The Toledo Zoo Reviews
Reviews
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Weddingwire
75 reviews
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Featured
Kristen Sent on 09/16/2025Wedding at the Toledo Zoo
We couldn’t be happier with our decision to have our wedding at the Toledo Zoo! Not only is the venue beautiful and unique, but it also provided incredible value for the money. The team worked with us to make sure everything fit within our budget without ever compromising on quality.
From start to finish, the staff was professional, organized, and so easy to work with. Their positive attitudes and clear communication made the entire planning process stress-free, and on the wedding day everything flowed seamlessly. It was such a relief knowing we were in good hands.
If you’re looking for a wedding venue that combines affordability, professionalism, and an unforgettable atmosphere, the Toledo Zoo is a fantastic choice! -
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![Julia]()
Julia Sent on 11/24/2025Fun and Unique Venue in Toledo
The Toledo Zoo was an awesome venue. Unique, different and fun. The Zoo's the staff and bartenders who worked the night of our wedding were so helpful and friendly.
I really loved how much is included in the wedding packages offered by the Zoo (from bar service - to catering - to linens) which made it easy and breezy to plan the wedding!
Gina, Faith and the events crew were all so great to work with. They were very organized and everything went wonderfully.
This November we had our ceremony and reception in the Malawi Event Center which was so gorgeous! The reception area has a 70ft long aquarium in the room, which added so much charm. Between the ceremony and dinner we opted to have the carousel open for our cocktail hour, which made for great photos and lots of fun.
Overall we received so many compliments how fun our wedding was, and we couldn't dare to disagree! -
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Allison Sent on 07/02/2025
Zoo wedding
The ceremony was beautiful, we had a reception in the aquarium and it was great. It was a little tight with 10 tables, but it was still nice and fun. The food was really good. -
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![Abbey]()
Abbey Sent on 06/25/2024Summer Zoo Wedding
I am amazed at the way our wedding came together in the end. My husband I chose to have a wedding at the Toledo Zoo Aquarium because it was such a special place for us. I worked with Gina Lambert to create my vision and I am so pleased about everything related to our special day. The zoo staff had everything under control and was prepared down to the smallest detail. On the day of the wedding, our day-of coordinator, Kasey, was phenomenal at helping with set-up and tear-down. I couldn't imagine having gotten married anywhere else. Thank you to Gina, Kasey, and the rest of the zoo staff for an absolutely magical day! -
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Rosa Sent on 11/06/2023
The Toledo Zoo is an excellent wedding venue
We absolutely loved our wedding and the zoo made it a unique and fun experience. The zoo staff made everything so easy and straightforward to plan. They took care of everything we needed and answered our questions quickly and with clarity. They were so helpful and made everything run smoothly.The Toledo Zoo's reply:
Rosa!
I am so happy to hear you had a wonderful time! We are so honored to have been there on such a special day! -
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![Jodi]()
Jodi Sent on 11/17/2022What more can I say than...WOW!!!
We held my daughter's wedding reception at the Malawi Center this past weekend. Everything was amazing- the ambiance, the food, the staff! I don't have enough exclamation points to interject how wonderful everything was! All the guests raved over the food and the setting. The staff (thank you so much Julia, Rayann, and everyone who worked that night!) was phenomenal, professional, and so helpful!! I just wish I had another daughter to marry off so we could do it again!!! Thank you so much to everyone at the Malawi Center for making our day perfect!!! -
![Jeffrey]()
Jeffrey Sent on 05/17/2022Absolutely Perfect!
