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Santa Barbara Zoo
Santa Barbara Zoo
Palm Garden Ceremony
Palm Garden Ceremony
Dinner Reception
Dinner Reception
Dinner Reception
Dinner Reception
Dinner Reception
Dinner Reception
Palm Garden Ceremony
Palm Garden Ceremony
Dinner Reception
Dinner Reception
Dinner Reception
Dinner Reception
Dancing
Dancing
Dinner Reception
Dinner Reception
Cocktail Hour
Cocktail Hour
Palm Garden Ceremony
Palm Garden Ceremony
Palm Garden Ceremony
Palm Garden Ceremony
Dinner Reception
Dinner Reception
Dancing
Dancing
Dinner Reception
Dinner Reception
Cocktail Hour
Cocktail Hour
Palm Garden Ceremony
Palm Garden Ceremony
Cocktail Hour
Cocktail Hour
Palm Garden Ceremony
Palm Garden Ceremony
Sweetheart Table
Sweetheart Table
Lounge Area
Lounge Area
Lounge Area
Lounge Area
Table Setting
Table Setting
Dinner
Dinner
Dinner Buffet
Dinner Buffet
Palm Garden Ceremony
Palm Garden Ceremony
Palm Garden Ceremony
Palm Garden Ceremony
Dance Floor
Dance Floor
Golden Hour
Golden Hour
First Dance
First Dance
Dinner Reception
Dinner Reception
Sweetheart Cabana
Sweetheart Cabana
Palm Garden Ceremony
Palm Garden Ceremony
Giraffe Feeding
Giraffe Feeding
First Dance
First Dance
Table Setting
Table Setting
Dinner Reception
Dinner Reception
Dinner Reception
Dinner Reception
Dinner Bar with Cabana
Dinner Bar with Cabana
Table Layout
Table Layout
Sweetheart Table
Sweetheart Table
Newlyweds
Newlyweds
Seating Chart
Seating Chart
Table Layout
Table Layout
Table Layout
Table Layout
Table Layout
Table Layout
Palm Garden Ceremony
Palm Garden Ceremony
Wedding cake
Wedding cake
Parrot
Parrot
Wedding musicians
Wedding musicians
Cocktail Hour
Cocktail Hour
Santa Barbara Zoo
Santa Barbara Zoo
Santa Barbara Zoo
Santa Barbara Zoo
Santa Barbara Zoo
Santa Barbara Zoo
Santa Barbara Zoo
Santa Barbara Zoo
Santa Barbara Zoo
Santa Barbara Zoo
Santa Barbara Zoo
Santa Barbara Zoo

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Palm Garden Ceremony

About

Santa Barbara Zoo is a beautiful wedding event venue situated in Santa Barbara, California. This location is ideal for animal lovers, featuring 30 acres of luscious grounds and animal enclosures to add a unique element to your special day. Enjoy spectacular ocean views, exceptional event venues, and stylish services to create the day of your dreams.

Facilities and Capacity

With over six event spaces to choose from at this venue, you can host your ideal wedding celebration in the location of your choice. The sprawling, meticulously manicured gardens offer a perfect space for a wonderful outdoor ceremony. With room for up to 2,500 guests on the property, you can arrange anything from an intimate affair to a grand wedding gala for your special day. Your cocktail hour can be extraordinary, as the on-site train can be exclusively booked to take your guests on a fantastic tour of the zoo. For evening events, Santa Barbara Zoo is happy to display their animals for longer so your guests can enjoy viewing, and even feeding, the animals. This venue also offers the ideal location for one-of-a-kind wedding photos, where you can pose with a flamingo or mingle with the penguins. Get-ready rooms are conveniently located on-site to aid your day-of preparations.

Services Offered

Santa Barbara Zoo offers an array of amenities to make your day unforgettable. Their dedicated event planner can help bring your wedding-day vision to life at this magnificent location. The grounds of this unique venue can be transformed into an enchanting reception venue, complete with cafe lights and drapery for a magical ambiance. The venue also provides its own in-house catering team that can style your dream wedding menu to your specifications. Serving choices include plated, stations, hors d’oeuvres, family-style, and many more. Bar services are also available for your convenience. Their experienced staff is happy to provide setup and cleanup of your event to facilitate a streamlined experience, with a selection of event rentals also available to enhance your day.

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Frequently asked questions

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

Yes

What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during peak season?

$6,500

What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during off-peak season?

$6,000

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
Parking

What is the starting price per person for bar service?

$40

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

Bartender(s)
Specialty Beer
Specialty Wine

How many event spaces or rooms does your venue offer?

3

Describe your venue:

Garden
Museum
Park
Zoo

What kind of settings are available?

Indoor
Uncovered Outdoor

Which of the following wedding events does your venue service?

Ceremony
Reception
Bridal Shower
Engagement Party
Rehearsal Dinner

What event services do you offer?

Bar Services
Catering Services
Clean Up
Event Planner
Event Rentals
Get Ready Rooms

What catering services do you offer?

