San Francisco Zoo Reviews
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5.0 Fantastic
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7 reviews
99% recommend it
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Quality of service 5 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 5 out of 5 rating
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Value 4.9 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 4.9 out of 5 rating
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Deanna G. Sent on 05/07/20225 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Value 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Best, most unique wedding venue
I don't even have words to describe how much we loved our zoo wedding. The venue itself is absolutely stunning, requires very little decorating (we literally did not decorate the ceremony or cocktail hour), and is incredibly unique and memorable. I'll admit we got some confusion initially from some people when we announced we were getting married at the zoo, but it was absolutely the best decision we could have made. All of our guests had an amazing time and talked about it for days. We even heard from the parents of the children at our wedding that for more than a week after, the kids kept asking to go back to the zoo wedding! What more could you want? Well, in addition to the gorgeous setting, all of the food/beverages/rentals are in house, making it incredibly simple for us. And the food was great! We got to do a tasting, have signature drinks, and all of the normal stuff you would do at a traditional wedding venue. And the food was great, multiple guests went out of their way to tell us, and the price was very reasonable compared to other venues I've seen. We also had an opportunity for the wedding party and immediate family to feed the giraffes! So, so unique and memorable. We also had use of the antique carousel during our cocktail hour, which was a huge hit with both adults and kids! But the very best part was working with the event coordinator, Carol Mann, and her staff. They were all absolutely phenomenal. Very communicative, very flexible, answered our millions of questions with a smile and fantastic information. Because the zoo does not do many weddings, we were actually able to set up our reception area the night before our wedding! We did everything like setting up favors, place cards, etc. so the only thing that had to be done day of were the centerpieces. That would absolutely never have happened at a traditional wedding venue and it was such a relief to not have to figure out how those tasks would get done the day of. I know this review was completely rambling but every time I thought I had covered all of the amazing things, I thought of even more! We are probably one of the only couples in history to have zero regrets about their wedding day. We absolutely cannot recommend the zoo highly enough!I don't even have words to describe how much we loved our zoo wedding. The venue itself is absolutely stunning, requires very little decorating (we literally did not decorate the ceremony or cocktail hour), and is incredibly unique and memorable. I'll admit we got some confusion initially from some people when we announced we were getting married at the zoo, but it was absolutely the best decision we could have made. All of our guests had an amazing time and talked about it for days. We even heard from the parents of the children at our wedding that for more than a week after, the kids kept asking to go back to the zoo wedding! What more could you want? Well, in addition to the gorgeous setting, all of the food/beverages/rentals are in house, making it incredibly simple for us. And the food was great! We got to do a tasting, have signature drinks, and all of the normal stuff you would do at a traditional wedding venue. And the food was great, multiple guests went out of their way to tell us, and the price was very reasonable compared to other venues I've seen. We also had an opportunity for the wedding party and immediate family to feed the giraffes! So, so unique and memorable. We also had use of the antique carousel during our cocktail hour, which was a huge hit with both adults and kids! But the very best part was working with the event coordinator, Carol Mann, and her staff. They were all absolutely phenomenal. Very communicative, very flexible, answered our millions of questions with a smile and fantastic information. Because the zoo does not do many weddings, we were actually able to set up our reception area the night before our wedding! We did everything like setting up favors, place cards, etc. so the only thing that had to be done day of were the centerpieces. That would absolutely never have happened at a traditional wedding venue and it was such a relief to not have to figure out how those tasks would get done the day of. I know this review was completely rambling but every time I thought I had covered all of the amazing things, I thought of even more! We are probably one of the only couples in history to have zero regrets about their wedding day. We absolutely cannot recommend the zoo highly enough!-
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Carolyn Sent on 01/30/20185 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Value 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 5.0 out of 5 rating
My husband and I met each other working Indiana Jones and the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland, so the decision was easy when it came to our wedding venue - the San Francisco Zoo. However, we were not prepared for the incredible experience we had planning out our wedding day.
Carol Mann is an amazing coordinator and overall person! We visited the zoo several times to decide on our ceremony and reception site, and Rehearsal Dinner location. Each time she was extremely patient with us, explained all possible options and was even open to our suggestions in case of rain and other contingency plans.
We never felt pressured to spend more money or embarrassed by our unique taste and requests to make our day truly us. Carol made us feel like we were her own children because she always ensured that we were having the best time. She was flexible with our set-up and take-down timing, proactive about getting final wedding details, and overwhelming communicative about what we were allowed to do in regards to zoo policies. We were astonished at how many hours of work Carol put into our wedding during the entire weekend, and through all that she still always had a smile on her face and high energy. From the food that she organized with Chef Kevin to ensure that no one left hungry to helping our elderly family get around the zoo, everyone had an amazing time.
We feel so blessed to have had Carol as our main coordinator at the San Francisco Zoo because she really did give us our perfect wedding.My husband and I met each other working Indiana Jones and the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland, so the decision was easy when it came to our wedding venue - the San Francisco Zoo. However, we were not prepared for the incredible experience we had planning out our wedding day.
