Riverbanks Zoo & Garden

Bring out your inner party animal!

Columbia, SC

$4,000 starting price

See details

251 to 300 guests

Holds ceremonies and receptions

Kayleen Edmonds

CATERING SALES MANAGER

Typically responds within 24h

Riverbanks Zoo & Garden is a unique zoo wedding venue located in Columbia, SC. Boasting over 2,000 animals and breathtaking gardens, this is sure to deliver a showstopping location for your special day. You might even make friends with some local wildlife, elevating your wedding portraits to a truly one-of-a-kind level. You can choose to have all or just some of your wedding day at the Riverbanks Zoo & Garden. The ceremony can take place after the zoo closes, prefacing a joyful reception on its grounds, perhaps including portraits of you and your wedding party. With five different reception venues on-site, Ndoki Lodge, Magnolia Room, Sea Lion Landing, The Birdhouse, and The Aquarium Reptile Conservation Center (ARCC), we offer different natural backdrops as well as mouth-watering menu options that will be sure to wow your guests. Exhibits, such as Sea Lion Landing, The ARCC, and The Birdhouse are ideal for intimate gatherings or cocktail hours, while Ndoki Lodge and the Magnolia Room can host larger guest counts. SSA Group, LLC is the zoo's on-site catering team. Executive chef, Andrew Humphreys, and Executive Sioux Chef, Edward Brygier, are passionate about personalizing your wedding menu to deliver incredible dishes that are also sustainable. You and your partner can select from a variety of meal styles, including hors d'oeuvres and stations, a buffet dinner, or a plated dinner. Bar services can ensure every guest is ready to raise a toast of beer, wine, or cocktails. You can opt for the bar to be consumption, full, or cash, as fits your vision and budget for the day. Guests can also enjoy beer on tap with the Watering Hole Bar upgrade on Ndoki Patio. Moreover, the team can provide your sound system, uplighting, table and chair setup, and cleanup for the event. If you want a gorgeous natural adventure on your wedding day, consider reaching out to the fabulous team at the Riverbanks Zoo & Garden.

+51 years in business

Pricing details

Couples usually spend $9,000

Looking for more pricing details?

Reach out to get a customized quote from this venue.

Amenities + details

Amenities

Ceremony Area

Dressing Room

Handicap Accessible

Indoor Event Space

Liability Insurance

Outdoor Event Space

Reception Area

Wireless Internet

Ceremony Types

Civil Union

Commitment Ceremony

Elopement

Interfaith Ceremony

Non-Religious Ceremony

Religious Ceremony

Second Wedding

Vow Renewal Ceremony

Guest Capacity

Up to 300

Settings

Garden

Park

Venue Service Offerings

Bar & Drinks

Food & Catering

Rentals & Equipment

Service Staff

Any questions?

Meet the team

Kayleen Edmonds

Catering Sales Manager

Hey there! I'm Kayleen, Social Events & Catering Sales Manager here at Riverbanks Zoo & Garden. Since joining Riverbanks Zoo & Garden, I have planned and detailed hundreds of weddings and have enjoyed every second of making couple's big days a reality! I would be your point of contact for your facility, catering, bar, and rental needs for your wedding at Riverbanks Zoo & Garden. I hope to hear from you soon and can't wait to see your special day come to life!

Availability

5.0

out of 5.0

16 reviews

Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.

Review Summary

This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.

Riverbanks Zoo and Garden was a dream come true for multiple couples' weddings, with Kayleen receiving high praise for her exceptional coordination and service. The venue's stunning beauty and unique setting allowed for perfect photographs and memorable experiences for guests. Despite some minor issues with groomsmen's prep areas and potential coordinator changes, the professionalism, friendliness, and responsiveness of the staff were consistently highlighted. Overall, guests highly recommend this venue for its phenomenal chefs, bartenders, and all-around fantastic service.

Search reviews

Ethan M

Highlighted review

8/25/2024

Our wedding at Riverbanks Zoo earlier this year was a dream come true! Kayleen helped us plan all the details we needed to make this day a truly special one for us. The chefs, bartenders, and staff on-site on the wedding day were all phenomenal, friendly, and professional. We received compliments about the venue, food, and staff from all our guests, and we couldn't agree with them more. Highly recommend a wedding at Riverbanks Zoo!

response 08/26/2024

Ethan, it was an absolute pleasure getting to know you two over the last couple of years a...

nd working with you in making your big day come to life! We are so grateful that you chose Riverbanks for your venue, and that you had a wonderful day that was just as magical as you envisioned. Thank you for your kind words, and congratulations to you and Brianna again! We are wishing you a lifetime of love and happiness as you take on the world together.

