Newport Aquarium

I loved our wedding at the Newport Aquarium. It was such a fun experience for me, my family and guests. From the beginning the staff was amazing. Working with the sales team to working with the event coordinators for the big day was such a breeze. We worked with both Dee and Allison and they went above and beyond to be helpful with the planning process. Allison was extremely flexible with her time at the rehearsal and on the wedding day when several people were running late. The team in all was wonderful and understanding and great to work with. As for the venue, it made for a beautiful ceremony and reception inside the aquarium. When they tell you the sea turtle loves attention, they are not kidding. He was in just about every picture of our ceremony! The penguin encounter was also such a fun experience for us and our guests too. After 7 months we still get compliments on how much fun guests had. I highly recommend this venue for a fun and unique wedding experience.

As the mother of the bride I was nervous about helping to choose a venue. We wanted everything to be perfect and reflect our daughter and her husband as well as their vision. The staff at Newport Aquarium couldn't have been more helpful, attentive, and flexible as all our wishes were fulfilled. The choices of caterers, the options concerning set-up and areas used, all let us pick just the right feel. The hands-on assistance throughout our event and attention to every detail of the evening were perfect and went well beyond our expectations! Allison was a gem to work with throughout the whole process!

Our special day!!!! Stress free, calm, beautiful and absolutely zero problems!!! The staff at the Newport Aquarium made our wedding experience a fabulous one! I didn’t have a care in the world that day except for saying “I DO” to the man of my dreams! Everything was so beautiful! The food was amazing and it went off without a hitch!! Thank you so much to Allison Sweet and the rest of the staff at Newport Aquarium for the Best. Day. Ever!!!!

Where does one begin?! From moment one, Dee was the most incredible person to work with. She was so easy to get in touch with, had great ideas, answered any and all questions I had and never once made me feel like a bother. She had a way of putting my anxious at ease even with just a simple email. A couple of days before the wedding, we met her assistants, Allison and Kelly. They were breaking down the patio from an event when they overheard us talking to some family about the wedding, They did not hesitate to come over and introduce themselves. They were both very sweet and genuinely kind. Rehearsal went well despite a rowdy crew. Dee handled them well and even joked with me about it - she must have sensed my annoyance. The day of the wedding was a blur, but I was content thanks to Dee and her amazing crew. Everything was perfect, better than expected even. Everything was so beautiful and the compliments from guests were so happily overwhelming. I cannot recommend the crew of the Newport Aquarium enough. Thank you for a picture perfect day!

Dont let the cost deter you, this place is worth every penny! Guests couldn’t get over how we had the whole place to ourselves. They enjoyed the exhibits and it makes for some beautiful photos and selfies. Dee is amazing! She and her staff made sure everything went off smoothly. They took care of every detail and made our evening purly stress free. The complimentary centerpieces were lovely and the whole place was set up perfectly. I cant recommend or thank the staff at the Newport Aquarium enough for producing a fabulous reception!

There aren't enough words to describe how perfect, beautiful and amazing our wedding and reception were at the Aquarium! Dee is the most amazing woman and coordinator; she was with me from the very beginning and brought an even better version of our day to life than I could've possibly hoped for! From answering a million emails from me every day, to helping me make decisions on place settings, to making the day run so smoothly! Our guests have been non stop raving about the aquarium and the wedding, one even called it, "the wedding of the decade!" I literally can't think of one thing to change, everything was so perfect. Dee even made sure that our parents didn't wait in line for drinks, and that my husband and I took little moments throughout the night to breathe and take it all in. I can't thank her and the Aquarium enough! Wedding of my dreams!

Wow. Dee Hornback-you are an event planner extraordinaire! You made this day run so smoothly and you have such a positive demeanor. Everyone loved being a guest at the aquarium. They were commenting how beautiful, fun and unique it was. Our wedding day was the best day of our lives and 90% of it was because of Dee and the NAQ. (The other 10% was marrying my person!)

I don't even know where to begin with this, we had our wedding and reception at the Aquarium and we truly couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. Dee and the staff make this the perfect venue that it is. They were constantly 3 steps ahead of us for anything we could ever want or need on the months leading up to, during and even after our wedding. One way I can think of to describe our experience would be what I think a high dollar Disney wedding would be like. You truly can't put a value on the fact that our entire family and all the guests did not have to do anything for the wedding, everyone is able to be 100% completely present with you in the moment and thats something that we found to be just priceless. My wife has mentioned many times already that she is sad that the wedding has come and gone now, because we won't be able to see Dee and the rest of the staff as much anymore, and I have to agree, they are all so amazing at the aquarium and you leave your event gaining friends at the end. We couldn't have imagined a more perfect day, and Dee and the staff are 100% responsible for making our day what it was, and we will always cherish the wonderful memories of the wedding. Also, our first review never got posted so my apologies if there ends up with two from me.