Carol Mann is an amazing coordinator and overall person! We visited the zoo several times to decide on our ceremony and reception site, and Rehearsal Dinner location. Each time she was extremely patient with us, explained all possible options and was even open to our suggestions in case of rain and other contingency plans.
We never felt pressured to spend more money or embarrassed by our unique taste and requests to make our day truly us. Carol made us feel like we were her own children because she always ensured that we were having the best time. She was flexible with our set-up and take-down timing, proactive about getting final wedding details, and overwhelming communicative about what we were allowed to do in regards to zoo policies. We were astonished at how many hours of work Carol put into our wedding during the entire weekend, and through all that she still always had a smile on her face and high energy. From the food that she organized with Chef Kevin to ensure that no one left hungry to helping our elderly family get around the zoo, everyone had an amazing time.
We feel so blessed to have had Carol as our main coordinator at the San Francisco Zoo because she really did give us our perfect wedding. -
Quality of service
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Amanda Sent on 12/26/20175 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Value 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 5.0 out of 5 rating
The staff was very attentive and cared about the party attendees. They were professional and very friendly. We were very pleased with the outcome.The staff was very attentive and cared about the party attendees. They were professional and very friendly. We were very pleased with the outcome. -
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Kat Sent on 12/11/20175 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 5.0 out of 5 rating
Gina and the rest of the Zoo staff were an absolute delight to work with. The highlight was the evening was the giraffe feeding, this is a MUST in my opinion for any event you do out there. The chef did terrifically, and the quality of food was impeccable. I would highly recommend doing an event at the San Francisco Zoo to anyone.Gina and the rest of the Zoo staff were an absolute delight to work with. The highlight was the evening was the giraffe feeding, this is a MUST in my opinion for any event you do out there. The chef did terrifically, and the quality of food was impeccable. I would highly recommend doing an event at the San Francisco Zoo to anyone. -
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Kate Sent on 07/31/20125 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Value 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 5.0 out of 5 rating
My husband and I got married this past May in the San Francisco Zoo, and we were thrilled we chose it as our venue. The zoo was beautiful, cooperative, and well-organized throughout the process.
From the start, the zoo was helpful, working with us to schedule our big day appropriately. Originally we had looked at an April wedding, but despite having openings that month, they advised us to wait until May for better weather. As planning continued, the zoo made things easy on us. For example, they took care of the catering, tables, linens, and open bar. This made them almost a one-stop-shop and made our lives that much easier. They offered us a wide menu of food options, and worked with us to set up a buffet for our guests (per our request) after inviting us to taste some of their entrees. About a month prior to the wedding, the zoo coordinator worked with us to get our photographers, florist, and day-of planners into the zoo so they could look over the reception hall, venue, and even much of the zoo for photography planning purposes. The zoo coordinated with us as we made our own tickets for our guests (the zoo allows free access to wedding party members), but with our vouchers guests were also allowed to enter into the zoo early for a reduced price if they wanted to see some animals. Overall, despite it being a wedding, the zoo made the process as smooth and easy as you can imagine.
Since the wedding was to occur after the zoo closed, our coordinator worked with us to take pictures prior to the ceremony. Thus, we and the wedding party were able to take photos in front of our favorite animals including lemurs, pelicans, and bears. The zoo also cooperated with us to get photographs on the carousel and their little train. They ultimately let us take as many pictures as possible before the ceremony, giving us only the problem of sorting through them all!
The wedding venue itself was the area situated in the African Savannah exhibit. Guests must transit through one of two tunnels to get there, allowing for the bride to stay concealed until the start of the ceremony, but also surrounding our guests with a variety of animals including giraffes, zebras, ostriches, and Marabou storks among others. For animal lovers like us, this gave the wedding a great exotic/wild feeling to it, and also made for some excellent photo opportunities. For planning purposes, the savannah seating area fits around one-hundred guests. While this was our desired wedding size, it could limit you if you are looking to have more guests.
Following the wedding, we treated our guests to a giraffe feeding and five animal encounters. The giraffe feeding brings the wedding party, and subsequently guests, into the giraffe house to pet and then feed them bananas and leaves. None of us had ever pet or fed a giraffe before, so it made for a fun and memorable experience.
Meanwhile, since only about twenty-five guests can fit in the giraffe house at once, the rest of our guests enjoyed cocktail hour with drinks, hors d oeuvres, and the five encounters. For the encounters, the zoo has animal trainers bring out five animals (the zoo gave us a list of about twelve animals that were typically available, but realize that sometimes trainers are not on hand or animals could be sick so there may be last minute changes) for our guests to pet, examine, and learn about. We chose the golden eagle, a hedgehog, an alligator, an opossum, and an owl. As with the giraffe feeding, it made for a memorable and fun experience for both ourselves and our guests, and it also allowed us to have unfettered time to take photographs after the ceremony.
Finally, the Great Hall made for an excellent location for our reception. With its large fireplace and high ceilings, it made for a grand but homey setting for our celebration. The buffet was well organized in the back, and we had plenty of room for 100 guests, our sweetheart table, food, cakes, and our DJ, with plenty of room to dance as well. Also, despite the high ceiling, the sound quality in the room was excellent. Outside of the hall was a lobby area where the open bar was located along with our photo booth, which provided enough room for our guests during cocktail hour. Just past the lobby was the dressing room for the bride, allowing everything to be centralized but still appropriately separated.