Buffet
Cocktail Reception
Dessert
Family Style
Hors d'oeuvres
Outside Cake
Plated
Server(s)
Stations

What bar services do you provide?

Bartender(s)
Cash Bar
House Beer
House Liquor
Liquor License
Open Bar
Premium Liquor
Signature Drink
Specialty Wine

What event items are available?

Altar/Arch
Chairs
Dance Floor
Decor
Drapery
Furniture
Lighting
Tables
Tents

What food and beverage items are available?

Barware
China
Flatware
Glassware
Linens

What transportation and access is available?

Parking

What months are included in your peak season?

April
May
June
July
August
September
October

What months are included in your off-peak season?

January
February
March
November
December

Reviews of Santa Barbara Zoo

Write a review
Write a review
Santa Barbara Zoo - 1
Santa Barbara Zoo - 2
Santa Barbara Zoo - 3
+33 User photos
Santa Barbara Zoo - 4
Frankie
Frankie Sent on 02/11/2026
5 out of 5 rating

Made Our Dreams Come True Through Every Challenge

Working with this team has been truly extraordinary from start to finish. They supported us through all the delays and changes due to my cancer journey with such grace and understanding, never making us feel like a burden. More importantly, they helped bring every single detail I envisioned to life in the most beautiful way possible.

On our wedding day, the team was such a joy to work with. They made everything flow seamlessly while ensuring we felt like truly the luckiest people celebrating with our loved ones. The number of guests who told us it was the best wedding they've ever attended speaks volumes about the incredible work they do.

We feel so grateful not just for the perfect day they created, but for the care and dedication they showed us throughout this entire process. They truly turned our dreams into the most beautiful reality. Cannot recommend them highly enough!
Benjamin
Benjamin Sent on 10/16/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Santa Barbara Zoo and Rincon Events are Top Notch

Wow! What more can we say. We had very high expectations for our wedding and Rincon highly exceeded these expectations. The Santa Barbara Zoo is an unbelievable venue - stunningly beautiful arrangement with high attention to detail. Our guests were able to arrive early and explore the Zoo and the giraffe-feeding was a major highlight. Rincon Events (we worked with Kinsey) is a highly-professional wedding coordinator company and catering company. Kinsey made us feel so special, like we were the only wedding she was planning. The day-of coordination was brilliant and executed flawlessly. The food is out-of-this-world good. Highly recommend the churros and the carrot-walnut souffle. You can't go wrong with Rincon and the Santa Barbara Zoo.
Julia
Julia Sent on 06/29/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Wedding Of My Dreams!!

I recently got married at the Santa Barbara Zoo this past month. And Kinsey, and Marc truly made all our dreams and wishes come true. Myself and my husband book the venue 3 years ago, and at the time we had no idea a global pandemic would delay our plans. But Kinsey and Marc acted quickly to ensure that our dream wedding would still be possible. Kinsey is one of the hardest working people I have ever met, she will go over and beyond to make sure you and your loved ones are well taken care of. Kinsey kept excellent communication with me throughout the planning process and made sure I was aware of every single detail. On the day of my wedding she was there by my side throughout the whole day with the big smile on her face. She was quick to help me and y husband in anyway needed, and made sure we were fed as well. She made us feel at ease and moments walking down the aisle it brought me great courage to look at her and hear her say "you got this", "you look stunning". I give my most highest recommendation to the Rincon team for their customer service and delicious food. Thank you for making our day so special and a memorable one for all our family and friends. I will forever think back on this day and smile
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Haley
Haley Sent on 11/02/2019
5 out of 5 rating

Unforgettable wedding at SB Zoo

We got married at the SB Zoo in August 2019. I cannot say enough good things about Rincon. We got so many compliments on the food and amazing service. I'd also like to shout out Angie Chaves who was our event coordinator at the Zoo. She was so helpful and easy to work with during the whole process. During our wedding, she kept us on time and everything was on point!
  • Santa Barbara Zoo - 8
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Rachel
Rachel Sent on 08/28/2019
5 out of 5 rating

Dream wedding

We had our wedding at the Santa Barbara Zoo last month and wow, it was a total DREAM. No bridezillas, no groomzillas, no stress, just pure joy. Angie Chaves was our coordinator and she is hands down the best person you could have overseeing the most important day of your life. She is responsive, she remembers everything, she goes out of her way to make everything you want come true. And she does all of this with kindness and humor. Being a bride is stressful and Angie puts all of your stresses to ease. She makes everything easy! Honestly who could ask for more!? Not only will you have the most turnkey experience planning at the zoo (they have almost everything you need to have an event here and they've done it a million times so they KNOW what they're doing) but the Sb Zoo is not your normal zoo, it is one of the most gorgeous places you can get married at in SB. All of our guests commented on the greenery and how lush it was. You can see the mountains and the ocean! And come on, you can have ANIMALS at your wedding!?? Flamingos, birds, giraffes?? Perfect place. Our guests raved about the whole experience and how unique it was. To top it off a portion of what you spend on your wedding here goes to support wildlife conservation and education. Get married and also do good!

