Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

ur contacts for both the zoo and Aramark (the catering company through the zoo) changed at least two or three times, and sometimes things would fall through. For example, we had a big deposit to be put down that we had no idea about due to miscommunication. That was the biggest problem that comes to mind. But at the end of the day, we had a fantastic time!

rofessional, and willing to help in any way she could. Our day would not have gone as smoothly without her. Our guests made so many comments about how nice the venue was and how delicious the food was. Aramark did a great job with the food, and they were willing to accommodate any dietary restrictions. Overall, I was very happy with our wedding, and I would highly recommend Stillwater Place to future couples!

wonderful to have a back-up indoor location for the wedding in case of bad weather. I worked with Cindy Roebuck and she was great! She ensured the set-up of the name cards, table cards, and our table names and photos went smoothly. She and her team also coordinated the ceremony entrances so that we knew when to leave Stillwater Place to head over to Wade Deck. We paid extra for the guaranteed animal experience during the cocktail hour, with someone from the Education Department because we figured we might as well get the most of the zoo location. Our guests LOVED this part. We had a fennic fox and a barn owl that folks got to take pictures with and hear interesting facts about. We limited our costs at this venue by not having a beef menu option, having donuts rather than cake (to eliminate the cake-cutting fee), cutting out the dessert that comes with the meal (saves $2 per meal), and having a consumption bar. The consumption bar was CLUTCH. If you have a crowd of moderate drinkers, this is the way to go, as opposed to an open bar. Guests don't know the difference, but you save huge amounts if your guests aren't averaging >5 drinks each. Overall, I had the best wedding I could have possibly imagined for myself. I never thought I could afford to get married in such a beautiful place, and the staff helped make up for our DIY/cheap approach to the rest of the wedding (friend officiating, no centerpieces, no decorations, self-made table/name cards and table names with national park photos). I made checklists and thought we'd be running around with our wedding party getting stuff set-up in the hour between our photos and the wedding ceremony, but when we walked into the venue, the team was already hard at work and I just walked around and made sure everything was going well. Such a relief and load off that it was all taken care of. Another bonus - guests can go to the zoo for free on the day!

thing up, cleaning everything up, and being super organized! They are relatively new, so they usually check out and try to make any idea you throw at them work. I cannot say enough good things about this venue!

ken care of. Aulbrie, my wedding coordinator through the zoo, was a lifesaver. They are extremely professional and efficient. I would recommend over and over to check it out!!

were looking for the venue, and we met with Aulbrie, we absolutely fell in love with the ceremony location, and the reception location. They have so many options at the zoo too depending on budget. Aulbrie and Leah were the best coordinators I could have asked for! They were so helpful, and eased my stress with trying to plan out the wedding and keep everything on track. Aramark is the catering, and the food was AMAZING!! Kristin was great to work with, and was always quick to respond to any of my questions I had throughout the planning process. Depending on the amount of people and location you choose within the zoo, I can see it might get a little expensive, but it is worth every penny! The food choices were fantastic, and very reasonably priced in comparison to other locations available. And you won't get a more unique wedding than here!

ressure off of me as the bride. The food was to die for, people raved about it all night. We had a nice fire in a huge stone fireplace on the patio going all night. Most of our guests said it was the best wedding they've ever been to. I highly recommend the zoo and especially the Stillwater Place for anyone looking for a unique wedding venue. I am extremely grateful

cellent experience!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ahold of anyone on staff at this venue. My weekdays were filled with my parents, fiance, and myself using lunch breaks to try to get ahold of this venue. They are very unorganized and due to a "computer error" they gave my wedding date away. Like I said, Stillwater Place is the most beautiful venue I have ever seen but if trust and professionalism is important to you, Stillwater Place is not the venue for you.