We could not have been happier with our wedding at The Toledo Zoo! Every person on their team was so helpful! Any questions we had throughout the entire planning process were quickly answered. Having a day-of coordinator made our wedding day a breeze - she took away so much stress, making sure we didn't have to worry, and was willing to help with anything needed. Even having to make a last minute switch from the Formal Garden to the Aquarium due to rain was no big deal because they handled everything! The whole experience from start to finish was 10/10. All of our guests raved about the food (and they were being genuine)! The catering staff was so friendly and did an excellent job keeping up with everything. There is nothing bad that we could say about our experience! Both of our families have been loyal zoo members since we can remember, and our amazing wedding just adds another reason to the list of why we love the zoo so much. -
Ashley Sent on 04/30/2022
Toledo Zoo Aquarium
They did an amazing job, they were kind, professional, and punctual. They made everything go smoothly and as planned. They kept in informed and made the day so wonderful. It was more affordable than I thought it would be also, -
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![Heather]()
Heather Sent on 09/25/2019Best day of my life
The zoo was the perfect venue for my wedding. Every detail was executed perfectly allowing me to just get caught up in the magic of the day. I couldn’t dream of a more beautiful day.The Toledo Zoo's reply:
Thank you Heather for your review. We loved all the beautiful details and touches your wedding had! We wish you and Dan all the best! -
![Greg]()
Greg Sent on 08/30/2019Wonderful experience
Amazing working with Lexi and her crew. They helped make our wedding very memorable. From the planning stages, to the tasting dinner, to finalization, and even during the day itself, they were very helpful and accommodating. And where else could we have a polarbear as a guest. Thanks again.The Toledo Zoo's reply:
Congratulations, Greg and Julie! We loved working with you both from start to finish and had such an amazing day with you, your guests and the polar bears! Wishing you endless love and happiness. -
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Maggie Sent on 02/17/2019
The Toledo Zoo Malawi Event Center
This venue is fantastic! We had a winter wedding there and had some concerns that were never realized. We decided on the additional carts to shuttle the guest which was helpful. Many said it was the best wedding they'd been to! The aquarium as the backdrop is stunning and we could not have been more pleased with the entire process. Magical is one of the best descriptions I can think of. Lexie Finnegan is wonderful to work with. Very responsive and incredibly helpful. The bar and wait staff were so friendly and polite. They were a big help at the end of the night as we were packing things up. You will not be disappointed if you decide on this venue for your wedding or any large party firvtgat matterThe Toledo Zoo's reply:
Maggie,
Thank you so much for choosing us to host your reception - it was an honor and you looked stunning in your dress! We wish you and DJ nothing but the best! -
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Bobbie-Jo Sent on 12/13/2018
friendly, helpful, ontime
Staff was helpful, the setup was great as well as clean up. I felt it could have been a little longer. As in, start at 5:45pm and end at 11pm. The Venue is gorgeous and its the one day that its all about the Bride and Groom.The Toledo Zoo's reply:
Thank you so much for your review Bobbie-Jo! We absolutely loved setting up your beautiful decorations and it was an honor to host you and Logan's big day. We wish we could party all night long with you guys :) Hope you have been well and congratulations again! -
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![Kristi]()
Kristi Sent on 10/20/2018The Toledo Zoo took care of everything!
My husband and I love the Toledo Zoo and so it was the perfect place for us to get married at. We live in Texas now, so we needed a place that would take care of everything! The only thing my husband and I had to get outside of the zoo was our DJ, photographer, and officiant. We got married in front of the elephant exhibit and had the reception in the aquarium. All the guests loved the elephant that came out behind us during the ceremony and loved all the aquariums as a backdrop. Also, Lexie, one of the zoos wedding planners, was amazing!! She always responded to my emails in a timely manner and was patient with my busy teaching schedule, and a time zone difference, when I had to respond back. If you get the chance to get married at the Toledo Zoo, do it! I am so lucky to have been a stress-free bride and my husband and I both got to enjoy our wedding day.The Toledo Zoo's reply:
Kristi thank you SO much for your kind words! It was an honor to host you and Ryan and all your guests. We had so much fun planning with you and watching your big day come to life! Congratulations once again to you both, we wish you well! -
Samantha Sent on 10/03/2018
Amazing and Unique Wedding Venue!
The Toledo Zoo and staff are amazing. The Malawi Pavilion where I had my reception was so beautiful and the perfect place for a wedding. The staff was so receptive, I probably sent over a hundred emails with questions about the big day, and they were wonderful at keeping me calm and helping us to have the best wedding. I loved working with them.The Toledo Zoo's reply:
Samantha these photos are stunning! You are Robert were such a joy and there was so much love on your big day! We loved planning with you and would do it every day of the week if we could :) Congratulations once again, come see us soon! -
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![Stephanie]()
Stephanie Sent on 09/15/2016The zoo was absolutely amazing! We had our ceremony and reception in the aquarium and everything was perfect! The staff was amazing, the coordinator Jen and her intern Lexie were amazing. The food was amazing. Our big day was truly a fairytale! Highly recommend. Completely worth every penny. They made the day go smoothly and having them set up and tear down was so nice! I loved everything about the zoo! Amazing venue. -
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Lisa Sent on 07/08/2009The Toledo Zoo wedding was the most beautiful wedding I've ever seen! My ceremony was in the Formal Gardens, we were in a secluded area surrounded by trees, bushes, flowers, grass! Everything was in bloom providing the most gorgeous and lush ceremony site ever! We had our reception in The Lodge, and oh my gosh it was perfect. The zoo staff were so helpful and did all the work for me. They helped me with every detail and made the event wonderful. Their chefs made the MOST AMAZING food. Included in the buffet style was 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, 2 veggies and 2 starches. They let me change to 3 veggies and 1 starch with no problems. Colleen Dandar was my contact at the zoo, and she was too amazing! She was quick to answer any and all questions, and her motto was: You're the bride! During the event, Jamie Anaya kept everything on track, before the wedding, she called all my vendors to coordinate arrival times and make sure they knew how to get into the back gate with their gear. She took all the worry off my shoulders and got everything done! Both Colleen and Jamie clearly love their jobs, and are very good at them. The best thing I did was have my wedding at the zoo. All my guests said this was the most beautiful, and most fun wedding they've ever been too, including their own weddings. -
Lauren Sent on 09/08/2024
Amazing To Work With!
