Embrace Everlasting Love with Nature. Discover Your Dream Waterfront Wedding at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Weddings

Celebrate Nature and Elegance with an Indoor Outdoor Wedding Experience at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Celebrate your love at Chesapeake Bay Foundation surrounded by beautiful nature, both indoors and outdoors. Experience the peacefulness of the Bay while enjoying modern amenities. We understand the allure of celebrating love in the stunning outdoors while ensuring that you and your guests are content. Our spacious deck, is elegantly tented to guarantee the comfort of you and your guests, rain or shine. After your beach ceremony, your event moves seamlessly into a climate-controlled dining room connected to the outdoor deck. Here, guests can enjoy the comfort of the indoors while still being surrounded by the breathtaking waterfront views. Our unique wedding venue combines the best of both worlds, giving you an unforgettable celebration in a captivating setting.

  • Private Beach

    You will be in awe of the natural beauty and scenery surrounding our private beach! As a picture-perfect backdrop for your ceremony or cocktail hour, our private beach is sure to wow your guests.

  • Wedding Suite

    Our wedding suite is the ideal place to put on your finishing touches before heading out to your ceremony. With the best views in the house and a private deck overlooking the beach, relax in your final moments before “I do”!

  • Lawn and Grounds

    Our spacious lawn is a great location to host cocktail hour to immerse your guests in our natural beauty. Our 31 acre property allows for endless photo opportunities.

  • Lobby

    Our spacious two-story lobby is the perfect place to set the tone for your special day! Welcome your guests in style with a breathtaking view of our waterfront

  • Tented Deck

    Our 2,400-square-foot tented deck provides the best atmosphere to dance the night away, sip on some bubbly, or have your guests enjoy dinner with the most spectacular Bay views! You will love our white A-frame tents, ceiling fans, and string lights throughout the space.

  • Canvasback Dining Room

    With 1,600-square feet of sweeping waterfront views, our Canvasback Room is sure to set the stage for a memorable meal. The room is adjacent to our tented deck and allows you to catch the sunset over Blackwalnut Creek while enjoying dinner, toasts, and cake cutting with your new spouse!

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The total rental is for 8 hours, which includes 2 hours for setup, 5 hours for the event, and 1 hour for cleanup. Music has to be off by 10:00 p.m. (most people choose to have their event time from 5:00-10:00 p.m.).

  • You will have access to the venue 2 hours prior to your event start time to set up, get ready, etc.

  • Rehearsals are included in the venue fee and will be finalized 30 days prior to the event, as we schedule these around other events. If there is a wedding the day before you, your rehearsal will be based around their rental time. CBF staff does not assist with rehearsals, but you are welcome to use our beach or our dock for the rehearsal.

    1. Yes—tables are included in your rental fee: 14 60-inch round tables (each seats 8-10), 5 36-inch cocktail tables, 12 6ft plastic rectangular tables. Your caterer can also help you with any additional table needs.

  • Linens, chairs, and additional needs (silverware, glassware, plates, etc.) will be rented through your chosen caterer. You are welcome to bring in your own décor or rent items as well. We do have some décor items that are included in the rental fee that you are welcome to use.

  • Yes, the tent that covers our entire deck area is included in the pricing. There are lights already installed in the tent, along with ceiling fans and clear sides.

  • You must choose a caterer from our preferred caterer listing. Our catering list has been carefully chosen due to their knowledge of our facilities and their service to prior clients. All caterers listed are full service and will handle setup, cleanup, and all rental items on your behalf. The catering list is updated yearly, and we regularly evaluate the service levels of our preferred caterers. Please inquire for information on exceptions for cultural and/or religious needs!

  • Yes, you may! You will obtain the required one-day liquor license with Anne Arundel County depending on your caterer.

  • With our amenities, we can host 200 guests. Our dining room seats 130 with the overflow on the connected tented deck.

  • We have a total of 125 parking spaces available for each event. Cars may be left overnight but must be picked up the following morning.

  • We do not allow for anything to be applied anywhere throughout the facility that may be permanent (nails, staples, tacks, etc.). We are an environmental organization, so it is very important to us that event decor does not pollute the bay (NO confetti, loose glitter, etc.). All open flames need to be in a hurricane or a votive, and we do not allow sparklers or fireworks on the property. Otherwise, you are free to customize your event as you wish!

