Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium Reviews

We do not know where to even start! We have waited 20 years to get married so we wanted a very special, unique wedding that would not be forgotten easily, and wow did they deliver! Caroline and NIcole as well as their assistants, was so amazing from start to finish. We could not have asked for better or kinder. You can tell they love what they do! From the time we stepped into the park the day of our wedding, we were treated like queens. Everything was about making our night the one that we dreamed of. And we were blown away by the kindness they showed to us. It has been a week since our wedding, and we still have people calling us raving about our wedding! If you are on the fence at all, Do it you will not be sorry!

I cannot recommend the staff and venue at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium enough. My wife and I‘s first date was at the zoo and when we were looking for a venue we wanted to see if they hosted weddings, which they did! From the beginning Caroline and Nicole were fantastic. They walked us through each of the venue options at the zoo. It has three, an outdoor tent venue and two indoor venues, The Water’s Edge and the actual aquarium. And since we were getting married in March we chose an indoor venue, the actual aquarium. We decided to do both our ceremony and reception there.

They had a list of preferred vendors to choose from which was so helpful, but all catering was done in house. They walked us step by step through their catering and day of options. One thing I loved is that they provided a day of coordinator the wedding, Caroline herself! But Caroline was also there the entire planning time, about a year before to help us plan. Nicole, who was in charge of catering also walked us through all of our food choices. They did not provide a tasting but the reviews on the food were so good that we were excited to choose. There were a plethora of options! We told them that we wanted an entire vegetarian menu and they were able to accommodate that. And the food was amazing. Everything was delicious, and everybody said that they had more than enough to eat. They were also able to accommodate a few special allergies and diet on very short notice.

They were also really accommodating with our traditions. My mom is Haitian and so the dessert table was very important. They let us bring in whatever we wanted for that table. They also let my mom customize it however she wanted. They also helped us match colors and decor, and they worked with us to create a unique day of schedule. They answered emails and phone calls whenever we had them, and the planning was so simple. The even accommodated zoom calls with my parents who live in a different part of the state and couldn’t make it out for every meeting. We kept them posted with any changes and they kept track of everything.

We also had a nice window of time to drop things off for the wedding, and we had a full meeting two days before to explain every single item and what we wanted to do with them. And they set it up perfectly! Because the aquarium is open to guests we were not able to have an actual rehearsal but the meeting where we set up everything was so thorough that we felt that the day would go smoothly. Caroline Took us through the day step-by-step and told us exactly where everything would be, where we would stand, and how we would move from part to part. They also were able to accommodate a room for my new wife and I to have some moments alone which was wonderful. And they were available for anything we needed during the wedding and reception.

The day of was smooth and amazing. We were driven around the zoo in golf carts when we arrived and were able to shoot with our photographer at any outdoor place in the zoo. It was really cold and snowy that day but Caroline and her crew took us around wherever we wanted to go for photos. They also took extra trips to take our family, who was there early, to the venue. And once the actually event started we had a shuttle that ran continuously.

We are so happy we chose the aquarium venue. It was like getting married in a rainforest. So it was nice and warm on a very cold day. We really didn’t have to do any decorating at all, other than centerpieces, because of all the lush greenery, and Nicole and Caroline were able to walk us through exactly where we’re the best spots we should set up certain parts of the day such as the ceremony and the dance floor.

We also really liked that there were a lot of other things to do at the aquarium besides dancing during the reception. Because it was an aquarium, guests were able to walk around the venue and look at the exhibits. We have a lot of introverted friends so this was appreciated. It also allowed for people to take a little time away from the action when they got overwhelmed. They also have ambassador animals. We had a tenrec, a bearded dragon, a blue tongued skink, and python visit our wedding during the cocktail hour.

I had heard horror stories from my friends about things not going right at their wedding or them not knowing exactly what was going to happen. We didn’t have this problem at all. The zoo and the entire staff were so kind, informative, accepting and and understanding that I wish I could get married again just to have another wedding there. I recommend this venue to anyone looking for somewhere unique to have your wedding. And I want to thank Caroline and Nicole and the whole staff at the zoo for making the day beautiful amazing and low stress.

