Mystic Aquarium Reviews

I seldom write reviews, but I really need to share how wonderful the Aquarium was for our son’s rehearsal dinner. Really—the bride and her family kept referring to the evening as “magical”. And it was. The dinner was held at the indoor exhibit gallery with literally thousands of colorful and amazing fish: tangs, pufferfish, sharks, rays, the giant octopus, not to mention the very special beluga whales! The gallery was beautiful with soft lighting, round tables with white chairs, light blue and white table linens, and room for the guests to walk around and mingle. And, the food was great--we chose chicken Florentine, prime rib, smashed red potatoes, asparagus, and fresh strawberry shortcake. In addition, the Aquarium assisted with showing a slideshow that we had prepared for the bride and groom. In summary, the event was beautiful, but it was beautiful because Danielle, the catering manager for the Aquarium, made it happen. I really cannot say enough about how important and helpful she was--always responsive, patient, and professional. Throughout the planning of the event, she gave advice and made suggestions about the menu, table decorations, the slide show, table linens, and more, all of which were helpful, all of which I followed. Thank you, Danielle!

Got married here May 3rd. I couldn’t be happier with how everything went. The only critiques I have are of the cement in front of the beluga tank. There was many a hole for my heels to slip into. Luckily I didn’t fall at all. But it was crazy to navigate haha. Otherwise, Juno was the star of the wedding ceremony and I cannot complain about that whatsoever. The reception was gorgeous set up on the main aquarium floor. Surrounded by fish and jellies and turtles, it was amazing.

Everyone had a blast. A fantastic wedding venue! The staff are all wonderful and the food is fantastic!

Ocean Blue Catering catered our wedding at The Branford House. Their staff, food and beverage package was heads above any catered event I have experienced. As a former Wedding Caterer, my expectations were high. Ocean Blue delivered the wedding of my dreams.

We are so happy we chose the Mystic Aquarium for our wedding. They are in the wedding business and truly know what they are doing. I am so happy they made our wedding perfect. We chose to do a rehearsal the day before and it made all the difference! David Hunter, our wedding day coordinator is so awesome. He moved everything along. The day went by so fast bug it helped knowing the team I selected is so knowledgeable and experienced. I selected DJ Neil Roma as the DJ and he did a great job. I highly recommend this venue as the food served and venue itself are incomparable. It is a one of a kind location.

The entire staff at Mystic Aquarium and Ocean Blue Catering made our big day at Mystic Aquarium unforgettable. We worked with Kathy to nail down all of the details, from the start time of the ceremony to the reception, to arranging for us (the bride and groom) to see the penguins we arranged for before the rest of the guests. Kathy even noticed an oversight on our part in choosing the food for our buffet, and helped us correct it a few weeks before our wedding. Ashley was amazing to work with for the event itself. She met us to drop off our decorations and made sure everything was setup perfectly. Her team that night worked so smoothly they were undetectable! We decided to have the ceremony inside at the last minute, and they were able to turn the location over in no time to make sure everything was ready to go. Our guests raved about the food on our buffet, and many people even went up for seconds. The OCB team accommodated me with a special plated vegetarian meal, which was amazing as well. So tasty! Our liaison for the night, Dave, was also a rockstar. He helped us get outside right away to take photos before the sun went down in front of the Belugas. He also communicated with Ashley and our DJ that the ceremony would take place inside. Dave helped make sure the bridal party was gathered before they let guests in so we wouldn't be seen, and also made sure details like the cake cutting took place and ran smoothly. The venue was beautiful, and we are still receiving compliments about how cool and unique it was. We would highly recommend having your wedding at Mystic Aquarium with Ocean Blue Catering!

Ocean Blue Catering was hands down one of the best decisions I made when planning my October wedding. The Mystic Yachting Center is a stunning venue, right on the water, and the food was unreal. Our guests are still talking about their meal months later. The meal tasting was one of the most fun parts of the planning process. The staff was beyond accommodating, and even let us come in days early to start setting up our centerpieces and decor (since there were no events leading up to ours). We comfortably fit 120 guests - you probably couldn't fit too many more without sacrificing dance floor space. Two things to be aware of - there is no elevator, although it's a two-floor venue; we didn't have many older guests but we did have one in a wheelchair. Secondly, the parking is in the marina lot, which isn't huge; we just bused our guests in from their hotels, not an inconvenience overall and was safer for our guests. You'll be the only event at the venue, and you'll be treated to five-star service and food. I can't recommend Ocean Blue enough!