  • We have 31 acres of natural beauty including: a private beach, wooded walking trails, private access to a creek as well as plentiful tall grasses and trees. We encourage you to utilize our unique habitat for whatever pictures you would like for your event!

  • While our property is routinely maintained, our grounds embrace the natural beauty of the Chesapeake Bay and its unique ecosystem. Our outdoor spaces flourish with native species that are all beautiful in their own season.

  • Absolutely—we love adventurous couples! We have a 125-foot dock, and the boat utilized must have no more than a 2-foot draw.

  • We adore your furry friends—bring them along for the fun! Please note that animals are allowed on the beach area only.

  • Upon contract, a 50% venue deposit and $500 security deposit are due. The remaining 50% deposit will be due 90 days prior to the event. An additional hour are $500. The $500 security deposit will be returned after the event so long as there is no damage to our facilities.

  • Yes, we require a standard $1,000,000 policy to be issued at least one month prior to your event date. These policies can be issued through your existing homeowner’s insurance policy or through several event insurance websites online.

  • Our covered deck is the perfect plan B in the event that weather does not permit a ceremony on the beach. Rain or shine, we can accommodate you and your guests for an intimate, memorable day.

  • All proceeds from the venue rental fee go back into the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and towards saving the Bay!

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What people are saying

“We truly are not exaggerating when we say that CBF was the venue of our dreams! When we set out on our venue search, we had a couple of criteria on our must-have list: (1) a setting that would be beautiful, majestic, and unforgettable; (2) convenient and comfortable on-site facilities for our guests; (3) a venue fee that wasn’t going to cost an arm and a leg; (4) somewhere that wasn’t just a “wedding venue,” but rather was part of some broader mission/cause; and (5) a location that was meaningful to us and our family. We still can’t quite believe how lucky we were to find all of these and more in CBF. For views, you can’t beat the gorgeous natural surroundings or the stunning wood beams/architecture. However, we never felt more affirmed in our decision to choose CBF than in the week leading up to our wedding. Just days before we were supposed to get married, we learned that Tropical Storm Ophelia was scheduled to hit Annapolis—thereby putting CBF in the flood zone—exactly on the day of our wedding. But with Shannon’s support and the work of our wonderful vendors, the team seamlessly turned what was supposed to be an outdoor beach wedding to a covered wedding on the deck seemingly overnight. And even with 50 mile per hour winds and sometimes sideways rain, our wedding could not have been more beautiful or joyful—which was in no small part due to CBF’s flexibility, kindness, and willingness to roll with the punches. If you’re at all on the fence about CBF as your wedding venue, don’t be. Come rain, shine, or even a hurricane, I promise you won’t regret it!”

- Sarah and Aiden 2023 Couple

“I cannot say enough about CBF! We had our wedding here in July 2023. Ceremony on the beach, cocktail hour on the lawn, reception and dancing on the deck. It was perfect. Shannon at CBF is a dream to work with - an excellent communicator, flexible, experienced. For what you get, for the value for money for the DC-Baltimore area, the fact that the venue COMES WITH A TENT included, this is the best (and believe me, we looked). Also the vendors they work with are amazing. And, as a bonus, you are supporting an incredible organization that is protecting the bay and surrounding shoreline. Our guests were blown away. Our photographer loved it because the gorgeous outdoor backdrop made all photos easy. Cannot say enough good things. Thank you, CBF!”

— Perrie + Tim 2023 Couple

The CBF Philip Merrill Environmental Center was our dream venue with stunning views of the Chesapeake, an expansive tented deck reception, and an honorable commitment to sustainable practices. We could not be more impressed with the staff as well as the venue itself. The preferred vendors were amazing and helped make our wedding day run smoothly, the use of the 31 acres of grounds resulted in some incredible pictures, and the use of both the indoor/outdoor components of the venue made our late October wedding day an all-around success. I would highly recommend the CBF venue to anyone looking to have an incredible wedding day on the Chesapeake Bay!

-Karlie and Andrew 2022 Couple

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