Our wedding was amazing! There was not one part of the night that wasn't amazing
A week after, we are still getting compliments about every aspect of it.

I am so thankful for Caroline and team, it was truly magical night! I didn't feel like I had to stress or worry about a single thing once I came through the front gates. Everything was taken care of and I could finally relax and enjoy myself. Everything was spectacular. I've received so many compliments about the venue, as well as the food. The food was absolutely delicious! The docents were truly lovely and adding a magical touch to the night as well. Your organization and assistance took a huge weight of my shoulders during the planning process. It was absolutely invaluable, and I truly feel I wouldn't have been able to realize my vision without them. It was everything I could've hoped for and then some.

Caroline and Samantha were fantastic to work with! They were very timely in answering the millions of questions that I had. If I had to do my wedding all over again, I would still pick the PPG Aquarium all over! They set up and take down all of the tables and decorations. And they do it all beautifully! All of the guests had so much fun looking at the exhibits and playing in the touch tank. Bonus was the shuttle that took us and the guests to and from the aquarium. I couldn't have asked for a better night, and a better group of people to work with to create my dream!

I love animals so when my fiance and I decided to have our reception at the zoo, I was ecstatic! I knew it would be beautiful, but was still blown away when we arrived! The zoo staff were amazing to work with. They made sure the evening went smoothly and checked on us throughout the evening. The food was out of this world! Some of the staff even came up to us just to congratulate us! They kept everything so organized and stress free! Thank you so much to all the staff at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium for helping to make our reception one of the best nights of our lives! :)

Sincerely,
Leeanne and Kevin Jones

Gabby,Caroline, JJ and Calvin were amazing to work with! Their team made the process of planning this wedding reception enjoyable and stress-free!

After coordinating numerous weddings, their staff was by far one of the nicest and most accommodating I have ever worked with! On top of everything else the food was DELICIOUS! Several guests kept remarking on how excellent everything tasted.

I will definitely recommend the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium to future clients!

Thank you Again!
Tracy Cook

This venue was the perfect choice for our wedding reception! The staff was extremely helpful, patient, and flexible, and took great care of everything on the evening of the reception!

The Pittsburgh Zoo was the perfect choice to host a wedding reception. Dave, Gabby, and the rest of the Pittsburgh Zoo staff were so accommodating and incredible to work with from our very first meeting all the way through planning to even days after the reception. We could go on and on about every little detail of how each staff member made our day absolutely perfect! They were extremely helpful and quick at getting responses back to us and we can really say that they made us feel as if we were the only wedding in the world. We felt so special and it is because of their excellent professional skills. They made wedding planning fun and easy. I would highly recommend this vendor to any couple who is thinking about booking with them. It was affordable in comparison to other local vendors.---We had our wedding in the garden tent and choose to go with food stations in stead of a sit down dinner. Our guest loved every minute and complemented how wonderful everything was. They did everything we asked from set up to clean up and we did not have to worry about anything. I honestly can not say one negative thing about this vendor or our wedding reception at the Pittsburgh Zoo. Thank you for making our day magical!

The Pittsburgh Zoo did a fantastic job putting together our wedding. Dave and Gabby were great and they all answered any questions very quickly. My guests really enjoyed the location, and had a great time in the aquarium. The Pittsburgh Zoo is a great place to have any event. They really made our special day into a wonderful memory. It was also much easier to plan the wedding by coordinating with the zoo staff, and by having a package that included linens and such.

I held my wedding reception in the PPG Aquaurium and couldn't have had a better time. I got several compliments from guests who only had positive things to say about the whole event. The staff is great as well, and they were more than willing to help. The night was smooth and I couldn't have asked for more. I would do it all again!

The Aquarium staff were so accommodating and I had guests complimenting our venue choice throughout the night. I was a little bothered that the catering does not allow a tasting of their food before the event, but we were very impressed by how delicious everything was.