Very professional and upscale experience. The director, Kathy, was amazing to work with and helped us so much in determining which vendors to use. This venue is no more pricey than any other of its caliber, however keep in mind that vendors, plates, appetizers, etc etc are all separately priced. The food portions are very generous, and delicious. Our guests could not get over how good the food was and how fun the atmosphere was at Mystic. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a memorable and unique experience.

Kathy and her team at Ocean Blue catering were great! We booked with her early and found a great weekend. She helped us through the planning each step of the way. She always gave an honest opinion, which was much appreciated. There was a good selection of food and beverage options. As the time got closer things picked up and her team was on the ball. In the end we had a great and beautiful ceremony, the food was fantastic, and everything went smoothly and as planned. Oh yeah and the Baluga whales are something our guests will never forget!

This venue provided our ceremony and reception. They worked with us remotely, providing support during our year of planning. Our ceremony was in front of the beluga whale tank and just perfect. Our cocktail hour was supposed to be outside as well, but with the threat of a storm and high temperature, they moved us inside and our guests were very happy and comfortable. The food was amazing and plentiful, the drinks were top shelf, and the venue space was enjoyed by all guests. We chose an all comfort food menu and our guests raved about the quality of the food and the variety of choices. The staff was very helpful and kept us informed and very comfortable. They set up our favors and table numbers perfectly and took care of every detail. Our day of coordinator, Dave, was excellent, even running to get our ring bearer apple juice to calm him down. We can't say enough wonderful things about this venue.

I had my wedding at mystic aquarium august 6. It was a dream come true! Kathy of ocean blue catering gave us multiple options and talked us through details, making sure we didn't forget anything. She was extremely friendly and detail oriented. David, the banquet manager, kept the event moving and made sure we all knew what to do and where to go. Without him, we would have been lost. He was also very nice and fun to talk to. The other staff were all wonderful as well. So very happy with our day, and the belugas stOle the show!! :)

Kathy at Ocean Blue Catering has been wonderful to work with! She has also had such a positive attitude that has kept me excited for the big day so I have no worries about the food or table settings or anything!
When my fiancé and I met with her to go over the buffet options, she was very helpful and flexible in helping us to decide which options would work best and didn't try to "sell us" on anything.
I am very lucky to have picked Mystic Aquarium and have Ocean Blue Catering along with it!

I had my wedding at the yachting center July 11, 2015. Katie was amazing to work with. I knew I could e- mail her with any crazy question and she wouldn't think it was crazy. She would get back to me in a timely manner usually by the end of the day and help me figure out whatever I needed. Co e the wedding day everything flew do nicely that I was not even a bit stress. She helped mpcalm me down and the venue was absolutely perfect for our day. I would recommend it to anyone. Sam & Chris

From the moment we first saw the Mystic Yachting Center, we immediately fell in love. The location can't be beat, located right on the Mystic River with gorgeous views of the water. Inside, the building is spacious and laid out nicely on two floors, as well as a wrap-around porch, while also giving a warm and coastal feel. The building is beautiful on its own, without any decoration. I couldn't believe how great it looked the day of the wedding when we were able to add our personal touch. Beyond the decor and layout, and most importantly, the yachting center has the most incredible staff. Katie Crowley, the Executive Sales Manager, was an incredible person to work with. Not only was Katie professional, responsive, and organized, she always went above and beyond to provide additional support. Katie opened the Yachting Center early to allow us to decorate, as well as to allow vendors to drop off their items early. Throughout the entire process, Katie and her staff put tremendous effort into making our day as wonderful as it could be. Ashley, the catering manager, was also phenomenal. Every single guest stopped us to let us know how incredible the food was. Ocean Blue Catering provided a number of classics (e.g,. petite filet, baked cod) as well as unique options for the appetizers and main entrees. Our favorite appetizer was the shrimp wrapped in prosciutto. During the wedding day, everything was delivered promptly and with a beautiful presentation. We can't say enough great things about the Mystic Yachting Center; it is a true gem and we couldn't have imagined having our reception anywhere else.

Kathy and the rest of the staff at Ocean Blue catering did a great job of making sure my wedding was perfect! The food was absolutely delicious, and all of my guests raved about how amazing the short ribs were. The venue was so beautiful that we were able to get away with simple centerpieces. Everyone loved the penguin encounter, and we smile every time we look at our wedding photos and see how unique the day was.

