Detroit Zoo Weddings

so helpful, and extremely knowledgeable about the options we had for the space. I would 100% recommend getting married here!!

yable process into an anxiety-laden source of stress and uncertainty. At this point, we are just praying that the day is not a complete disaster and waste of money. We are in the process of planning our wedding reception at the Detroit Zoo's Wildlife Interpretive Gallery. Had I known everything I know now about how they operate, I would have found a different venue DESPITE having my heart set on the Zoo. About a month ago, we took a list of concerns to the event manager, which is when they told us our coordinator had been let go. I will post another review after our event happens, but here is the summary of how the planning has gone: - The coordination has been so bad that they fired Ruth, the original coordinator we worked with. About 75% of what she told/emailed us would end up being retracted/different a few days later, everything from pricing to what we can/can't bring in. - Banquet pricing is beyond ridiculous (the cost will be around $20K for ~110 people) and their response to any 'special' request--which would be considered reasonable at any banquet hall--is always no even though the rules or restrictions they cite are nowhere in writing. Basically, you can't bring anything in, you have to buy it from them, and they will charge you a fortune. Example: $18 for a sandwich plate for vendor meals. - All your set up has to happen in the one hour between Zoo closing and the start of the reception, and everything has to be torn down and removed at the end of the night---which means finding vendors who can accommodate is near impossible (or they'll charge you an arm and a leg). - There's a real lack of appreciation for your business. Despite the fact that we're spending a sum of money equivalent to the cost of a car, there's no interest in making us happy. Delays in responses are often blamed on "big events" going on at the Zoo--indicating that ours is clearly unimportant. I hope this helps if you are considering the Detroit Zoo for your wedding reception. My optimistic side believes our wedding day will be 'fine,' but when you pay a small fortune for an event that you only get one shot at, it should be much better than 'fine,' and there shouldn't be so much doubt associated with it.

m for pictures! Our ceremony was in the Butterfly House which means we had to wait until the Zoo closed and have an evening reception but we were fine with that. By taking pictures in the zoo before the wedding, we were all able to relax and have fun before the ceremony. The pricing for the ceremony was very reasonable but we went elsewhere for the reception--the catering was a little high here. By having your wedding at the Zoo you can easily make it unique--and the money goes to a great cause!

a cocktail/appetizer party and it went over very well.