Claire E

5/30/2024

Riverbanks Zoo and Garden was absolutely perfect! My friends and family had a wonderful time. The venue is absolutely beautiful and makes the photographs perfect. The coordinator I was emailing made sure everything was taken care of before the wedding day. She made the process super easy and responded quickly. The only thing I wish was a tad better was where the groom and groomsmen could get ready. The only option they had was in the reception area space and that bathroom. They ended up getting ready at home and just arrived to that space for air conditioning. Also, just know that the coordinator you are emailing may not be there on the actual day. We had some confusion from the employees since they weren’t the ones I was contacting for the last year and a half. It all worked out though and they are more than willing to help!

response 05/30/2024

Hello Claire! Thank you so much for hosting your big day with us! Thank you for this fee...

dback. We do have a space for the grooms to get ready in, now that our second holding space's renovations have been completed. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to talk to you or Bennet before I left for the evening, but it was a pleasure getting to see you and Bennet tie the knot! I LOVED the entrance the groomsmen did into the reception. Thank you again for choosing us for your special day; I enjoyed getting to work with you in bringing your big day to life! - Kayleen

Any questions?

Nicholas S

6/07/2023

Kayleen Edmonds and the team at Riverbanks were awesome. I had my wedding on June 3rd, 2023 at the Ndoki Lodge. It was amazing - service was awesome and the setup was painless. Fully recommend this venue!

response 06/08/2023

Nicholas, it was an absolute pleasure working with you and Madeline! Thank you so much fo...

r choosing our beautiful venue for the backdrop for your reception! I enjoyed watching your big day unfold. We are wishing you a lifetime of love and happiness as you take on the world of marriage together. Thank you for your kind words; I enjoyed working with you two!

Erika B

5/26/2023

My experience at the botanical gardens was so amazing! The gardens were so gorgeous. Kayleen was on point! Anything I needed she was right there for me. The food was excellent and the staff was very respectful. I highly recommend having your wedding at the Riverbanks Botanical Gardens! ❤️

response 05/26/2023

Congratulations to you and Brandon! I'm so grateful that you selected us in creating your...

dream day. It was a pleasure working with you and getting to watch your big day come to life! We are wishing you two a lifetime of love and happiness!

Jon G

1/25/2023

Kayleen Edmonds went above and beyond for my wife and I at every step of this process for our wedding. It was an absolutely seamless process, and we felt like we were a priority to Kayleen and her team. The day-of wedding was seamless, and Kayleen and her team were professional and gave us incredible service. In a world where weddings are incredibly overpriced, we felt we got an immense value at Riverbanks Zoo & Botanical Gardens. We would recommend this venue and Kayleen as the venue manager to anyone!!!

response 05/26/2023

Jon, congratulations to you and Christine! It was an absolute pleasure working with you t...

wo in making your dream day a reality! Thank you so much for sharing the photos; you both looked incredible. I'm so glad you chose to host your wedding with us in the Magnolia Room. It was truly a beautiful day!

Rae B

12/17/2021

Riverbanks Zoo and Garden had great communication with me throughout the wedding planning process and the day of! It was very easy to work with them on wedding details and it was an affordable option. The venue for the ceremony and the reception were both beautiful and unique and our guests loved everything, especially the food. I would absolutely recommend this venue and loved every part of our wedding at the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden.

response 12/22/2021

Hello Rae! We loved working with you to create a magical day for you two! We are so glad...

that you chose us and Ndoki Lodge to bring your perfect day to life. Thank you for the lovely feedback!

Carlie C

2/25/2020

We got married at the Botanical Gardens and it was more beautiful than we thought it could be! Amanda was so pleasant and professional to work with through the entire process. The catering staff gracefully put together our plated menu and worked with ease throughout the night. The prices were very reasonable with catering and the venue included- and I couldn't have imagined our day differently. The space is perfect and the staff is even better!

Island Sound E

9/25/2019

We worked closely with their catering and special events department and I have to say I could not have been happier! They had great communication leading up to the event, and day of was even better. Whenever we encountered a problem they were quick to work with us to find a solution in a fast and professional manner! If you are looking for a beautiful event space with a phenomenal staff I could not recommend the Riverbanks Botanical Garden catering and special events staff more!

Erin W

5/02/2019

Absolutely loved having my wedding here! McKenzie was fantastic to work with. He made sure that we were well informed of everything that was happening and what all of our options were for last minute details. Our venue Day Of Coordinator Sarah was superb - we could not have asked for anyone better to make sure we were well taken care of! Her positive attitude and quick thinking for hiccups made sure that everything ran smoothly. One suggestion for future brides - request more food than anticipated. Our biggest challenge was that guests were on the hungry side and took more food than the suggested serving size.

response 05/03/2019

Thank you so much for that awesome feedback, Erin. We truly enjoyed getting to work with ...

you to help celebrate your big day! It was great getting to know you and your family. As always, stay in contact and if you ever would like to stop by, please do!

Alex D

1/17/2019

Everything was perfect! We had our reception at the Ndoki lodge and it was BEAUTIFUL! McKenzie went above and beyond with all of our requests. The food was amazing too!!

response 01/17/2019

Thank you for those kind words. We loved being able to host such a special day for you an...

d your family! We wish you many years of happiness. Congratulations again!