Our wedding reception was at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG aquarium in the Water's Edge space. We had 125 guests for a Friday evening reception (6:00-11:00pm). From the moment we finished the tour of the space we knew this was where our wedding reception would be - it was very "us" and the atmosphere was wonderful. Besides the great space, we got so much more from our decision. The staff was phenomenal! Throughout the entire process it was very effortless for us and very organized. Gabby was the coordinator that we dealt with initially and throughout with setting up space details but we also spoke with several other staff members including Ashley and Carly who aided in the catering menu. We chose the Diamond package because we wanted a sit-down dinner for our guests. There was no tasting option but we had heard (and read) about the quality of the food so this did not bother us. At the reception the food was AMAZING and all guests ranted about the food. We also choose to have an ice cream bar that was executed wonderfully. The week of the event the zoo was beyond helpful. We dropped all decorations off at the space with directions and everything was set up for us for the reception by the staff. Very easy and effortless for us. David assisted greatly with this process. Day of, Lauren and David were there to escort us (bride, groom and bridal party) through the zoo for pictures and to the reception space. They were helpful with anything we needed throughout the reception and the dining staff was also very pleasant and wonderful! Could not have asked for a better day and we are very thankful and grateful to all the staff for making our day wonderful

The zoo was an intriguing place for a reception. We ultimately chose the zoo bc we wanted something slightly different and we lived the food and price! The fact we could bring our own alcohol in was perfect!!

I can't say enough about this place. They went above and beyond my expectations, I highly recommend for all that love animals to have their event here. Everything was on time and food was delicious!!!

I could not be happier with this venue! We had our wedding at the aquarium and it was amazing. The setting was incredible and the staff went above and beyond to make sure our reception went off without a hitch. I have not one bad thing to say about the zoo. Food was delicious, staff were friendly and helpful, scenery was amazing, linens and table settings were perfect...the list goes on. The staff did all set up and clean up, which is not always included. There were no hidden charges. Definitely worth the price!!!

The Pittsburgh Zoo is the best venue if you are looking for non-traditional and amazing service. Our guests were stunned at the Garden Tent and the layout and decor that we had. The tent is surrounded by lush greens and the landscaping was done perfectly. The staff is amazing and so helpful, they listen to every detail you ask for and do not miss a beat during your event. They are there until the end and will help with anything you ask- truly the best venue- we couldn't be happier with how it turned out!

Absolutely great service and food, I highly recommend to anyone!!!

The zoo was amazing! Every e-mail that I wrote was responded to so quickly. It helped make planning out of town so easy. Jaime and Bob were wonderful to work with. My mom asked to have my grandmother's special gravy for the pierogies in our Pittsburgh station. Bob made it happen. I dropped off 3 boxes of our guest book, welcome table decorations, escort cards, and table numbers two days before the wedding. I gave them some information on how I would like it set up and I could not believe how awesome it looked when I got to the reception. They decorated it better than I could have imagined. They took all of our candy. candy jars, and cookies and made the most amazing cookie/candy table I have ever seen. Everything was bright and beautiful. When my bustle broke, Kristi found me 5 safety pins right away. They had everything (even the extra cookies) boxed up for us and ready to pick up two days after the wedding. I can't speak highly enough about the zoo. They were one of our most favorite vendors. I would recommend them to anyone!

We had our wedding in the outside Garden Tent which holds the largest amount of people. Working with Bob in the catering department was a breeze, and the food was amazing. Every guest raved about the beef. Any and every question I had on the venue or for decorating ideas, Kristi responded almost immediately. I'm from Maryland, and having them help with all of the planning and scheduling for our Pittsburgh wedding was a blessing. I don't think our wedding would have been as successful if it weren't for the staff and their amazing venue. All of our guests had nothing but great things to say about everything (food, venue, the staff, etc.). If you are having a large wedding, I highly suggest the Pittsburgh Zoo Garden Tent to help make it perfect.