I’m not even sure where to begin when explaining how amazing the Newport Aquarium and their team was during the entire wedding planning process and day-of wedding/reception. Dee Hornback was INCREDIBLE! She helped me through every step of the way, I cannot imagine how I would have planned my wedding and reception without her. It’s very hard to put into words how amazing Dee and her team truly are because I’m not sure that my quick review can do them justice! Dee was always a phone call or email away. She was consistently quick to respond and extremely helpful. We had a few issues with other vendors and Dee went above and beyond by reaching out to them to ensure that everything went smooth. Whenever an issue arose, Dee had it handled and settled before I could even start to worry. My family was blown away by the amazing, individualized attention we received throughout the whole process. Not only were guests impressed by the venue but they also noticed how attentive Dee was and are still talking about how great the team at the Aquarium was. Our friends and family are still talking about our wedding almost 2 months later. We’ve had multiple people tell us that it was the most unique wedding and venue they’ve ever attended. We had Paula the Penguin during cocktail hour and our guests loved her! We also had the entire aquarium to ourselves during cocktail hour so guests toured the exhibits while the Riverside Room was flipped from ceremony to reception set-up. My husband and I also got some amazing pictures in the Shark Tunnels! Everything about the venue is unique and definitely memorable. Our wedding and reception was better than I ever could have imagined. Dee truly took everything I envisioned and brought it to life. When it came time to leave the venue after our reception it was bittersweet having to say goodbye to Dee as we had both worked together putting time and effort into making our day everything we’ve ever dreamed of! I could go on and on about how amazing everything was but I will just say that I am so so so happy that we chose to have our special day at the aquarium!! If you’re thinking about having your wedding or reception at the Newport Aquarium, DO IT! The team and the venue will not disappoint!!!!!

I cannot say enough to recommend the Aquarium as a wedding venue. It's both unique and beautiful, and the view from the Riverside Room can't be beat. Our guests loved having freedom to explore the entire aquarium, which was especially fun for families with little ones. Of all the wonderful things the Aquarium had to offer, the best part was Dee, the wedding coordinator. From the first planning meeting to the end of the reception, she was calm, cool, and so helpful. Having a coordinator there made all the difference, and the only thing I had to worry about the entire day was whether I'd make it through my vows without crying.

There is nobody on Earth better for this than Dee Hornback at the Newport Aquarium. It's like she is magic how she makes everything happen and goes out of her way to make everything perfect. I can't even list all of the incredible ways that she helped me. All I can say is that as the bride, there were a lot of things that I needed and there were a few hiccups along the way (by fault of the bridal party) that Dee and her team took care of instantly and efficiently. Any time day or night that I reached out to her, she was prompt and kind and so helpful in her responses to me. Dee somehow managed to be constantly at my side when I needed her, all while keeping an entire aquarium full of guests happy and organized. The aquarium itself as a venue was amazing. We paid extra to have Paula the penguin make an appearance for about 20 minutes. Guests could pet her and take pictures with her. This is something everyone remembered and loved! Everyone loved the wedding and a lot of them said it was the best, most beautiful wedding they had ever been to! The Newport Aquarium was well worth the money. This was the most important day of my life, the biggest celebration I will ever hold for so many people to enjoy, and I can't imagine having had it anywhere else.

We chose the Newport Aquarium as our reception site because it is gorgeous and we both love animals and wanted them incorporated into our wedding. We had our reception in the shark bay theater and guests had access to the entire aquarium. When we got to the aquarium we got to look at the tables prior to our guests and myself, my groom, and our entire wedding party was speechless. It was absolutely beautiful, more than we expected. When the curtains were pulled back and the tables were revealed to our guests we were told that everyone gasped and stood there in awe prior to actually entering the room. We were complimented by all of our guests how amazing our reception was and even told by married friends that they wanted to redo their wedding because of how gorgeous ours was. I wish I could write a whole review on the staff themselves, especially Dee. Dee is absolutely AMAZING! Throughout the year leading up to our wedding she was so patient and helpful. I was very anxious and nervous about everything and she kept me calm and was so patient with me changing my mind a thousand times. The week leading up to the wedding I was emailing her several times a day changing my mind about things and she was prompt and so kind and never got annoyed with my millions of questions or changing my mind. She is extremely organized and made lots of lists and emailed them to me so that I had them for myself. The day of she made sure I was stress free, made sure everything went smooth, kept me updated on everything, worked with all my vendors to make sure everything was perfect, interacted with myself and my guests. There are no words to describe how absolutely amazing she and the rest of the staff were. Dee made sure that I always had a drink, she knew what piece of cake I wanted and had it at my seat waiting. There were a few unexpected guests who arrived and she didn't blink an eye, she quickly got a place set up for them at tables and didn't seem to be annoyed. She checked in on me and made sure I was comfortable and even took me aside and loosened my dress up so that I wouldn't be sick. It was a perfect day. We HIGHLY recommend!!