Ultimately, I think you're either the type of person to get married at an aquarium, or you aren't. If you are, this place is perfect!

We held our rehearsal dinner for 67 guests at the Mystic Yachting Center. Every single thing was perfect thanks to Katie Crowley, Ashley the banquet manager and all the great staff! The venue is simply amazing!! Spectacular view, surrounded by boats and water, great sunset. The food was delicious. For cocktails downstairs and on the deck we had pimento cheese crostinis, smoked salmon on bread, scallops wrapped in bacon. They even recreated my son's favorite cocktail meatballs from his grandmother's incomplete notes, perfectly. Everything was delicious! Upstairs for dinner we had 3 stations. My favorite, the paella was outstanding with tons of local seafood and huge shrimp! Better than any restaurant I have had it in. The guests also raved about the carved pork and the fajita bar. Heart shaped brownies with pink icing and an ice cream bar for dessert- delish!

OBC and Katie were so great to work with- flexible and very professional. Katie had so many great suggestions for food, decorations, champagne toasts and the bar. We were able to personalize our event with a favorite family recipe and decorating touches that were important to us and they took care of all the rest. Highly recommend this amazing venue!

I cannot say enough about Kathy and the staff at Ocean Blue Catering!!!! Everyone was so professional and so easy to work with!!!! Everything came together so beautifully!!!! The food was amazing and everyone just loved the bartender!!!! They even helped set up all my table decorations, and did an even better job than I had imagined myself!!!! I would highly recommend Ocean Blue Catering to my family/friends for any event!!!!

Our wedding was beautiful and wonderful. Why? Because we had the most professional, nice, and supportive staff taking care of our most important day. From the moment we met with Kathy from Ocean Blue and toured the facility, we knew this is where we wanted to get married. Having the aquarium as the background for the wedding was absolutely wonderful espeically when Juno is behaving and entertaining the crowd..... Thank you Juno..
When we selected this venue, we had no idea that the service and dedication to our every request would be taken care of with such dedication and poise...
The food, the wait staff, David the coordinator, did I say the food... The food was delicious and wonderful... Everyone commented on the food and the atmosphere and said IT WAS THE BEST WEDDING THEY EVER ATTENDED. I don't think you can beat that!
Thank you again Mystic Aquarium and Ocean Blue.... you made our wedding perfect.
Laurie and Jim Lubinski

This was the most wonderful wedding venue and I am so Happy that my husband and I chose MYC to host our special day. First off, working with Katie was a dream. She was so laid back and really allowed Jim and Me to create our dream day. Whenever we asked about doing something, she would say "sure not a problem" and then work quickly to get it done. The venue was so helpful during set up and pack up that it made it enjoyable for my entire family. Katie was absolutely wonderful. There was a chance of rain and boy did it rain.. Bit Katie reassured us that her staff could move the ceremony in ten minutes depending in the weather. That flexibility out me at ease and we were able to get married outside just moments after it stopped raining. We got married a week ago and my friends and family cannot stop talking about how it was the most perfect day and I have Katie, her staff and the mystic yachting center to thank for that! I would absolutely recommend this venue to any bride who wants a venue that can be personalized to your personal vision. This place was wonderful. I wish I could do it all again!!!

We just had our wedding at the Mystic Yachting Center and I can't say enough good things about the experience. Katie (The Sales Manager for MYC) was wonderful right from the beginning. She got us in to see the venue the weekend after I contacted her and we were able to see it all set up. It is absolutely gorgeous! It isn't your typical wedding venue which was exactly what we were looking for. It is a great building and required very little decoration since we didn't want to take away from the beauty of it or the views. We lucked out with a great sunny day and had our ceremony outside right on the water. They set up 30 chairs on the grass below for the immediate family, and everyone else stood up top on the wrap around porch overlooking the ceremony. It was perfect. Having cocktail and bar downstairs and dinner and dancing upstairs flowed great and never felt crowded and felt it would have been ok with a few more people (we had 123 people-13 tables and a smaller kids table).