The zoo was wonderful They were easy to work with and the service all around was great. They followed my directions for set up beautifully. The food was good and the service stuff was freindly and helpful. I thought the prices were great for everything we got. They made our day so special.

They were great to work with, the aquarium was unique and beautiful, and the food was excellent. I would highly recommend them!

Everything was absolutely perfect! Us and our guests loved the atmosphere and the food. Bob (the catering manager) was excellent. We couldn't have dreamed of a better day thanks to everyone at the Pgh Zoo & Aquarium.

Great reception! Everything was beautiful. Everyone loved the food. Couldn't of ask for a better day!

Wow! We are still getting compliments on how fun and unique our wedding reception was at the Water's Edge at the Pittsburgh Zoo. Very few people can say they got to watch otters "dance" to the Village People, view the polar bears before dinner, and meet a few animals during cocktail hour at their wedding. This was such a fun way to bring 100+ people together and start conversations in what was a very classy, organized environment.

We decided on the zoo for our reception because of our history patronizing zoos across the country. This just seemed to fit us, and we were looking for something unique that our friends and family would find interesting. This definitely fit the bill! It was a very classy event - not at all what many people imagine when they hear of a wedding reception at the zoo.

We were a little concerned at first when I called to rent the space, and they said they have their on-site catering as the only option. However, once we saw the menu and saw other reviews of the food, we were settled. We dealt with the zoo and catering sides pretty much simultaneously, and they worked hand-in-hand to make sure everyone involved was on the same page and we were on schedule.

We dropped off our wine and centerpieces 3 days before the wedding, and they set up everything after the zoo closed before our guests arrived. Everything was beautifully set up! They cleaned up everything afterward - my Mom drove back to the Zoo a few days later to pick up the centerpieces and anything else that was left there. The Zoo included a shuttle (really a nicely appointed mini-bus) from the front entrance to our reception spot so no one had to walk far to our reception.

Bob Monroe and Jaime Szoszorek were both very responsive by phone and email when I had questions about anything, and things were explained very well. When we needed suggestions for bakeries and beer distributors that delivered to the zoo, they had a list they'd used for Zoo functions in the past. They also provided all of the tables, chairs, linens in the colors of our choosing, dishes, silverware, and glassware. They were all included in the price of the per-person dinner fee, so we didn't have to arrange for anything additional.

We opted to pay for a few education animals and their keepers to mingle with our guests during cocktail hour before the reception, and we were able to specify which types of animals we preferred (or really didn't want), and we were pleased with the keepers and the animals. We had a chinchilla, baby opossum, and snake, and the keepers answered all of our guests questions about their animals.

The bartenders and staff assisting with our reception were all professional, polite, and friendly. They did (appropriately) cut off one friend who seemed to have too much to drink, but were very quiet about it. Once the reception really got into full swing, the evening just flowed seamlessly. We chose a buffet-style dinner, and everyone was able to get food relatively quickly. The food was FANTASTIC! The apple and almond stuffed chicken was amazing, the side dishes were very tasty, the prime rib was perfectly cooked, and the staff were always around when people had dietary questions about the food. I had 2 vegetarian and 1 gluten-intolerant guests, and they let me have 3 special dishes for those guests instead of making me pick my entire entree selections to accommodate those 3 people.

Overall, if I had to pick a place to do it again, I would absolutely choose the Water's Edge at the Zoo again. It was an amazingly perfect event. I'm sure there was a lot going on behind the scenes to make it seem perfect, but Bob, Jaime, and the rest of the Zoo staff made it look easy and seamless. Again, we are still getting compliments ten months after the fact - it definitely made a positive impression on us and on our guests!

Not only did this venue have a real "wow" factor for our guests, but Dave Stewart and the catering team made everything very easy and enjoyable. The food was tasty, the servers were thoroughly professional, and I have nothing but happy memories of my reception.