Having our wedding at the Toledo Zoo was the best decision we made for our special day. My husband and I chose to have a wedding at the Toledo Zoo because it was special to us as we went there on our first date. We decided to have our ceremony in the formal gardens and the reception in the Aquarium. Both these locations were beautiful in which to have a wedding. We worked with Gina Lambert over numerous months to create what we wanted for our vision. The zoo staff had everything under control and was prepared down to the smallest detail when planning/executing our wedding. The zoo staff showed remarkable professionalism in all our interactions and worked with us to create every aspect that went into our special day. We went to their hosted wedding tasting six months before our wedding day to allow us to try all the food options, meet recommended vendors, and talk with the staff. This made choosing aspects of our wedding so easy when planning and during our final details meeting. Another great part of having a zoo wedding is you can add many different things to your wedding package like late night snacks, animal demos, etc. We added the aquarium touch tank and a penguin animal demonstration that our guests absolutely loved and talked about all evening. The week of our wedding, the zoo communicated with our vendors all the details to make sure they knew when and where to go in the zoo, eliminating some of our stress. The ceremony rehearsal went smoothly with a staff member greeting us at the door, helping us bring in our decorations, and walking us through the details of the ceremony. On the day of the wedding, our day-of coordinators, Kasey and Samantha, were phenomenal at helping with set-up, tear-down, and asking us what we needed throughout the entire night. They made our day run so smoothly with so many moving pieces involved allowing us to enjoy our wedding worry-free. I couldn't imagine having gotten married anywhere else. I would highly recommend the Toledo Zoo for your future wedding or other events as they are a phenomenal vendor to work with. Thank you to Gina, Kasey, Samantha, and all the zoo staff who made our day so perfect! -
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![Emily]()
Emily Sent on 07/11/202310/10 Would Recommend!
The Toledo Zoo gave us an incredible and beautiful wedding experience! All the staff we interacted with were helpful and accommodating with every question and request we had. Our officiant even mentioned that the day-of coordinator was way more helpful than most other venue coordinators she's had to work with. Our ceremony was in the formal garden, which was a beautiful area that you don't need to worry about bringing extra decor. The reception was in the aquarium, which everyone absolutely loved. Everyone commented that is was such a beautiful and unique venue. The food was delicious too; we got so many compliments on every aspect of our Toledo Zoo wedding!The Toledo Zoo's reply:
Good afternoon Emily,
I am so happy to hear you had an amazing special day at the zoo! We are so glad to have been a part of it and being able to assist on the day! -
![Amanda]()
Amanda Sent on 05/01/2023Beautiful Aquarium Wedding and Great Hall Reception
The Toledo Zoo staff did a fantastic job of making our wedding day the best it could be. We originally planned to have our ceremony in the rose garden but it was raining on the day of the rehearsal dinner so we practiced in the aquarium instead. The Zoo graciously let us have our ceremony in the aquarium on the day of even though the weather cleared up because we requested it since that was where we had rehearsed. Our reception was in the Great Hall. They were a huge help with planning and coordinating everything and making sure everything went off without a hitch. The food was decent. The serving staff and bar service were great. We also had a couple of zoo staff members with animals for our guests to interact with, which was a fun and unique experience for them. Our guests had a wonderful time and we are so happy with how well our day went! -
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![Mandi]()
Mandi Sent on 09/25/2019It was a wonderful review
The Toledo zoo was the most wonderful venue for our big day. It truly was the best day and everything was perfect. We’d choose this venue over and over again. It is highly recommended to and future brides and grooms.The Toledo Zoo's reply:
Thank you, Mandi. We loved worked with you and Tyler and could not of imagined a more perfect match. We wish you and your babies all the love in the world! -
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![Krystal]()
Krystal Sent on 02/14/2017It is a GREAT value. Working with the team has been great! It's my dream wedding and they are treating my fiance and I as such!! -
![Alison]()
Alison Sent on 10/31/2019Most gorgeous wedding ever
I had my ceremony at the aquarium and my reception at the Malawi event center. I was very pleased with the quality of the food, provided decor, and the rooms for getting ready. Lexie was very accommodating and flexible with dietary restrictions and customizing our special day. The carousel being available for use was an amazing and unique added touch. The guests were talking about it all night. Lexie made sure we could still see and feed the animals despite the weather, and really went above and beyond. If there were any issues, everyone had the good sense to not tell me :)The Toledo Zoo's reply:
Alison thank you SO much for this kind review! We had such a blast celebrating with you and Bryon and all your guests. We loved all your unique and personal touches as well as your beautiful dress! Please come visit us again soon -
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![Jessie]()
