Peoria Zoo

an elevated boardwalk that encloses the village area, with the option to keep the animals in the Africa exhibit out for your cocktail hour (which we did, and it was awesome!). The area right outside of the lodge could be used for an outdoor reception as well, but we went with inside due to potential weather problems. The whole event was a major success! The Zoo does not have a contract with a caterer, which helped cut down on cost, as we were able to choose our own (we recommend Childers-DELICIOUS and very reasonably priced). Our set up crew worked with Seth and his team to get the whole place ready to go in about a little over an hour's time-the Zoo crew went above and beyond by helping light candles while the rest of our people were attending the actual wedding ceremony. The space can be as informal or as fancy as you want to make it- we only really decorated the tables and added a string of lights on the fence in the village area, and it was lovely; I had been worried about the lighting but the indoor lights dim and with the candles, the whole mood was romantic, whimsical, and FUN- we had so many people tell us it was the best wedding they had attended! Having the Africa animals available during the cocktail hour was a nice way to ease into the night, plus my husband and I got to take pictures of ourselves feeding the giraffes, which was one of the true highlights! We also had a live band, Dexter O'Neal and the Funkyard, and they really rocked the lodge up until 11:00pm, when it was time to start cleaning up. The whole crowd was up and moving from the moment they started to play, so if you have the option, go with a live band and consider Dexter! My only concern about the event prior to the day was worrying about the set up time- to use this space, you cannot get in to decorate until 3-3:30p the day of your event, as the zoo is open to the public until then. However, we set up a table and showed our team what we wanted it to look like ahead of time, and then the crew leader assigned tasks to each person and it was done in no time. The best part was coming over from the ceremony and just seeing it all put together- I was overwhelmed with love and appreciation for our friends and family for their help in getting it set up! Seth and his team were friendly and accommodating, answering questions from me for months ahead of time. They allowed us to see the space several times ahead of time and made the whole process run smoothly. Seth went out of his way to get a particular wine for me that was not available through the distributor (it was for my mom) and I truly enjoyed working with him! Positives- Unique space, beautiful outdoor area, fun option to include the animals for the cocktail hour, great staff, use your own caterer (saves $$), and if you use Luthy Botanical Garden, your guests literally walk over through the gate to the reception space. Plus, you are helping support the local park district, always a major bonus :) Things to consider- short set up time and alcohol is provided by the zoo due to it being park district property, so that was a little pricey, but the cost is potentially off set by getting to choose your own caterer. If you want something truly memorable & fun for you and your guests, you should go with the Peoria Zoo!