The zoo was absolutely perfect for our July wedding! We had our reception in the garden tent because it was most accommodating for the size of our wedding at 200+ guests. We worked with both David & Gabby throughout the process, who were always quick to respond and answer any questions we had. The tent looked AMAZING the day of the wedding. It is true that you cannot arrange a taste testing beforehand, however guest raved it was the best food that they ever had at a wedding. Everything was DELICIOUS! The cost of both the venue rental and the food was also very fair! The zoo allowed us to drop things off the day before the wedding and also was great with working with our vendors when they needed anything. My only complaint was that the bar did run out of alcohol around 10:15pm when we purchased the bar until 11pm.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about the zoo. I am so happy we chose to have our wedding here and would do it over again!

Absolute could not have asked for a better venue for my wedding. The staff were awesome, the venue unique, it was a dream for the wedding. Though we did have some hiccups with one of the fish tanks, they accommodated us in other ways to make up for it. I could not more highly recommend the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG aquarium.

We had our reception at Water's Edge. Despite the rain (cocktail hour had to be held inside) and the polar bears hiding for most of the night, it was an amazing evening. Most of our guests were from out of town and loved seeing this unique location. Even our local guests were amazing with how the space was transformed. They said that they would never look at the zoo the same way again!

Everyone at the zoo was amazing and helpful. Jamie and Bob helped us throughout the planning process and answered our plethora of questions with patience. On the day of the wedding, we showed up early, as planned, to take pictures. It was raining, so two zoo employees drove us around in a shuttle to take photos. We know it took a lot of time, but appreciate all of their help.

I was a bit worried about the food, since no tasting is available. The food was amazing! True top restaurant quality. Several guests raved about it.

The zoo made planning much easier since their packages include the food, bartender service (BYOB), linens, set up, tables, etc. All in all, it was a wonderful experience planning & having the wedding with them.

Anyone who attended the wedding had nothing but good things to say about the zoo. Many people were very impressed with how great all of the food was! One downfall was one of our shuttles breaking down but the zoo did everything they could to fix it.

We used the Water's Edge area. Included with this area is cocktail hour outside in “Pier Town” where the polar bears are. The actual dinner/reception is held below where there are two underwater tunnels. It is an absolutely gorgeous venue. We had 120 guests. The staff worked very hard to put together my centerpieces & decorate the venue on the day of our reception as they could not do this until the zoo closed at 6pm (our reception started at 7pm). It was flawless teamwork. The zoo has its own internal catering company, Taste of the Wild. We didn't chose a reception package but rather several food stations. By choosing food stations we had a variety of food including mini chicken pot pies, scalloped potatoes, three cheese lasagna, mini ham barbecue sandwiches, cabbage rolls, pierogies, AND a fajita station! The fajita station was a huge it! The food stations were out for an hour. This was a great variety of food with a cost of around $25 per person. We also had two hors d'oeurves during cocktail hour which included buffalo chicken skewers & sausage stuffed mushrooms totaling $6 per person. I can't say enough about the value of the food stations for the event. I will warn you that if you pick food stations rather than a "reception package" you are responsible for paying for linens, silverware, cups, etc. Again, it still is less than what we would've spent going the other route. The staff worked closely with our DJ and bakery for all the logistics of delivery and set up. Ashley, Carly, & Gabby were wonderful in the planning & execution of everything from decorations to the catering itself. I changed linen colors & food choices several times but they were patient & accommodating. David S. was so helpful during our reception & kept the night running smoothly, even taking the gifts and loading them in our vehicle so we didn't have to worry about that at the end of our evening. I cannot say enough about the quality of the zoo as a reception venue!

My husband and I could not be happier with our choice to have our wedding reception at the zoo aquarium. We had a hard time choosing a venue that wouldn't totally break the bank but would be a different from the everyday, run of the mill banquet hall or hotel ballroom.

Dave took us around the zoo on a beautiful day in January. He was very personable, charming, and funny. We planned our whole wedding in 5 months. Because of this, a lot of information had to go back and forth very quickly. Gabby was amazing at this. My questions were answered within 24 hours and often, much sooner than that. She easily kept us on track with our planning. As we got closer to the wedding day, Ashley was my main contact and she was equally helpful and quick to respond. Carly, in catering, was very willing to work with us on our food/bar selections as well. The food was fantastic.

