, and information provided by the Seymour Center staff made planning our wedding easy. Everyone was friendly and professional to work with throughout the planning process. The only challenge is the hours the Center is open to the public, I wish we could have at least set up or started the ceremony outdoors earlier. We are still grateful the money for the venue goes to education and research rather than the very pricey wedding industry! We love the Seymour Center and can't wait to bring our kids there one day. It is a magical place to have a wedding.