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Weddings

About

Kalahari Resorts and Conventions is a wedding and event venue located in Sandusky, Ohio. This setting strives to give each couple an elegant, personalized experience from their event design to their catering services. The multiple event spaces, relaxing guest rooms, and dedicated staff will ensure that you and your guests have an unforgettable celebration.

Facilities and Capacity

Kalahari Resorts and Conventions has multiple venue options to choose from to host weddings of various sizes. Their main option, the Kilimanjaro Ballroom, stands at over 38,000 square feet and can be separated into up to 6 different suites. The versatile floor plans allow you to create an array of seating arrangements to match your dream design. his venue is also home to the region's largest indoor waterpark, making for memorable, lighthearted excursions with your wedding party. If you prefer a more tropical setting, the various Jaamati Huts will make for a unique backdrop to your prenuptial events. The Grand Hall is also available for you and your guests to enjoy cocktail hour before the reception starts. You will also have hundreds of guest rooms and suites to choose from, with modern amenities to ensure a relaxing wedding weekend.

Services Offered

Kalahari offers a wonderful space for your wedding ceremony and reception, along with other special events like banquets, wedding showers, and engagement parties. You can truly relax on your big day and let the onsite team handle the setup and cleanup of everything event-related. Soon-to-be-weds will be welcome to enjoy the in-house culinary options, with delicious menu options to suit practically any palate. Tables and chairs will be provided, along with linens, dinnerware, and other tabletop items.

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Frequently asked questions

Do you have a site fee for wedding receptions at your venue?

Yes

Do you have a site fee for wedding ceremonies at your venue?

Yes

Which of the following are included in the starting site fee?

Bridal Suite
Chairs
China
Clean Up
Flatware
Glassware
Linens
Parking
Set Up
Tables

Which of the following are included in the cost of wedding catering?

Cake Cutting
Dessert
Server(s)
Wedding Cake

Which of the following are included in the starting price for bar service?

Bartender(s)
Champagne Toast
House Beer
House Liquor
House Wine
Limited Bar
Open Bar
Premium Liquor
Signature Drink
Specialty Beer
Specialty Wine

How many event spaces or rooms does your venue offer?

35

Describe your venue:

Ballroom
Banquet Hall
Hotel
Resort

What kind of settings are available?

Indoor

Which of the following wedding events does your venue service?

Ceremony
Reception
Bridal Shower
Engagement Party
Elopements
Rehearsal Dinner

What event services do you offer?

Accommodations
Bar Services
Catering Services
Clean Up
Get Ready Rooms
Outside Vendors
Wifi

What catering services do you offer?

Buffet
Cocktail Reception
Dessert
Hors d'oeuvres
Plated
Server(s)
Stations
Tastings

What bar services do you provide?

Bartender(s)
Cash Bar
Champagne Toast
Liquor License
Open Bar
Premium Liquor
Signature Drink
Specialty Beer

What event items are available?

Altar/Arch
Audio Equipment
Centerpieces
Chairs
Dance Floor
Decor
Furniture
Lighting
Tables

What food and beverage items are available?

Barware
China
Chocolate Fountain
Flatware
Glassware
Linens

What transportation and access is available?

Parking
Shuttle
Valet
Wheelchair Access

Reviews of Kalahari Resorts and Conventions

Carolina
Carolina Sent on 12/28/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Perfect Venue for your dream wedding!