We dropped off everything we wanted displayed (guest book/pen, escort cards, cookies, decorations, etc.) the day before and the zoo did all of the setting up and tearing down. I only had to show up on the day of the wedding. Two days after the wedding, we went back to pick up everything. It was all so easy!

I do wish that the zoo provided a timeline of when final decisions had to be made. There were some things that we tried to change or add towards the end of the planning time that we were unable to change due to it being “too late”. However, we were able to cancel the dance floor the day before the wedding, which I am so glad we did! There was no need to pay $750 for a small dance floor. There is a clearly defined space in the aquarium for dancing and you can really spread out and have fun!

We would, in a heartbeat, choose this venue over and over again. We’re so excited to be able to visit the zoo with our future children and be able to tell them that the aquarium was the place where mommy and daddy celebrated their marriage. :)

I absolutely loved having my reception at the PPG Aquarium. We had the highest-priced sit-down dinner service but got a discount for our Sunday wedding. I love that the package was all-inclusive - all we had to do was provide our own alcohol, so we really cut down on costs that way. Plus, the guests LOVED looking at the fish, stingray tank, etc - no one was bored like you can sometimes be at a banquet hall!

Such a unique venue for our wedding, we got tons of compliments. The food was good, the staff is completely accommodating and we all had a great time!

I absolutely loved having my reception at the PPG Aquarium. We had the highest-priced sit-down dinner service but got a discount for our Sunday wedding. I love that the package was all-inclusive - all we had to do was provide our own alcohol, so we really cut down on costs that way. Plus, the guests LOVED looking at the fish, stingray tank, etc - no one was bored like you can sometimes be at a banquet hall! Jaime, Ky, and Bob were all very responsive and patient with my many questions during the planning process. Plus, I planned the wedding from overseas, so I made two visits - one with my parents and one with my fiance - and they led us on a private tour of the aquarium each time, which was awesome and really made me feel secure in our decision to have the reception there. I also appreciated that I just had to drop off the favors, escort cards, etc, and they set up the tables and everything - I didn't have to think about a thing on the wedding day! My only complaint is that several guests complained to me that the servers cleared their full drinks away when they stepped away from the table, which obviously cost us extra money when the guests had to get another drink, and also they cleared away the escort cards, which many guests wanted to keep as mementos. But overall, I was VERY happy with the reception - what an awesome place!

FANTASTIC!!!! I had the most incredible wedding here!! It is expensive, but definitely worth it! The staff is great (except the one bartender).... they took care of my bridal party and allowed us to have 1 last bridal party dance song while they cleaned up. If you have the money, keep in mind... on your wedding day they set up and tear down.... they do all the food, arrange vendors, and provide bartender services. There is a lot you don't have to worry about. I got to just enjoy my wedding, and I am thankful.

We had our reception in the PPG Aquarium. It was WONDERFUL. We had 200 guests (the max that they recommend, although they can hold up to 250). We were surrounded by exotic fish tanks and exhibits that our guests enjoyed. Absolutely no decoration is needed...look at the pictures online!

We had our wedding reception in the Aquarium in June 2017. The Aquarium turned out to be an amazing location to hold our event. The entire staff were very accommodating and helped us throughout planning our event. The waterfall and fish and the entire environment really provided a great backdrop for our night. The food was spectacular, which was a big concern because we were never able to try any of their options, but it was amazing. We barely had the chance to try any of our passed appetizers, but the guests raved about them. The wait staff was friendly, and the bartenders were decent. In the end, al of our guests said they had never heard of a wedding at the zoo, and they had a wonderful time. We would definitely recommend the zoo for any wedding!