Jessie Sent on 08/04/2021Unique Venue with Fun Features
This is a really fun venue, and we would highly recommend it. Additionally, our guests all seemed to have a great time. The giraffes, in particular, were a huge hit and the fish in the Malawi Center are mesmerizing. The zoo went through three different wedding coordinators from when we booked the venue until our wedding, just over a year later. Consequently, communication was sometimes a challenge, and sometimes we would hear conflicting information. We did find all the coordinators to be kind and respectful, but it seems like the Toledo Zoo would benefit from making sure that these individuals receive more extensive training/support when they transition into this role. There are a few areas we think the Zoo could improve to help make the experience even smoother, effective, and stress-free-
1- Have getting ready areas on both sides of the zoo, as there are wedding venues on both sides of the zoo. For instance, our wedding was at the Malawi Event Center, and we were told the only place to get ready was in the Aquarium for the girls and the Great Hall for the boys, which are both on the complete other side of the zoo. Our photographer mentioned that he had seen other brides get ready in a location closer to the Malawi center, but we were never told this was an option. Additionally, in the getting ready area, it would be helpful to have a higher hanging closet since the wedding dress and all the bridesmaid dresses were long.
2- We found the parking situation to cause extra unneeded stress. We were told that everyone besides the 1-2 vehicles transporting decorations had to park in the main zoo parking lot. The getting ready location is on the other side of the zoo and has a parking lot (Broadway) in very close proximity. We were told that we were not allowed to leave cars there. We were allowed to park there to bring in materials, but then would have to move the cars. When getting ready for a wedding, it is ideal not to have to be walking all over the zoo and getting hot and sweaty (especially in the summer). We also had grandmothers with us, so we didn’t want to have them to walk too far as well. Since we didn’t have access to the golf carts yet, we had to create plans for family to transport the bridal party from the main lot to Broadway entrance. This is definitely a logistical challenge that the zoo needs to address.
3- Allow the participants to use the golf carts earlier than 5:15 pm (for a 6 pm start time). You do receive one free golf which holds five guests and the driver, but each additional one costs $250. We bought two golf carts to accommodate the size of our wedding party, since we were getting ready on the other side of the zoo. We asked to start using the golf carts at 5 pm so that we could use them for pictures and were told no. When you pay so much money for a helpful feature, it would be nice if they were truly accessible, since it is pretty common to take pictures ahead of the event. Additionally, after our ceremony, when we were trying to take pictures quickly, we had to wait for a little while until the golf carts to be radioed and sent over. Instead of wasting time waiting for them when you’re generally on a limited time schedule, have the golf carts right there waiting.
Overall, this venue is a really neat place for a wedding, but they could work through some of their current policies and practices to make it better.
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![Trisha]()
Trisha Sent on 11/01/2022Absolutely beautiful
The venue it’s self was amazing. The serving staff, not so amazing. When breaking down tables put food filled chargers back in boxes. Bartender was rude to not only our guests but myself included. Disappointed in staff but utterly amazed with the venue it’s self! Couldn’t ask for a better setting. -
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![Mikayla]()
Mikayla Sent on 05/14/2026Ask if you can meet your day of coordinator beforehand.
I’ll preference this by saying I don’t really leave reviews and can be passive when it comes to issues with paid for services. The Zoo is a wonderful place, very beautiful, leading up to the wedding was great. I felt validated, listened to, and understood. Day of rehearsal and wedding was unfortunately not as I would have wished. Yes the place was still beautiful. The servers, decorators, golf cart workers, and security were great. My only issue was with the coordinator who seemed to lack preparedness, to the point that the other venders I hired were also concerned. I reached out about this and the response was dismissive and full of excuses which I expected. They made it seem like I mistook her for a wedding planner. I did not and it’s an insult to insinuate that I do not know the difference. I never asked for money back or any kind of materialistic ways of settling my frustrations. That’s just not of my interest because that takes away from people who worked hard that night, the animals, and care of the beautiful buildings. I just wanted them to acknowledge things without the undertone that we as the paying customer were the issue and that their worker was “doing her best”. I won’t name the worker but I hope better training will happen before her next event. I’ve known 2 couples to get married at the zoo within the last 2-3 years and they too have had concerns of miscommunication on the day of the wedding. Just be mindful of this and to make good notes. Do not be persuaded intentionally or unintentionally to go against your better judgement. Again, everything other than her was amazing, would have been 10s across the board otherwise.
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