I feel like I can write a short novel on how amazing Kalahari was to make our dream wedding come true. From the very 1st inquiry email that I sent to the minute we had to check out was absolutely amazing and easy going. I had so many questions, and concerns and so much that I wasn't sure on but, they helped in more ways that I can express and everything turned out just right. Our Coordinator's Kassie and Amanda were beyond accommodating and helpful with everything. The rest of the team at Kalahari completely swept us off our feet with the delicious food from their chef and the Baker went above and beyond with the cake. It was beautiful and tasted delicious. Our guest till this day still mentions the food. Kalahari made the day so easy and non stressful. We also got a great rate for guest who wanted to stay the weekend. I can go on and on but, I highly recommend! Thank you Kalahari!
W
Wanda Sent on 10/03/2012
5 out of 5 rating
We went to the Kalahari Resort in Sandusky Ohio for our Honeymoon. It was close to home and very relaxing. My husband and I loved the food, we probably gained 5 pounds in the week that we were there! I loved the option of charging everything to your room, it was convenient to only have to carry a room key with us. The spa was very nice! We enjoyed a couple massage, very relaxing! I think this would be a great couples vacation or a family vacation, we would love to return!
E
Elle Sent on 05/19/2009
5 out of 5 rating
This was so nice and the guests were refreshed.
K
Kelly Sent on 09/04/2008
5 out of 5 rating
The wedding planning staff were amazing. They worked with us on every detail of our reception. They provided guests with discounts for rooms if they stayed. My husband and I received a free night the night of the wedding. They made sure they accommodated any allergies that were present for the food. The staff even suggested ways for us to save money. Since my husband and I are neither really into fancy parties, the staff suggested that we not use chair covers which saved us a lot of money. The staff even contacted our band in order to make arrangements to their space set up. I really would recommend them to anyone.
A
Ariana Sent on 08/26/2015
4.8 out of 5 rating
We got married this past June and used Kalahari as our reception venue. We went with their largest wedding package and I can honestly say that it was worth every penny. We were able to work with both Bridget and Gretchen. Bridget set up our initial walk-thru of the venue along with creating a room block for our guests. As the wedding drew closer, Bridget would send me emails (by my request) monthly and then weekly letting me know which of our guests had booked rooms so that I knew how many welcome bags to create. Gretchen was absolutely wonderful to work with! We first met Gretchen at our food tasting a few months before the wedding (although I had spoken with her some via email and over the phone). At the tasting she asked us a lot of questions in order to remain organized for the day and spoke with my parents (bride's) regarding any concerns that they had. We also chose our linens that day and Gretchen made sure to take tons of notes so that she was thoroughly prepared for our reception. We also ended up having our rehearsal dinner there the night before the wedding. Gretchen made sure that it ran flawlessly. She also introduced me to the banquet manager who would be in charge of our wedding that day so that we knew who to go to if any issues were to arise. On the wedding day Kalahari made sure to send cleaning staff over to ensure that we had everything that we needed while we were getting ready. When we returned to Kalahari for the reception Gretchen had the chef prepare extra appetizers for the wedding party prior to us being announced. That helped a ton since we were starving! The reception itself was perfect. Any bumps in the road Gretchen and the rest of the Kalahari staff made sure to quickly resolve the issue without us having to stress over it. The food was absolutely incredible as was the room itself! We continue to have guests tell us that it was one of the most fun and tastiest weddings that they have ever been to!!! Kalahari is well worth it!!!!
S
Shirley Sent on 08/02/2009
4.6 out of 5 rating
Kalahari Resort is a very lovely venue that we used for our reception.The wedding staff was amazing to work with they made all arrangements and contacted our suppliers to work with them.I loved the African theme they had going in the facility.Our guests where treated courteously and had a blast at the dinner.I would definitely recommend this place they are very flexible with prices and will work hard to provide top of the line service.
M
Megan Sent on 01/23/2009
4.2 out of 5 rating
I used the spa at Kalahari for my pre wedding prep. I went with 3 of my bridesmaids, my mother and mother in law as well as a few other friends. It was nice to treat everyone who had helped so much with the planning to a little pampering. I myself also enjoyed the pampering! Overall we had a great time. I thought the pricing was great, but now that I live in Columbus I cannot believe how much cheaper the same services are here. I do recommend the spa at Kalahari for all the services, I enjoyed a manicure, pedicure, and massage, all well worth the price.
Karilyn
Karilyn Sent on 11/29/2018
4 out of 5 rating

No regrets!

I believe Kalahari has changed the way they price their wedding packages since we signed with them so some mentions of packages or value may not be accurate.

I have no regrets with choosing them. Yes, they are a little more expensive than some other “budget” venues but it’s absolutely worth it to not have to worry about much. When we compared them to other venues based on what was included and what was not, it was only a couple thousand more but also required less set up and work on our part.