As far as service, Katie and her banquet manager Ashley were FANTASTIC. All communication leading up to the wedding was super quick and Katie always answered all my questions and was very helpful setting up a menu that we loved and worked for all our guests and budget. The day of they let me come in early in the morning to set up a few things that I wanted to do myself and then the staff set up everything else. They do set up everything which is great, but I just felt like I wanted to do some myself just because! The wedding went off without a hitch. The food was fantastic, and many people commented (and still are) on how good it was and that it didn't taste like "wedding food". The catering and bar staff were all very friendly and attentive all night. I would highly recommend this venue and all of the staff to anyone looking for any type of event.

This past Saturday we had our daughter's wedding at the yacht center and it was such a wonderful experience. The setting is unbeatable. Katie and her staff are great. We were dodging weather issues Saturday afternoon and Katie was spot on for when we needed to start the ceremony, was able to get the ceremony done outside and just as we finished and headed inside the rain drops started. The food was awesome, we had some food allergies that we had to work with and that was not a problem at all. Everything was set up (centerpieces that had many pieces to them) as we wanted. At the end of the night the staff helped us break the room down, packed up the extra supplies etc. Everything was so flexible and professional. We got many compliments from our guests as to how wonderful the food and everything was at the yacht center. It is very budget friendly and I would highly recommend the yacht center, Katie and her staff.

About a year and a half ago, one of my brides (I am a wedding planner) told me about a wedding she went to at the Mystic Aquarium and how amazing it was. I had never heard of such a thing, but I loved the idea. When we visited and met Kathy Lloyd, we loved everything instantly! We booked the venue that day, on the spot! From the day on it was a true pleasure dealing with Kathy - she was always a professional, got right back to me on my hundreds of questions, and was always courteous and helpful. The food tasting was great, but the food at the wedding surpassed all of my expectations. Its sometimes rare for people to still be talking about how great the food was - but it was excellent and they are still talking! The venue is absolutely incredible for a wedding. We didn't have our ceremony there but the cocktail hour by the beluga whales and the penguins interacting with the guests were truly unforgettable. We were able to take photos with the penguins and on the grounds before the guests arrived. The staff was courteous and attentive and everything went off without a hitch. It was truly the best day of my life and we couldn't have possibly picked a better or more amazing space to celebrate our wedding!

The Mystic Yachting Center was a fantastic venue! We worked with Katie from Ocean Blue Catering she was awesome ! Katie always responded to every email and answered every question promptly she was super flexible on opening the venue on MANY occasions to show the family and wedding party the space! The day of everything was set up perfectly ! We had the best day (sunny and warm) it was perfect
We had both our ceremony and reception there.. Our ceremony was thankfully outside and it was gorgeous ! The guests were able to watch from the deck or sit in the chairs below..
Cocktail hour was downstairs and on the wrap around deck.. And dinner was upstairs where there are 4 huge windows - it's beautiful !
The service was excellent and the food was outstanding ! Lynn was especially great( she was on top of getting us our drinks ! :)
Our guests can not stop saying how beautiful the place and food was !
If you would your backdrop to be water and boats this is your the place ! I can not express how happy we were to have our wedding here and to work with Katie and Ocean Blue Catering! Thank you!

I had my 7/12/14 wedding at the Mystic Aquarium. It was amazing! We got married in front of the beluga whale tank. So amazing! The whales were so interested in what was going on, so they are in all the photos! The guests loved seeing them too! The reception was in the main exhibit hall. So fun! The guests could walk around and see all the exhibits and eat dinner next to the fish tanks!

Ocean bl fantastic! Everything was so tasty and the staff was fantastic! Kathy and Ashley were so helpful during the planning process. Calmly replying to all my emails with all my questions. The food tasting was private, so we could discuss budget. They gave us actual size food so we could really taste it, not just bite size pieces. Neil was great, he escorted us around the aquarium early to take photos, and help set up my customized aisle runner. He made sure things ran smoothly during the wedding! The guests were raving about the food. My dad could not stop talking about the pasta! We did the sundae bar and everyone loved it! Thought it was such a great idea! I highly recommend the mashed potato bar! Guests loved that too! They even decorated the buffet table with small rocks and sea shells to go with the aquarium theme! So cute! I heard that the drinks at the bar were a bit strong, but that can be a good or bad thing :)

I highly recommend Ocean Blue Catering! They are super friendly, and the food is amazing! I would also totally recommend having your wedding at the Mystic Aquarium. Who doesn't want their wedding photos to include beluga whales, jellyfish, stingrays, and sharks?

They were amazing. The food was awesome! Had my wedding at the Yachting Center and it was beautiful