Clearwater Marine Aquarium Reviews

Ashley was amazing throughout the whole process! We picked the Clearwater Marine Aquarium for its uniqueness and also to support a local non-profit right in our backyard but Ashley was able to add all the details to make our day special. Her and I met regularly as the planning began and she was always responsive when I had questions. She helped with the recommended vendors and even did email introductions with all of them to make it a smooth process. She coordinated and communicated with the vendors, which included the timeline for the big day to keep everything on track. The day itself was beyond anything I could have imagined, largely in part to Ashley. I gave her my inspo pics and as she coordinated with the vendors, she had a good idea of what we wanted it to look like, and it turned out even better than that! Ashley was a vital part of making the day as stress-free and special as possible and I am so happy we chose her and the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.

Why make the owner of a hotel richer, when your money can be used to aid in the rescue and rehabilitation of marine animals with the possibility of a movie star in some of your photos. The Clearwater Marine Aquarium is such a great place to visit and all of the employees are always so nice and friendly. If you haven't watched Dolphin Tale, you should, so you can understand what they do. The venue was very accomodating and the dolphins swimming behind us during the ceremony made a wedding our guests will not forget.

From the moment we contacted the Clearwater Marine Aquarium about hosting our rehearsal dinner there we knew we were in good hands. Ashley answered all of our questions and was available when we had other questions come to mind. From planning months prior, to cleanup the night of the event working with the aquarium was an absolute breeze. All of our guests ranged and raved about how fun and different the night was from traditional rehearsal dinners. We were able to have the event catered (with alcohol). Since the event was after normal business hours the entire aquarium was rented out to our guests. The staff surprised to groom and myself the night of bringing us down into the platform at the dolphin tank. We fed Hope, she gave us “kisses” and waved goodbye. I can’t recommend this experience enough. Thank you to the entire aquarium staff & residents (animals) for hosting all of our friends and family for one of the best nights of our lives!

We hosted a wedding kick off/rehearsal party a few weeks ago for over 90 guests. By far a wonderful experience. The venue was perfect and working with Ashley was a breeze. Coordinating the details for the event long distance was so easy as Ashley made suggestions, walked me through the process and was on site to ensure all went well for my kids big event. Thank you all for making the start of the weekend celebrations a event to remember

The Entire Staff at the Wonderful Clearwater Marine Aquarium made Our 36th Wedding Anniversary Vow Renewal & Reception Magical & Fintastic!!! This venue is Amazing and it combined Our Love for Each Other with Our Love for the Beautiful, Sweet Sea life that the CMA lovingly cares for in their Mission of Rescue, Rehab & Release.

It was the best day ever thank you ivy for all you did

I had a dolphin in my wedding party! If you want something other than the run-of-the-mill wedding ceremony and reception, this is THE PLACE to hold your event. We had our ceremony next to the tank with Nicholas the dolphin and he served as my ring-bearer. During the ceremony his trainer had him do jumps and flips in celebration. It was awesome and all our guests loved it. During the reception we had long tables set up on the deck and enjoyed the beautiful water views and sea breezes. The Aquarium was staffed with assistants at all the animal habitats so our guests could walk around and see the dolphins, sea turtles, otters, and pet the sting rays. The dolphins love attention and interacted with the children. We got some fantastic pictures. We looked at several beach hotels for venues but after visiting this aquarium and seeing what fun it would be, no place else really had a chance. The price is very reasonable, includes admission for all your guests after it's closed to the public so you have it all to yourself and your guests; you get to meet a movie star (Winter the Dolphin) and you get a built-in event coordinator to handle all your vendors. Ivy was wonderful to work with and aside from a few requirements regarding animal safety (no straws and no balloons) she was open to lots of ideas. She also has vendor recommendations who are familiar with the aquarium and the unique logistics so that helped a lot. Why spend thousands more for a big hotel venue and have the money go to a big corporation when you could have your event at Clearwater Marine Aquarium and have a built-in wedding coordinator, the money goes for a great cause, and people will be talking about your "wedding where the dolphin was the ring bearer" for years to come! Thanks IVY!!