For one Long Island couple, taking the “big plunge” was a lot scarier than most. Why? Because after literally plunging into 120,000 gallons of water, they found themselves surrounded by dozens of man-eating sharks! How’s that for a wedding that bites?! Of course, nothing nearly that bad happened during the underwater ceremony, but I’m sure just having a wedding in a shark tank added some unexpected excitement and memories to last a lifetime.
Their shark tail
Although not as daring as the couple in the inset (who went cage free for their ceremony), April Pignataro and Michael Curry of Long Island were looking for something a bit different. And the thought of an aquarium wedding was right up their ally. But when the event coordinator at the Lost City of Atlantis Shark Tank at Atlantis Marine World in Riverhead suggested a shark-dive wedding, they were beyond excited. Both of them expert divers, it was just what they were looking for. “We both love the ocean. We love the water…and yes, the idea of an underwater wedding, not to mention one surrounded by sharks at an Aquarium, is different and unique, but that is also exactly who we are,” Pignataro told NBCNewYork.
In too deep
However, not everyone took the plunge. The pastor, wedding party and other guests were safely outside the tank during the ceremony but could see and hear every word over the speaker system since the couple wore full face masks that allowed them to communicate with each other. Once the ceremony was complete—and the big shark stopped being a camera hog—they were able to celebrate with a big hot-and-heavy…hug.
If that’s a little too much nature for you, an ocean-front wedding might be a better option. Seeing the sharks at a safe distance, you can have an up-close-and-personal view of the beach themed wedding favors instead.