If you are animal lovers looking for a memorable wedding, the San Francisco Zoo is for you. It offers great views and memorable experiences while accommodating your wedding’s logistics. As an added bonus, you can be happy that the proceeds from your ceremony will go to help the zoo’s animals.
My husband and I got married this past May in the San Francisco Zoo, and we were thrilled we chose it as our venue. The zoo was beautiful, cooperative, and well-organized throughout the process.
From the start, the zoo was helpful, working with us to schedule our big day appropriately. Originally we had looked at an April wedding, but despite having openings that month, they advised us to wait until May for better weather. As planning continued, the zoo made things easy on us. For example, they took care of the catering, tables, linens, and open bar. This made them almost a one-stop-shop and made our lives that much easier. They offered us a wide menu of food options, and worked with us to set up a buffet for our guests (per our request) after inviting us to taste some of their entrees. About a month prior to the wedding, the zoo coordinator worked with us to get our photographers, florist, and day-of planners into the zoo so they could look over the reception hall, venue, and even much of the zoo for photography planning purposes. The zoo coordinated with us as we made our own tickets for our guests (the zoo allows free access to wedding party members), but with our vouchers guests were also allowed to enter into the zoo early for a reduced price if they wanted to see some animals. Overall, despite it being a wedding, the zoo made the process as smooth and easy as you can imagine.
Since the wedding was to occur after the zoo closed, our coordinator worked with us to take pictures prior to the ceremony. Thus, we and the wedding party were able to take photos in front of our favorite animals including lemurs, pelicans, and bears. The zoo also cooperated with us to get photographs on the carousel and their little train. They ultimately let us take as many pictures as possible before the ceremony, giving us only the problem of sorting through them all!
The wedding venue itself was the area situated in the African Savannah exhibit. Guests must transit through one of two tunnels to get there, allowing for the bride to stay concealed until the start of the ceremony, but also surrounding our guests with a variety of animals including giraffes, zebras, ostriches, and Marabou storks among others. For animal lovers like us, this gave the wedding a great exotic/wild feeling to it, and also made for some excellent photo opportunities. For planning purposes, the savannah seating area fits around one-hundred guests. While this was our desired wedding size, it could limit you if you are looking to have more guests.
Following the wedding, we treated our guests to a giraffe feeding and five animal encounters. The giraffe feeding brings the wedding party, and subsequently guests, into the giraffe house to pet and then feed them bananas and leaves. None of us had ever pet or fed a giraffe before, so it made for a fun and memorable experience.
Meanwhile, since only about twenty-five guests can fit in the giraffe house at once, the rest of our guests enjoyed cocktail hour with drinks, hors d oeuvres, and the five encounters. For the encounters, the zoo has animal trainers bring out five animals (the zoo gave us a list of about twelve animals that were typically available, but realize that sometimes trainers are not on hand or animals could be sick so there may be last minute changes) for our guests to pet, examine, and learn about. We chose the golden eagle, a hedgehog, an alligator, an opossum, and an owl. As with the giraffe feeding, it made for a memorable and fun experience for both ourselves and our guests, and it also allowed us to have unfettered time to take photographs after the ceremony.
Finally, the Great Hall made for an excellent location for our reception. With its large fireplace and high ceilings, it made for a grand but homey setting for our celebration. The buffet was well organized in the back, and we had plenty of room for 100 guests, our sweetheart table, food, cakes, and our DJ, with plenty of room to dance as well. Also, despite the high ceiling, the sound quality in the room was excellent. Outside of the hall was a lobby area where the open bar was located along with our photo booth, which provided enough room for our guests during cocktail hour. Just past the lobby was the dressing room for the bride, allowing everything to be centralized but still appropriately separated.
If you are animal lovers looking for a memorable wedding, the San Francisco Zoo is for you. It offers great views and memorable experiences while accommodating your wedding’s logistics. As an added bonus, you can be happy that the proceeds from your ceremony will go to help the zoo’s animals.
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Quality of service
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Connie Sent on 08/13/20085 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Value 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 5.0 out of 5 rating
Beautiful location and highly affordable. The Animal Encounters package was a favorite among guests. The food (Taste of the Wild) was enjoyed by our guests, too. Carol Mann, the on-site coordinator, was very responsive and on top of everything. I would highly recommend having a wedding at the SF Zoo.
Beautiful location and highly affordable. The Animal Encounters package was a favorite among guests. The food (Taste of the Wild) was enjoyed by our guests, too. Carol Mann, the on-site coordinator, was very responsive and on top of everything. I would highly recommend having a wedding at the SF Zoo.
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Lauren Sent on 02/03/20114.7 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Value 4.0 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 4.5 out of 5 rating
Loved the zoo for my wedding. Everyone was super responsive and helpful and it's a beautiful site with a lot of options. I'd definitely recommend.Loved the zoo for my wedding. Everyone was super responsive and helpful and it's a beautiful site with a lot of options. I'd definitely recommend. -
Quality of service