If not for those penguins...

So, we went to the Aquarium last night to check out the layout, and ....
I wasn't thrilled.

I wanted to walk in there and be like "Oh, this is perfect! THAT'S where you put the tables!"
So, there's the penguin tank in the middle of the aquarium (surrounding the big tank). There's a little over-hang in front of the penguins, and they put the tables on the side and in the back. So, the tables on the side can't see the tables in the back. And, if we go over 120 people, we have to put people on the second floor where they can't see anything (except the fish and penguins, of course). And god forbid YOU are the one at the table NOT next to the cute blue penguins, and next to the weird tank with the red light and nothing in it. And most of the the tables can't see the front, where the toast, dancing, cake-cutting would happen. Everyone could come to the ramp, and look down at it (which is a pretty nice view)... And I couldn't have my fruit centerpieces, because the skewers could hurt the penguins. And we'd have to start late. And there is paid parking. And rooms at the Marriott are EXPENSIVE, and not only that, they won't give us a block of rooms unless we have some sort of function (rehearsal dinner) there. And, and and... In short. I disliked the package deal enough that I am re-examining other options.


This is my diagram of the aquarium layout:
The 'T's are for Tables.
The B is for the Bar
The P is for the Podium
the space in the middle is the penguin tank
The (ooo) represents the big tank in the middle.

_________________________________
|                               |
|   T      T     T    T         |
|       __________________   T  |
|      |                  |     |                                 
|      |                  |  T  |  
|      |     (ooooo)      |     |  
|      |    _________     |  T  |  
|      |    |       |     |     |  
|      |____| P     |_____|     |                                      
|                               |
|          B                    |
|_______________________________|

But the penguins are so cute!


P.S. My thesis already 70 pages long!