Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium Reviews
Reviews
5.0 out of 5 rating
![WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2024 Winner]()
5.0 out of 5 rating
66 Reviews
99% recommend it
Awards
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![Casey]()
Casey L. Sent on 01/13/2024Best place to have a beach wedding with a nautical theme!!
I have been visiting Mote since I was a little kid and my husband I recently got married at Mote. I had always wanted a beach wedding and the Chickee Hut was such a beautiful and perfect spot for our ceremony. It was also very accessible for our guest, some of who are handicapable. Both Veronica and Annabelle were super friendly and very easy to work with! The entire process working with them and our other vendors was seamless! If we were to ever renew our vows, I would come back to Mote in a heartbeat!!! -
![Paige]()
Paige D. Sent on 01/30/2024Beautiful and Unique
Veronica and Annabel were beyond helpful on helping us plan the perfect Florida wedding! We were able to showcase the beautiful venue and have it match my dreams- with so many of our guests commenting on how much fun they had interacting with the aquarium and city. Planning a destination wedding (I'm local to Seattle) is hard, and the team here made it easy to accomplish. Veronica allowed us to tour multiple times as I came up with our vision and even helped recommend vendors that could pull off everything we wanted! -
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![Krystle]()
Krystle H. Sent on 10/01/2023Chickee Hut is perfect for intimate group
My husband and I were thrilled with the Chickee Hut venue at Mote. Its casual, relaxed atmosphere was the perfect Florida experience we wanted for our guests. Beautiful lawn and waterfront, easy setup for catering/bartending, and the Mote events team kept in frequent communication and were flexible with our timeline and logistical needs. I would rent this venue again for other functions. -
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![Audrey]()
Audrey M. Sent on 05/02/2023Unique tropical venue
We were looking for a place to hold a rehearsal dinner. We realized our guest list was large and we would need a caterer and a venue because the restaurants we checked didn’t have a large enough room to accommodate us. We couldn’t have been happier with our Mote Marine experience. We would definitely recommend it. -
Emily S. Sent on 05/30/2023
Dream Wedding
Everything at Mote was just perfect! The New Pass Room was gorgeous and the staff was wonderful to work with. It was my dream wedding and I wouldn't have wanted it any place else. -
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Laura E. Sent on 12/24/2022
Everything was perfect!!
The venue we choose was a beautiful, outdoor, intimate setting for our wedding with close family and friends, it was exactly what we wanted. Veronica, the event manager, helped insure we had everything we needed and things went smoothly. We even had some friends talk about maybe doing another event there. Thank you!!! -
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![Kate]()
Kate P. Sent on 11/14/2022Dream Wedding
We don't have the word to express how lovely this venue was to work with before and during the wedding. Veronica was easy to reach and extremely attentive. We used both outdoor and indoor locations and it was a total dream. Guests have been raving about this location since! -
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![Rhonda]()
Rhonda J. Sent on 10/25/2022Excellent location, Veronica was a pleasure to work with.
From the moment we toured until “game” day Veronica was a joy to work with and we couldn’t be happier about our selection to have Mote as our rehearsal dinner venue. Everything was perfect and I highly recommend! -
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David C. Sent on 10/23/2022
A flawless, unforgettable event
When we looked at "traditional" venues for our wedding and saw how over-the-top expensive they were, we expanded our search and came across Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, a place we knew well from previous visits. We decided we wanted our wedding to be about us and the experience of our guests instead of about how much money we spent.
After our experience, we would recommend Mote as a first-choice wedding venue for anyone and everyone. We had our ceremony on the beach at the Chickee Hut and our reception at the Aquarium Courtyard. From our very first inquiry all the way until the end of the event, the Mote staff was incredibly responsive and helpful, quickly giving us all the information we needed, answering every question in detail, coordinating with our vendors, and in general going above and beyond to make sure our experience was the best it could be.
The event itself was amazing, with a picture perfect wedding and a fun time at the aquarium where our guests were able to see sharks up close, pet stingrays, and see and touch other sea creatures. There were no mosquitos and there was a backup plan in case of rain, but the weather was perfect.
Mote's Events Manager, Veronica Perrelli, was tremendously helpful from beginning to end. We started our planning seven months before the wedding and even though many weeks might go by between inquiries, she was always instantly responsive and fully knowledgable of our plans, writing detailed replies within hours as if there were no break in our communications.
Even though Sarasota had just had a major hurricane, the Mote grounds were immaculate, and all the staff and volunteers made sure that our wedding went perfectly. They were on site to direct people where to go, answer anyone's questions, and help with the exhibits. We just couldn't be happier with our experience and are very glad we chose Mote Marine as our wedding place.
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Ashley S. Sent on 01/03/2022
Beautiful and unique event location!
I held a charity fundraising event at Mote marine this fall and couldn’t be more pleased with how everything went. The staff was helpful, professional and all around great to work with. The venue was beautiful and we got so many wonderful compliments about what an amazing and unique space it was to hold an event. Would definitely use them for future events and recommend to family/friends!Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium's reply:
Thank you for selecting Mote for your special event!! It was a pleasure hosting the Junior League of Sarasota and your guests. -
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![Kailey]()
Kailey Y. Sent on 01/14/2022Our wedding reception
Planning a wedding during Covid definitely had it’s challenges, but Mote did a great job with keeping communication open, working with us, and in the end still providing the best venue one could ever hope for!! I volunteered through Mote for sea turtle watch and especially now with having had our reception there, it will forever be a special place for us. Giving our guests room to roam a bit, see sharks and marine life, and have open air, was key to a beautiful, fun and Covid free wedding! The court yard fit our guests so well and looked beautiful with our colors (seriously big thanks to Nellie’s Catering for coordinating that!)! Mote even provided a volunteer to answer questions and ensure safety of marine life (big must for me!!). It was superbly the best. Seriously. Big love to Mote.
Picture credit goes to the amazing Makenna Smith Photography. -
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![Lynn]()
Lynn E. Sent on 10/25/2019Out of the Blue Event
Chaired Out of the Blue Fundraiser for NAMI. Mote was a great venue! Accommodating in every way. The Band had space to expand, people danced comfortably on the dance floor. The caterer, Simply Gourmet was outstanding and also had great space to set up the buffet. Guests enjoyed the sea life exhibits, which was an added plus. I highly recommend Mote Marine. Wonderful Staff to with. And while our Florida temperatures are hot, we had a great Gulf Breeze pass though in the evening which made the covered area feel air conditioned. Phone calls, emails and FB posts keep arriving to say how wonderful our event was. Beautiful venue for any type of Party or Reception! Thank you again Mote for helping us create a Spectacular Event!
Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium's reply:
Lynn, it was our pleasure to host such a great event for an important cause. Your team of volunteers was amazing! So thrilled you were pleased with the event. -
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![Kayson]()
Kayson M. Sent on 11/14/2019It was a great and amazing experience
It was great and beautiful scenery and would recommend it to others.Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium's reply:
Thank you Kayson! Wishing you both nothing but the best in 2020 and beyond! Thank you for choosing Mote for your special day!~
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