Pros: The little things really meant a lot to us because we kept making a mental list of things we wanted for our day as we would go to events or other weddings. Clean spacious bathrooms-Check. Plenty of parking-Check. Hotel on-site—Check. You get a lot of benefits of using such a large venue that you may overlook elsewhere.

Food: Delicious and diverse options. I do feel that the food at the tasting was better than that which was served the day of the wedding (more so than I expected) but it still tasted great. Just presentation was a bit lacking and some of the flavors were off, but that’s also because the items are house-made and unique. The one real complaint I had is that service took longer than it should have. We were hoping a plated dinner would save time since everyone gets served at once. But at ours, we were still waiting for the last table to get served by the time the first table was done eating. This could have been an isolated incident, but just something they could improve on.

Cake: Seriously the best cake we’ve ever had, wedding or not. The only downside is that their policy is that you cannot take any with you (aside from the top layer). It was decorated beautifully and tasted even better than it looked.

Drinks: Yum! So many options and they are flexible to work with you on flavors and recipes. We have a pretty extensive bar at home and love to experiment with drinks at home and when we’re out so it was important to us to have a great bar that reflected us. It’s not cheap so prepare to pay up; but again, it was nice to have name brand liquor in real glasses with garnishes. Instead of no-name liquor in a flimsy plastic cup.

Service: Even when we had issues, our point-person was always quick to set it right. They were around during the reception until dinner got started to make sure everything ran smoothly, or smoothed out the complications as they came up. We did run into some complications that brought tears and wasted quite a bit of our time the day before the wedding and morning of (for the guys). But at the end of the day, we still found Kalahari to be the right fit for us.

**forgive the picture quality, they were taken with a cell phone and not by the photographer
S
Skyler Sent on 08/20/2016
3.9 out of 5 rating
we had a wonderful time , its was just an ok experience at the waterpark , we were arcade fiends. set of the chocolate fountain that we won by the end of it made up for the trip .
W
Wendy Sent on 11/13/2011
3.8 out of 5 rating
I thought the Kalahari Resort Convention Center was great. I had my ceremony and reception there. My ceremony was outside by one of their ponds. My reception was in their wedding tent, which was beautiful. Everything went exactly as I imagined it would. The only problem was that they let go the event coordinator I had been working with for the past year only six weeks before my wedding.
We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.

Awards

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Kalahari Resorts and Conventions frequently asked questions

Kalahari Resorts and Conventions includes the following items and services for wedding events in its starting site fee:
  • Bridal Suite
  • Chairs
  • China
  • Clean Up
  • Flatware
  • Glassware
  • Linens
  • Parking
  • Set Up
  • Tables
Kalahari Resorts and Conventions includes the following items and services in its wedding catering costs:
  • Cake Cutting
  • Dessert
  • Server(s)
  • Wedding Cake
The bar service starting price at Kalahari Resorts and Conventions includes:
  • Bartender(s)
  • Champagne Toast
  • House Beer
  • House Liquor
  • House Wine
  • Limited Bar
  • Open Bar
  • Premium Liquor
  • Signature Drink
  • Specialty Beer
  • Specialty Wine
The space offered by Kalahari Resorts and Conventions for wedding events is known for:
  • Ballroom
  • Banquet Hall
  • Hotel
  • Resort
Kalahari Resorts and Conventions offers the following indoor/outdoor options for weddings:
  • Indoor
Kalahari Resorts and Conventions offers the following types of wedding events:
  • Ceremony
  • Reception
  • Bridal Shower
  • Engagement Party
  • Elopements
  • Rehearsal Dinner
Kalahari Resorts and Conventions offers the following services for wedding events:
  • Accommodations
  • Bar Services
  • Catering Services
  • Clean Up
  • Get Ready Rooms
  • Outside Vendors
  • Wifi
Kalahari Resorts and Conventions offers the following furniture and decor items for weddings:
  • Altar/Arch
  • Audio Equipment
  • Centerpieces
  • Chairs
  • Dance Floor
  • Decor
  • Furniture
  • Lighting
  • Tables
Kalahari Resorts and Conventions is recommended by 87% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 4.4 out of 5 with the following breakdown: 4.5 in quality of service, 4.4 in professionalism, 4.4 in value, 4.3 in average response time and 4.1 in flexibility.
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