Unforgettable Under the Sea Wedding Experience!
$1,200 starting price
51 to 100 guests
O'Anna Rose
COORDINATOR
Typically responds within 24h
The NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island is a truly unique Outer Banks venue that tantalizes the imagination and creates an unforgettable experience. Imagine your wedding ceremony on our 200’ Soundside Pier and gazebo overlooking the Croatan Sound featuring gorgeous sunsets.
Imagine your guests enjoying cocktail hour while exploring many of our galleries! They will see freshwater and salt fish, reptiles, adult and baby alligators, turtles, otters, life around wrecks & reefs and they will be able to touch stingrays and invertebrates. Imagine dinner set in front of our 285,000-gallon Graveyard of the Atlantic exhibit featuring the largest collection of sharks in NC. Imagine dancing in our Delicate Drifters Gallery while surrounded by five sea jelly tanks and three bubble tanks. Experience the magic!
Our standard capacity is usually 100 guests, however, we are able to accommodate at maximum 135 guests for a sit-down reception. The type of event/set up determines the capacity.
Pricing details
Starting prices
Reception:
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Ceremony:
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Bar services:
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Catering:
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Starting prices don't include service fees, taxes, gratuity, and rental fees. Guest count and seasonality may also affect prices. Peak season for this venue is Mar-Jun and Sept-Nov.
Amenities + details
Amenities
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Ceremony Types
Civil Union
Commitment Ceremony
Elopement
Interfaith Ceremony
Second Wedding
Vow Renewal Ceremony
Settings
Ballroom
Beach
Waterfront
Venue Service Offerings
Rentals & Equipment
Service Staff
Any questions?
Meet the team
O'Anna Rose
Coordinator
Hello! I'm O'Anna, the Special Events Coordinator at Roanoke Island Aquarium! Originally from northeastern NC, I graduated from First Flight High School and went on to New York City where she studied Musical Theatre at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy. From there, I went on to The New School for Public Engagement where she received her BA: Liberal Arts. Between my upbringing on The Outer Banks and my time in New York, I've gained extensive experience in hospitality and event planning. I'm looking forward to assisting you plan your wedding at the Roanoke Island Aquarium!
Reviews
5.0
out of 5.04 reviews
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Emily L
5.0
2/06/2023
The Aquarium is where I held my wedding and I have absolutely no regrets! From me loving the views and everything about it to my husband loving the animals, this was a no brainer. The uniqueness of the venue was incomparable to other venues and they offered entertainment, decor, tables, chairs, and beautiful scenery for a wedding for a fair price. They have three different packages and we chose the first one with access to the entire aquarium and pier. Communication was superb throughout the entire wedding planning process. A lot of questions and information needed to be exchanged since this is a state owned and operated facility. We were still able to hold the wedding of our dreams!
Lindsey S
5.0
11/28/2017
We visited the aquarium Fourth of July weekend 2016, only a month after we got engaged, as we always visit aquariums everywhere we travel. We immediately fell in love with it and had a difficult time decided where to get married as he is from Florida and I am from Texas and we live in the Hampton Roads area in Virginia. Once we saw the pier out back, we instantly knew we had to get married at the aquarium! We set our date for 10/7/2017 and Cheryl was amazing, took time to take our calls and answer questions, the cost was extremely reasonable with a refundable deposit after the event (provided no incident, of which we had none and got that back). We wanted our family and friends to fall in love with the Outer Banks, just like we did and they absolutely did. Cheryl was beyond accommodating and available to either meet or speak and coordinate everything, her and the staff are beyond pleasant and we couldn't ever imagine having our wedding anywhere else and we will continue to visit frequently!
Any questions?
Carol O
5.0
8/24/2015
My husband and I got married at the Roanoke Island Aquarium on July 11, 2015. We booked this venue over a year and a half in advance after finding it on the Outer Banks Wedding Association Website. We both have always loved the ocean and the beach so we knew that this would be the perfect place to get married. Cheryl the event coordinator at the aquarium was great to work with. Because of her and our event coordinator, Beth, our wedding at the aquarium was absolutely spectacular! The ceremony was supposed to be take place on the pier located next to the aquarium; however, unfortunately it rained that day so we had to move inside to the theater for the ceremony. The theater is a very nice room; however, it lacks any special charm so our ceremony wasn't as picturesque as it would have been on the pier. Our reception took place in the shark tank room; which was such a beautiful backdrop for photos and dancing! Our guests were able to explore the entire aquarium throughout the evening. All of our guests no matter what their age absolutely had a blast, many said that it was the best wedding they had ever been to. Note to brides, the one bad thing is that there are several rooms that your guests can enjoy, which makes it very difficult to track down all 140 of your guests and thank them for being there. This isn't a deal breaker by any means, I just wish a former bride had warned me so I would have spent more time thanking my guests and maybe worn more comfortable shoes! Thank you to Cheryl and all of the aquarium staff who helped out with our wedding.
Amanda W
5.0
7/10/2014
If you want to wow your guests, and have a great time, I highly recommend renting the Roanoke Island Aquarium as your destination wedding location. We had the best time, and our guests loved it! We made the wedding kid friendly, so they had a great time petting stingrays, and viewing the wildlife and fish. Dinner was in the shark tank room, and the ceremony was beautiful on the new pier on the sound. Cheryl was great to work with as well! We will never forget our unique, beautiful, wedding!
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$1,200 starting price
O'Anna Rose
COORDINATOR
Typically responds within 24h
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