rt of the deposit she quickly answered NO and that I miss read the contract, then ignored my emails. Tells me she has proof in her email box that all that information was sent. I also have proof of everything I received. The communication is horrific and if you miss understand something then it may cost you a lot of money! We lost $700 that "just goes in their budget as unused funds." While im sure my attitude was not great, I have worked in customer service for a long time. Telling a customer that they are wrong then proceeding to mumble under your breath while FINALLY getting you the information makes for a great service. My wedding should be a happy time. If you are a bride on a tight budget less than 30000, DO NOT PICK HERE! If you feel that you want someone responsible DO NOT PICK HERE!!! Paying for a wedding is a scary thing, I was just looking to view the property before putting down a deposit with my fiancé. Now every time I go to the zoo or see signs for all I see feel is distaste and regret for putting down any money at all. We are not even requesting our money back, we would just like it to go in as a donation for the animals. But apparently that is not allowed.

allowed a cookie table with homemade cookies. Other vendors required us buy their cookies! Linens and dinnerware were included. Mildly frustrating: We were under the impression that we were allowed in the RainForest at 5:30 for pictures/set-up. When we got there, we were kicked out until 6:30 so they could clean and set-up. We planned for pictures inside and to have time for a break b/f the cocktail hour started. They said it was in our contract that we couldn't come in until 6:30, but that was not accurate. The contract says "The Guest Group is permitted to begin to set up for their event alongside the Zoo's staff once the Zoo and the RainForest close to the public....Between Labor Day and Memorial Day, and Monday through Friday set up can begin at 5pm." Our planner was able to get things resolved, but it delayed and prevented us from the much needed rest before guests arrived. This was 1 out of 3 frustrating moments of the day for us, and it was the 1st real issue we had with the zoo. Luckily it was a nice sunny day in Cleveland, OH for once, so we didn't get rained on while waiting outside. (partly us, partly zoo) mild Frustration 2/3: There is no sound system in the Storm Room which is where dinner is held. Dancing and DJ are set up out in the cafe area. The DJ brought an extra sound system to set up where dinner was held and he set it up right by the door. The Zoo should recommend in the future that he move it more towards the center of the room. Since the room is a half circle, people on the other side of the storm exhibit could not hear any of the toasts! It is a huge regret of mine. Another solution: Do toasts/first dances during cocktail hour before everyone goes in for dinner. Caterer – Aramark is the exclusive caterer for the Zoo. They were among the most reasonably priced provider when compared to other venues and offered a wide array of choices when it came to the Menu. They also offer a tasting experience before finalizing the menu. Quality of the food was good and they offered flexibility in the menu and bar service. Our main contact for the event switched 3 different times during our planning. This caused a few lapses in communication and planning but the issues were quickly addressed when we brought them to attention. Complaint 3/3: We wanted dessert to be served out by the dance floor after dinner. This is where we were going to cut the cake as well. However, the caterer wanted cake to be served where dinner was because they had already put out a dessert fork. I felt pressured to cut our cake in the storm room instead of the cafe area where everyone was. I cut my cake on a dirty dinner table rather than the cake table on which it was set up. I wish I would've been more upfront about my feelings. The RainForest is a unique location for a reception, and requires special considerations for all aspects of the meal. We wouldn't change our venue! We loved it very much and all of our guests were so impressed with how fun it was! Any complaints made here are so people can adjust communication so things can go even more smoothly next time. All in all, everything was great and everyone was really easy to work with!

e met. We dealt with Mary for the food, and she was awesome. She took care of everything behind the scenes and made it look easy. Mary and the awesome chefs were willing to work with us and our special request to create a totally vegetarian menu - and they did a great job. We worked with Ann from the Zoo for all the details on the location. She bent over backwards to meet with us several times and answer all of our overly detailed questions. Ann and the Zoo staff did all the behind the scenes work to coordinate with the other vendors and to get the location set up. Again they made it look easy and took all the weight off of our shoulders as far as work and worry. The location itself turned out to be really interesting. We were not looking for a normal (read boring) reception venue. My wife and I met at the local dog park and are animal lovers, so this location seemed like a good bet. And now that we have had our wedding, we are sure that we picked the right location. It was interesting, unique, beautiful, fun, and hip. The layout of the building was the only drawback. The parking was not right next to the building (although not far), and the room was sort of broken up into two levels. But the Zoo staff helped us to figure out how to make it work well. Overall, we were really happy with the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Our guests still talk about what a great time they had at our wedding and at our awesome reception location!

ing and unique

ot so many genuine compliments on what a fun place it was for a reception.

as at the Wolf Lodge.