I can not recommend the Newport Aquarium enough. For the unique atmosphere - where else can you get married in front of a shark tank?!, excellent location - near so many bars, restaurants and things to do in NKY/Cincy and EXCELLENT service - the planner there is TOP NOTCH and makes sure your day is perfect and everything is taken care of. You don't have to worry about a thing!

Asa

Our family loves the aquarium!

Dee and her team at Newport Aquarium were awesome! She was there every step of the way helping me with every detail and was always available to answer questions. Everyone was so helpful the day of my wedding and everything ran so smoothly. The venue itself was so unique and fun. My guests loved it. Newport Aquarium is a wonderful place to have a wedding! I would highly recommend it.

We chose Newport because we were having a themed wedding that was to take place "at the bottom of the ocean". The staff was beyond amazing, and put us both so at ease even in the anxiety-filled final moments. They took care of everything, and followed our fairly complicated decoration requests/instructions perfectly. We chose to have the event on a Sunday evening because the price was so much less than during a peak day (Fri/Sat), and the only downside is that there were a few guests that were not able to make it because we had to have it after the aquarium closed (we started at 6:30pm) and they had to work the next morning. Other than having a late start time, I can think of absolutely nothing negative about our experience! Dee and her crew were on the ball! I can't emphasize enough how much we enjoyed working with them and how beautiful they made everything turn out.

I am so incredibly happy we chose to have our wedding reception at Newport Aquarium!! Our guests are still talking about how fun and unique it was! They are soo easy to work with and will do EVERYTHING for you! I was definitely a nervous bride, but they assured me everything will be perfect and it WAS! We chose to do the penguin exhibit. So glad we did! Everyone LOVED it! Thank you Newport Aquarium for making my dream wedding come true!

Choosing to get married at the aquarium was the best decision we made! When we were searching for venues, we knew we wanted somewhere with a great view and indoor/outdoor space. That was our reason for choosing the Riverside Room. What we didn't realize at the time was that we were also getting a wonderful wedding planner as part of the deal. Sara was fantastic! She helped with so many details, ensured that her staff set everything up like we wanted, and was in touch with all of our other vendors to make sure everything was just right! The night of our wedding was just breathtaking. The room was gorgeous and the view of downtown Cincinnati really just can't be beat. Our guests are still telling us what a great time they had and how amazing the venue was. We had a lot of DIY items and Sara's team was more than happy to set everything up. They also carefully boxed everything up at the end of the night for us to pick up later in the week. Sara really went above and beyond for us! So much of the success of our wedding is owed to her and her team. She was always so quick to respond to questions, had excellent advice, and always put our needs first! If you are looking for a beautiful, unique venue, this is definitely it! Thank you so much for everything you did! The night was perfect! - The new Mr. and Mrs. Harvey

Working with the Aquarium was such a great decision. Sara was incredibly responsive and answered all of my emails promptly. She was so thorough, friendly, accommodating, and flexible. It was so comforting to be in such great hands! The staff at the Aquarium had the Riverside Room set up beautifully and the event couldn’t have gone smoother. If anything went wrong, I didn’t have a clue that night! The Aquarium was a beautiful place for our wedding reception and we would recommend Newport to anyone we know. It is such a unique and fun place to host a reception and our friends and family loved it. Sara and the rest of the staff was incredible and we are so thankful!

I loved getting married here. We had so much fun. The people that work there are so nice and helpful.

Our wedding at the Newport Aquarium was absolutely wonderful in every detail. The staff made everything so easy to plan and organize. When we left the rehearsal the night before the wedding I felt completely like Sara and her team had it all under control and I didn't have to worry about a thing - and they delivered! The venue itself is amazing, our photos are extraordinary. One of my favorite things was all the great photo-ops guests found! It was fabulous to see photos on Facebook and Twitter of our friends and family having fun in the Aquarium.