Best day ever. Thank you Angie for keeping everyone on time, worrying about all of the big (and small!) things and making sure we had the perfect day!!!!
Ken
Ken Sent on 08/11/2019
5 out of 5 rating

A wonderful venue for our wedding

This venue is absolutely awesome. The scenery and views made for some incredible photographs, and being able to enjoy the animals was an added bonus. We worked with Events by Rincon and they did an amazing job working with us to take our vision from merely ideas to reality. They let us choose from a lovely selection of items for our menu, which was well received by our guests. The servers and bartenders were very welcoming and friendly and went above and beyond to ensure that all our guests left with full bellies and smiles on their faces. A huge thank you to Angie for making it all possible, she did an amazing job and we were beyond blessed to have her help us coordinate our day!
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  • +10 photos
    Santa Barbara Zoo - 13
Alyson
Alyson Sent on 08/05/2019
5 out of 5 rating

Amazing and professional

Honestly we could have been married almost anywhere but the staff is what really sold me and their level of professionalism allowed me to put my trust in them for our big day. I received an overwhelming amount of feedback from my guests on the level of care and attention to detail the staff had on all the elements of our venue. Angie was truly the best- she was on it!
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M
Shaun Sent on 05/08/2019
5 out of 5 rating

Guests had their doubts, and then they showed up!

When we told people we were getting married at the zoo, we got some funny looks. But it's so much more than a zoo. The beautiful grounds, the amazing views, and stellar staff (they work exclusively with Events by Rincon for coordinating and catering) are the stuff of perfect weddings. And mine was (not just my words...) The access to animals was an added bonus that we and our guests will remember forever. It's really a no brainer--you get the best of both worlds: an interesting and unique and beautiful venue with the extensive experience of a supporting staff and an amazing catering and rental team. They were a dream to work with and made the planning process incredibly easy.
Susy
Susana Sent on 02/26/2019
5 out of 5 rating

Beautiful zoo property

The zoo is absolutely beautiful and a great venue for a wedding. The animals offer and unique and intimate atmosphere. We decided on a different venue but would highly recommend the zoo for larger parties
H
Helen Sent on 09/13/2018
5 out of 5 rating

Highly recommended

We had an amazing wedding at the SB Zoo. Everything went flawlessly the day of, and planning was such a breeze, even though we were planning from out of town. Everyone was such a pleasure to work with. All our wedding guests commented how delicious the food was, and how the zoo felt like a tropical destination wedding with the beautiful palm tree foliage and the ocean right across the street. The zoo was such a unique wedding experience with the giraffe feeding as well. We are so happy with everything!
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Awards

33

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Professional Network & Endorsements

3 Endorsements
Willa Kveta Photography Willa Kveta Photography Wedding Photographers

The Zoo is not what typically would come to mind as an awesome wedding venue, but the Santa Barbara Zoo is absolutely GORGEOUS and a perfect venue for ANYONE wanting an outdoor garden wedding - whether you like animals or not! The grounds are stunning, and as a Photographer, it is truly a pleasure to photograph there as there are endless locations to use!!! It's one of my top venues in all of SB for sure!!!

AMS Events AMS Events Wedding DJs

AMS absolutely loves working at the SB Zoo. The staff is over the top professional and take care of every last detail. It's an incredible place to have an event, and to get treated with the best service possible. Thanks SB Zoo for everything over the years! We will continue to support this vendor throughout.

Grass Roots Grass Roots Wedding Florists

Collaborating on events held at the Santa Barbara Zoo is a great pleasure for us. Their helpful team is extremely accommodating and diligently ensure events run smoothly, safely and most of all, bring the fun. The scenery, service and comfortable setting create the perfect backdrop for any occasion!

Map

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Wedding Venues Santa Barbara (City) Museums Santa Barbara (City)

Santa Barbara Zoo frequently asked questions

Santa Barbara Zoo includes the following items and services for wedding events in its starting site fee:
  • Bridal Suite
  • Parking
The bar service starting price at Santa Barbara Zoo includes:
  • Bartender(s)
  • Specialty Beer
  • Specialty Wine
The space offered by Santa Barbara Zoo for wedding events is known for:
  • Garden
  • Museum
  • Park
  • Zoo
Santa Barbara Zoo offers the following indoor/outdoor options for weddings:
  • Indoor
  • Uncovered Outdoor
Santa Barbara Zoo offers the following types of wedding events:
  • Ceremony
  • Reception
  • Bridal Shower
  • Engagement Party
  • Rehearsal Dinner
Santa Barbara Zoo offers the following services for wedding events:
  • Bar Services
  • Catering Services
  • Clean Up
  • Event Planner
  • Event Rentals
  • Get Ready Rooms
Santa Barbara Zoo offers the following furniture and decor items for weddings:
  • Altar/Arch
  • Chairs
  • Dance Floor
  • Decor
  • Drapery
  • Furniture
  • Lighting
  • Tables
  • Tents
Santa Barbara Zoo is recommended by 98% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 4.9 out of 5 with the following breakdown: 5 in quality of service, 5 in average response time, 5 in professionalism, 4.9 in flexibility and 4.8 in value.
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