We choose the Pittsburgh Zoo Water's Edge for our wedding reception not only because we wanted to a have limit to our guest list but my husband loves sharks. I on the other hand wanted to go outside the traditional wedding theme. We loved the zoo from the minute we first met with them to discuss how they do everything but also from the moment we walked into the area were we were having our reception. They were easy to work with. They let me handle everything on my part. All I needed to do was provide them all the items we were planning on having and the list of outside vendors who would be dropping off or staying during our reception. Rachel was very helpful with answering any questions I had. They made my wedding special and all my guests that came to the wedding still talk about it. I would recommend this venue to anyone who wants something different.

I loved having our reception at the zoo. The atmosphere was beautiful and it was suitable for guests of all ages. The only problem we had was with one bartender who was particularly rude to several guests. The cake was also forgotten about, though was cut and served before too late. Overall I had a wonderful experience with them and would suggest it to anyone.

Excellent venue for a wedding. The staff was friendly and the coordinator was very easy to work with.

We loved our wedding reception in the Garden Tent at the Pittsburgh Zoo. The people at the Zoo were wonderful to work with - they went out of their way to make our day exactly what we wanted. They were a little slow at returning phone calls, but no big deal. The tent looked great, and our guests told us how great the food was. Overall we were very pleased with our choice.

A wonderful and unique location! Jaime and Bob were a delight to work with and made our wedding day one to remember for both us and our guests.

I loved having our reception at the Water's Edge. Our guests raved about how much they loved the food and how much they loved the area. Sometimes it was difficult to get someone to answer your questions. We were happy that we could bring our own alcohol. My only problem was that we asked them to not open a new bottle until they finished the first bottle, but when we got it all back most of the bottles were opened with only a little bit out of them.

We were very happy with our reception at the PPG Aquarium. The venue was beautiful, the food was delicious, and everyone was entertained by all of the fish and shark tanks. They were very willing to accomodate our wishes and make the event our own. They were slightly less responsive than I would have liked to email and phone calls but they did exactly what they needed to do when it really mattered. I would highly recommend them.

The folks in the event staff were a pleasure to work with! KUDOS! Even with all of our ice sculptures, they got everything set up in almost perfect time.

The catering staff is used to the usual menu/event. While I did end up getting what I wanted, it wasn't without trial and tribulation. They will not provide a tasting of food. It was this area that kept me from rating them a 5/5

Everything was pretty legit with our wedding at this venue. While it is a little more on the pricey side, I think this is way cooler than your traditional banquet hall. Here are the highlights and hiccups: -Dave and Gabby were great coordinators, along with the catering lady Ashley -Most things are included in the fixed per guest price (e.g. tables, chairs, linen, glassware, drinks excl. alcohol, etc.) -Dance floor and extra shuttle are extra monies -We were able to bring our own alcohol (yet I think this has changed since we booked in 2014) -You cannot have a tasting beforehand (we tried buying a la carte and still couldn't) -The crab cakes were super bland, but the filet mignon was super good -Carpet was dirty and cocktail tables were uneven (kept moving). Keep in mind they close at 5:30pm and have to transform the place by 7pm -We used very minimal decorations thanks to the aquarium already being aesthetically pleasing -Had major issues with sound and hearing speeches due to the waterfall in the background. I missed my dad's speech because of this, which was a pretty big bummer (but of course, the DJ should have tested sound beforehand) -We had approx 130 guests and only used 1 shuttle. Should have bought the additional shuttle. Most of our guests were waiting 15-20 mins for the shuttle to pick them up.

I had my reception in the aquarium and it was beautiful!!! My guests absolutely loved it. The staff set up and decorated even better than I could've. The food was some of the best wedding food I've ever had. People are still raving about it and I was married a month ago! I was a little nervous because they do not offer tastings but I worried for nothing. Everything was perfect.
The only issue I had was getting answers to my questions in the months before my wedding. I really did get the attention I wanted until the week before. Everything turned out in the end but it caused me some stress that I wasn't able to get answers when I wanted them. I hate leaving things until the last minute.
But all in all, I wouldn't have changed a thing about my reception. It was something none of my guests had seen before and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it.
Don't hesitate if you want to have your wedding at the zoo. Just know that e-mails don't mean much. If you want to get in touch with someone you'll have to call and go then go speak with them someone face to face.

