Aquarium Weddings
Your wedding venue plays an enormous part in setting the ambiance and establishing a theme for your big day. While aquariums remain an unusual choice for brides- and grooms-to-be, they can create absolutely exquisite backdrops, colours and scenes. Getting married or enjoying your reception at an aquarium introduces an entirely new world to your event. Unlike an outdoor wedding, an aquarium wedding exposes the wonders of a place that is not otherwise visible to the common person, and is sure to create lasting memories for the family and friends that share this special occasion with you.
You may choose to get married in front of one of the tank windows, saying your vows as a Great White Shark glides past in powerful elegance. Alternatively, you might just have your reception in a function room in the aquarium, which usually boasts one or several tank windows. Guests can ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ as they wait for you to arrive, listen to speeches and enjoy their meals; appreciating the true, unadulterated beauty of marine life. There are some aquariums that even offer a ‘fishbowl’ effect, which involves a room with rounded walls made completely from glass, giving the couple and their guests the impression of being submerged right within this watery home of a variety of colourful, playful and interesting marine species.
Your theme colour(s) should reflect or complement the colours around you. Obviously, the main colour, created by the deep water, will be blue. Your theme colour does not necessarily have to be a shade of blue, but should work well within the setting. Ensure that your decorator has seen the venue and the effect that the light and water has on the colours of different objects. Your décor should not compete with the tank and underwater scene, but should work together with it, enhancing it as much as possible.
Your theme may be ocean based (fish, starfish, kelp and shells, for example). However, you can steer clear of a theme too, as the venue will add much of its own character to the celebration. For less blatant references to the ambience, use sea sand and pebbles in your table settings and décor.
The aquarium setting creates ample opportunity for fabulous wedding photographs, both formal and informal. In addition to unrivalled backgrounds, you can also take advantage of this setting by including related props, such as colourful fish made out of card or polystyrene, fishing nets, canoes, sea water, the couple petting other marine wildlife such as penguins, riding on a model of a dolphin, lifting the wedding dress to reveal massive diving flippers, etc...).
Whether or not you include seafood on your menu is entirely up to you. You may feel that it would be inappropriate for guests to admire the vibrantly-hued fish through the glass as they champ down on a juicy hake fillet. On the other hand, a seafood menu would further enhance the theme.
Bear in mind that some things may not be permitted into an aquarium for reason of foreign viruses that they may introduce (e.g. certain flowers), or because of the hazards they present to the wildlife. These include balloons, strobe lights, smoke machines and live fish in fishbowls on the table.
Your day is precisely that; yours. Make it unique and special to you, as a couple, by enjoying it in your favourite place in the world. For many, this is within the breath-taking confines of an aquarium.
Photo Credit: www.101thingsobx.com
