Elmwood Park Zoo

an’t tell you how many people we went through in one years time. I believe they short changed us on everything from the appetizers ( additional charge ) from the champagne. We literally got NONE of the 6 appetizers; they ran out of champagne for a custom mimosa bar 30 minutes into cocktail hour. The coordinator was showing a potential couple our venue during our reception! When my husband called her out on it, she shoo’ed him away and said “I’ll be with you in a minute sir” After you’ve gotten all my money, now you don’t remember my husband’s name? The air conditioner didn’t work; we were told it hadn’t worked the night before either. I’d never wish this on my worst enemy.

professional, and extremely helpful and easy to work with and the transitions between people being fantastic so it was not a concern - they operate as a team. For all the $ that is invested in creating a wedding, we were happy that it was going to/towards a place that we loved as a family and could benefit the animals and that we could visit again in the future. We went in with the expectation that this is a ZOO first which happens to also host weddings, but honestly - they did such an amazing job of pulling together and executing what we wanted for the day we were not lacking for anything in the want/wish department. We had the zoo to ourselves after 5pm and their “team” of staff worked to ensure everything came together beautifully. Joy (our planner) was kind, helpful, organized and really handled the stress of the day! Seth and his team were always keeping things moving forward - anticipating things we didn’t even consider. The bartenders Mickey & Lisa handled our guests perfectly and the food was great so compliments to the chefs. The adults and kids all had a blast and you couldn’t ask for better photo ops. The staff and the venue really helped make this day memorable for us and we could not have been happier. Highly recommend.

e uniqueness of the zoo. But don't be fooled by their promise of an "easy" planning experience and make sure to get everything they tell you in writing before the staff changes again. However, working with the zoo was anything but easy. I felt pressured from before we even signed the contract -- and looking back, a lot of the things said to me did not hold out to be true. We were initially told that as long as no one booked other venues in the zoo we could use any other venue in the event of rain -- this wound up not being true. We did not have an 'in person' meeting until about 2 months prior to our event. The only opportunity to try food is at their group 'tastings' (which were really helpful when we decided to choose the zoo); But don't expect zoo staff to really interact with you at those tastings in a meaningful way. It was here that we found out how to order our cake from the bakery, not from any interaction from zoo staff. After signing the contract, we were immediately passed from the person we worked with in the contact signing phase to another "coordinator" who failed to let us know about scheduling changes (or give the new coordinator any information) before she left the organization. I honestly have no idea if that poor service we experienced after the staff change was because of the event staff or due to the zoo not giving the event staff the right information or support. We went to the zoo with my niece and nephew months before the wedding to find a positive change with the reception hall. When we met with the events team they told us they didn't know it was going to happen either! At my rehearsal we were walked to the ceremony site to find that it was under construction. Our coordinator claimed to not have known about this ahead of time. Again, we have no idea if these were lies or if the staff was truly in the dark. The day of our coordinator complained about how tired and hungry she was (because they had booked 2 events earlier in the day) while walking me to my first look. Normally I would be sympathetic, but this was my one and only wedding day. A day where it had torrentially down poured 20 minutes before arriving and I was having to make some mental adjustments about my expectations for the day. It all wound up being fine, but not quite what I pictured in the months of planning leading up to my day.

e the movie and the love story of Carl & Ellie. The zoo was the perfect location to bring Up and Paradise Falls to life. As a wedding professional, it is not easy putting yourself in the hands of another team, but Elmwood's team made it so easy. They were so responsive and committed to making our day a huge success. Eric, Eddie, Arielle, Brian and Natalie are dedicated and enthusiastic professionals. They will be there for you every step of the way. If you book at Elmwood, I highly recommend taking advantage of the unique offerings only the zoo can provide. It is worth every penny and more! For our first look, we did a giraffe feeding, which was fun and I am certain will make for some of the best photos EVER. We had our ceremony at the Eagles Deck, which in August, is so beautiful, green and scenic it requires minimal decor. During cocktail hour, we rented the carousel, which our guests really enjoyed. Since we had several children, including our own, in attendance, we added the animal 'meet and greet', along with a tour of zoo during cocktail hour for kids. The kids and adults LOVED meeting and learning about the owl. If you are worried about weather don't be. We were blessed with a beautiful day, but prepared for rain (with how rainy it has been this summer.) The Elmwood team has a vendor partner that can provide tenting within 24-48 hours if you make the call for rain. The roof of the tent is clear, so you won't lose any of the beauty of the outdoor ceremony. For my favors, we had umbrellas printed with our wedding logo, which had it rained, would have been given away at the beginning, not the end, of the wedding, so guests can enjoy the park. The main reception area and several other locations with the zoo are covered & air conditioned. My wedding was a week ago and to date, I am still receiving texts, calls and social media posts commenting about how much fun and how beautiful and unique our wedding day was. Thank you Elmwood Park Zoo!

the coldest of the century, and it was! Our guests would never know it. EPZ came prepared: extra heat, extra tent coverage, and every detail we dreamed up, was taken care of. Even two weeks later, our guests are still remarking on the delicious appetizers and food, the decor and beauty of the venue, and the team’s incredible service. On our “big day” there wasn’t a thing missing or finger for us to lift. Thank you Gary and Nicole for taking our vision to your team and thank you EPZ Team for a perfect moment for us and our guests!