My husband and I l have lived in Butler County our whole lives, but we met in Newport and got engaged practically in Newport, so it made sense to get married across the river. We wanted to be able to see the beautiful Cincinnati skyline with our guests, plus we wanted a place to have our ceremony as well. I didn’t want everyone to have to drive from where we live down to Newport so finding a place that had a ceremony site and reception space was important. It was at a bridal show that I discovered the aquarium did weddings. I love animals and I thought the idea of getting married at the aquarium would be perfect. We met Adrienne for a meeting and she gave us a tour around the aquarium and brought us to the riverside room. There are many options with the NA, but we chose the option that gave our guests the chance to explore the aquarium between the ceremony and reception changeover. Another option we had was a penguin encounter. In the beginning of the reception we had a penguin come and each guest had a chance to pet the penguin. On the day of the wedding the riverside room was beautiful. I worked with Sara after booking and she is spot on in helping with any question or recommendations you may need. I was worried about needing a coordinator during the day of because I had a good amount of things that I wanted to have done. Sara put my worries to ease and told me I didn’t need to hire anyone or have family step in and set up. Sara also helped with linen selections from Connie Duglin. Since she did all the organizing with that I can’t really review them, but they looked good.

Everything was beautiful and the staff was great. They kept everything running smoothly. We got to see the fireworks after the Red's baseball game across the river and they were wonderful!

I cannot say enough good things about the Newport Aquarium! We are having our reception there this September and Rhonda has been absolutely wonderful to work with! She has been extremely attentive, flexible and always available to answer our questions. I feel very confident that we chose the right venue for our wedding! (Picked this over the Bell Event Centre & the Westin) The staff at the Newport Aquarium has truly made planning our wedding a great experience! I highly recommend this venue to any Cincinnati Bride...I can't wait for my reception here in September!

As you can imagine, having a reception at an aquarium is amazing! You can't beat giving your guests an evening of personal access to all exhibits, not to mention the spectacular view of the skyline from the Riverside Room. My one complaint though... the room got HOT! So much so that guests were going outside in the 30 degree weather just to cool off! Ask for a fan early and often... trust me!!!

I loved the diverse experience the Aquarium provided for my wedding day. Cocktail hour was spent in the exhibits and the rest of the celebrating took place in their Riverfront room that had a beautiful backdrop of the Cincinnati Skyline and a patio for guests to take a break from all the dancing inside. While the uniqueness of all the aquatic life was the original driver of appeal for me, I now feel that the patio and views of the city ended up being the main attractor! My guests loved everything and I was so happy I could offer them such a unique experience. The aquarium is easy to work with and they provide you with an event coordinator to help arrange all the details. Costs do add up since you have to pay extra for several things (lighting, special linens, etc), but it was well-worth it!

The skyline is worth every penny alone. The staff make it even better. I was blown away with how organized ans smooth everything was on my wedding night. Anyone looking for the perfect venue that will stand out in people's minds needs to check it out! AMAZING :)

The venue looked AMAZING and the staff was great; however, the aquarium has so many rules that it makes them hard to work with! There is only one person you can work with for linens, chairs, etc. and everything has an up charge. We were not told when we booked that there were so many regulations, so when we tried to rent linens, etc. we got a lot of push back. I think if we had known this upfront it would have been nice. But, in the end, I wouldn't have changed a thing! Having the back patio was AWESOME. Older guests could be out of the noise of dancing but still feel a part of the event.

Prior to planning my wedding this place was my favorite spot in the world....now, after having my wedding and reception there, literally in the Aquariurm and among the fish, it has no equal! My wedding was better than I ever could have asked for! Brent was my wedding coordinator for the Aquarium and she did everything from giving us an extra hour, to fixing my dress at random! She was amazing, and so easy to work with, especially since I lived over 2 hours away.

I cannot say enough good things about the aquarium. Our reception was beautiful and just what we wanted. Our event coordinator was always reachable during our preparations and was there for the whole event to make sure it ran smoothly. We have had so many compliments on how beautiful the reception was. We got pictures from down in the exhibits and overlooking the skyline. It's not a ballroom or a golf course which makes it more original than others we looked at. I definitely recommend the aquarium!

Overall, AWESOME location for intimate weddings. I would not recommend for groups larger than 160 unless you use the entire aquarium. It can get a bit pricey since nothing is included with the room rental except tables/chairs (i.e., catering, bar, lighting, linens, etc.) but you do have a wedding coordinator included! We opted for the penguin encounter and it was a HUGE hit! Costs more, but WORTH IT! Adults and children alike loved it!

The Aquarium was the perfect place for a reception. Their staff was wonderful, especially our event coordinator. Lots of other factors went into our night, but so many people said it was the most fun wedding they'd attended. We've always loved the aquarium, and this was a great choice. I wasn't involved in the payments, so I haven't evaluated it.

We had my daughters reception at this location and everything turned out wonderful. All of the staff was accomodating very helpful and pleasant. Would recommend this site to anyone