Rachel was awesome with helping plan and prepare for our wedding. She was also great to our guests- several guests commented on how helpful and understanding she was to them. The catering department on the other hand was not as impressive. Although the food was good, they were not good about returning calls or communicating with us.

I want to start off by saying that my fiancé and I LOVED the space (aquarium) and the food at the zoo was DELICIOUS. The staff is super friendly and it’s a unique spot that your guests will love. I do however feel that the zoo really “sold” the place to us during our initial meeting with them. Looking back I feel like they promised a lot, probably more than they are capable of executing. Responsiveness (via email) definitely wasn’t a strong suit of theirs. I had moments that I felt like I was bothering or annoying them? Just to get a simple response – not the best feeling.
I was also disappointed regarding access to the site. The shuttle system that transported guests to the site was clustered and slow. Not a major issue, but I felt bad that my guests arrived and were standing around waiting at the entrance as our cocktail hour progressed. We had a guest in a wheelchair that I was told would get special transportation and it never happened.
We were told that the bridal party could be carted through the zoo for photo ops. That never occurred. My husband and I were approached late by one staff member to take the two of us around but, honestly at that point it wasn’t even light enough out to capitalize on the offer. And we were flustered just trying to get in.
The zoo has a food “warehouse” that we were able to drop off cookies and liquor in advance. It is a nice idea in theory and we did take advantage of it. However, the site was under construction and was more of a cluttered trailer with numerous events items stacked hap hazardly together. It’s no wonder a box of our items (my guestbook) was misplaced and not found for a week after the wedding.
Overall, I am glad we chose the zoo and the catering was wonderful, but just beware it may not be as perfect as it sounds. Or go as seamlessly as promised.

I wish I could have great things to say about my reception here because all of the planning went amazing, Bob and Jaime were great! The food was amazing! But the actual reception had too many things wrong with it. First, they let guest in too early so I was rushed into a small hiding room and instead of doing photographs before guests got there I spent half of my reception doing it instead of enjoying my reception. Then at the end of the night, I asked if we could take the leftover cake home and one of the staff replied no and continued to throw it away and then while I was walking out alot of staff were telling us how great our cake tasted. Wish I would have had a chance to try it. Finally, at the end of the night they said a shuttle would be back for me and my husband along with my immediate family but instead they forgot us and they knew they did because the woman told me it was her fault she told everyone to go home and because of that we all sat out side the aquarium for over an hour after the reception was over and all of the guest left waiting to find out if and when we could ever leave. I mean seriously, how do you forget the bride and groom, could not believe that happened! When we asked for an explanation the next day for everything that went wrong, they had no explanation and 3 weeks later, we are still waiting for a reply.

Let me just start off with saying that we had very high hopes/expectations for the zoo and were so extremely excited for our reception there. We recently got married on May 19, 2012 and were planning for quite some time before our big day. We read nothing but good reviews about the zoo, so how could we go wrong? They were TERRIBLE! From the beginning, they were very hard to get a hold of and I constantly felt like I was asking a billion questions with little response a couple of days later. We were pretty much confused the entire planning process. Bob was very nice when we called with questions, but isn't it the vendors job to make sure everything is clear?? Our reception started off rocky with a zoo employee telling me upon my arrival that my small room to freshen up in "has been taken over." Not a good way to start off with the bride by telling her there is nowhere for her to bussel her dress!

There were a million things that went wrong at the reception. So many small details that we had planned on were never executed by the zoo. Their overall communication and leadership up to the event and at the actual event was really poor. Their staff at our reception was really not experienced and frankly had no idea what was going on. The food was definitely a disappointment, too. It didn't look very appetizing and was expensive!

We ended up so disappointed and had a long discussion with Bob upon our arrival home from our honeymoon. They were in total agreement that our reception was far from successful and sent us back our deposit.