wo managers who also had to intervene. -Our initial coordinator agreed upon a wedding date and then didn't inform us that that date was already booked. She changed the date without telling us to the following Saturday. She no longer works there. -Four weeks before our wedding, we found out via email from our second coordinator a policy change forced everything to be bumped up a half hour. We spent several days calling and emailing her to discuss. Apparently, she left the organization the next day, and it took us a week to be notified of her departure. -Three weeks before our wedding, staff confirmed the policy change, and we had to notify all of our guests and vendors to come earlier. -The file with our seating/decoration plans and timetable agreed upon with our second coordinator five months earlier were lost, so we had to redo everything. The good: -Gary, our third coordinator, worked the wedding, and he was ON POINT. He was always a step ahead, worked well with any changes and kept the evening on schedule. I didn't have to think about anything. -We were compensated fairly for every mishap, and they worked quickly to make sure our day was perfect -The day was organized, beautiful and any minor hiccup was immediately resolved. -The event staff was top notch!! All super kind and friendly. -The food from the on sight restaurant was AWESOME -Though the weather was beautiful, there was a plan for any possible bad weather which was comforting -My guests LOVED feeding giraffes, riding the carousel, and eating dinner with the jaguar cubs. It was truly unforgettable

wo managers who also had to intervene. -Our initial coordinator agreed upon a wedding date and then didn't inform us that that date was already booked. She changed the date without telling us to the following Saturday. She no longer works there. -Four weeks before our wedding, we found out via email from our second coordinator a policy change forced everything to be bumped up a half hour. We spent several days calling and emailing her to discuss. Apparently, she left the organization the next day, and it took us a week to be notified of her departure. -Three weeks before our wedding, staff confirmed the policy change, and we had to notify all of our guests and vendors to come earlier. -The file with our seating/decoration plans and timetable agreed upon with our second coordinator five months earlier were lost, so we had to redo everything. The good: -Gary, our third coordinator, worked the wedding, and he was ON POINT. He was always a step ahead, worked well with any changes and kept the evening on schedule. I didn't have to think about anything. -We were compensated fairly for every mishap, and they worked quickly to make sure our day was perfect -The day was organized, beautiful and any minor hiccup was immediately resolved. -The event staff was top notch!! All super kind and friendly. -The food from the on sight restaurant was AWESOME -Though the weather was beautiful, there was a plan for any possible bad weather which was comforting -My guests LOVED feeding giraffes, riding the carousel, and eating dinner with the jaguar cubs. It was truly unforgettable

s, there were some scary points, but we would not have traded the experience for the world. Our day ended up being exactly what we envisioned. Our guests had an absolute blast in the most unique, fun venue. We owe the success of the day to the wonderful staff who worked incredibly hard to make our day perfect. Thank you so much to Gary and the team for knocking it out of the park for us.

petent and polite but did not answer my questions in a timely manner (I was not a picky or demanding bride, just had a few details and logistical concerns, especially after they made last minute changes on me). The cocktail hour was not in the location we had specified (which was fine but a detail that I wanted to point out). Sandy was not there the day of as I had expected, although the staff was extremely friendly and helpful. And certain things I had talked to Sandy about were not communicated to them. A friend that I had asked to help me set up that day actually took over the duties as captain that evening to troubleshoot any problems. I was disappointed in this aspect of customer service. However, I must give credit where it is due and the venue itself is wonderful and the food was fantastic. Overall satisfied.

. They also tailored a package for us specifically so we could afford our dream location! they even accommodated us and allowed us in the zoo hours earlier than expected due to the lovely rain that never let up.

e Eagles, cocktail hour featured a Giraffe feeding (my favorite animal), dinner in the new Jaguar exhibit -which is AMAZING, and the reception in the hall. Everything was beautiful and all of the helpers were great! We didn't have any problems at all. It will certainly be something we will never forget, and either will our guests!

The ceremony was flawless and everyone was confident on what to do. The food was awesome, people enjoyed the atmosphere of having the cocktail hour with the giraffes despite it being chilly. The reception hall was perfect in the nighttime with the wooden finishes and twinkle lights. One of the best compliments we received was someone who said, " I hate weddings, but this was great!"

ey also suggested a string quartet Avalare Strings for the ceremony and reception. They were also amazing the guests are still talking about the rock selections they played including Zeppelin and Metallica. The food was delicious. We had a brunch wedding and had everything from an omelet station and waffles, to carved beef and pasta. I cannot say enough positive things about Elmwood and would recommend this venue to anyone.

ything was done and in place. Our guests felt very welcomed and engaged in the experience. It was an awesome day from beginning to end. Our experience in working with the planner and staff was so easy and satisfying. They were very sensitive and welcoming to the LGBTQ and same sex marriage. Made us feel special because of who we where and not because of our lifestyle. It was a blessed day from beginning to end. We have both recommended this venue to many other friends and people we know. Thank you Zoo staff!!

e would offer. This was definitely it! Everyone got to feed the giraffes during cocktail hour! So much fun! And the food was delicious!!!