Casey C

11/13/2018

They are very helpful and know their stuff. The wedding went off so smoothly because of their help. Mckenzie Roland helped us and he was always quick to respond and always helped us get anything done.

Alyce P

3/07/2018

We chose to have both our ceremony and reception at Riverbanks Ndoki Lodge, and we loved every minute of it! Our coordinator, McKenzie was absolutely amazing. Because we were planning our wedding from overseas, it was so important to have everything taken care of at one place- and we got exactly that. I would highly recommend having your wedding at Riverbanks Zoo!

response 03/07/2018

Hey there! Thank you for choosing Riverbanks to host your very special day. It was a hon...

or working with you and your family to make your big day a success! We wish you many years of happiness!

Kelli H

7/21/2017

After looking at many beautiful venues we stumbled upon the Ndoki Lodge at Riverbanks Zoo and fell in love. At first, it might look a little rustic but I believe this venue is a hidden gem. The lodge looked absolutely stunning on the night of our wedding reception. The wrap around windows gave us an outdoor feel but with air conditioning! Our guests enjoyed exploring the zoo on their way in to the lodge. You can also use the outdoor area near the lodge to have an outdoor/indoor feel. The lighting is beautiful with tiki torches, lanterns in the trees, and cafe lights throughout the lodge, which are all included in the rental. They have a built in sound system that we used during our cocktail hour before our band started playing. Tables, chairs, and table linen were included also. This saved so much money not having to rent lighting, table linen, and decor for catering tables. The zoo does their own catering and it is SO YUMMY with lots of options. The planning process was smooth and easy with McKenzie Roland. The only issue we had was not knowing where the event coordinator was on the night of the reception but luckily the other staff stepped in and helped us out. I have been to many weddings in Columbia, and I may be partial but the Ndoki Lodge is by far my favorite :-)

response 07/24/2017

Thank you so much for your review! It was a pleasure working with you and creating such a...

special evening for everyone to enjoy.

Jessica W

7/08/2017

Excellent venue, Excellent value! The events staff were great to work with, very helpful with organizing our other vendors and family friends helping with setup. They even coordinated a last minute change to our ceremony set up. We were so thankful when a storm set in right before our ceremony- they assisted our guests to shelter, kindly waited for our decision to move the ceremony under cover or wait out the rain and proceed. The guests were all happily surprised to find their outdoor ceremony seats towel dried when they returned for the ceremony. We had the ceremony beside the flamingos near the entrance, the bridal party was able to use the indoor space at the seal lion exhibit while waiting for guests to arrive and during the rain. We utilized the option for giraffe feeding before the reception held in a beautiful African safari-themed lodge! Food was delicious with many options available and we actually got to eat some and had to-go boxes made for later! I cannot say enough about the great service we received and McKenzie and Olivia were excellent to work with.

response 08/11/2017

Hey there! Thank you so much for your kind words. We loved being able to host you and yo...

ur guests for such a special evening!

Jennifer H

4/09/2016

I cannot praise Riverbanks or my planner, Olivia Cotton, for all their work in making our wedding day perfect and beautiful! Olivia laid out all our options and answered all of our questions. Simply the best staff and venue ever!

Liddy P

5/27/2014

The Riverbanks Botanical Garden was a wonderful venue for a wedding. You can have your ceremony and reception there. I had my ceremony outside in the garden with the reception indoor/outdoor. I had about 165 guests (including bridal party) and we were very comfortable in the space. You and your guests have access to the entire garden for the night. There is an attendant at the front to help direct people to the ceremony, and a tram available for a very low fee to run back and forth from the parking lot to the ceremony/reception site for the duration of your event. The board room (with lots of mirrors) and a bathroom are available for the bride and bridesmaids to get dressed. The staff is wonderful and extremely helpful throughout the planning process. Catering is on site - you are not allowed to use any other catering service. You have many bar options from a corkage fee to them providing the full bar. We chose to bring our own alcohol and pay the corkage fee and it worked out really well! They have a preferred vendor list, but are very open to you bringing other vendors in. I did have a little bit of an issue with a photo booth company that was not on their list, and the event staff at Riverbanks helped me out tremendously by dealing with and solving the issue for me! Compared to other venues, I felt that the fees were reasonable and had lots of inclusions (tables, chairs, basic table linens, etc.). The only drawback is that your wedding ceremony cannot start until about 7:30 in the evening because the garden has to be closed and then there has to be a little time for setup, but this was not an issue for us! One thing to know - they do have a minimum amount for you to spend on catering, so it may not work for you if you're planning to have a very small wedding.

Location

500 Wildlife Parkway, Columbia, SC

Open map

Want to book a visit?

Contact

(803) 602-0900

Curious to learn more?

Start the convo

*=Required

$4,000 starting price

Riverbanks Zoo & Garden

Kayleen Edmonds

Catering Sales Manager

Typically responds within 24h

By clicking 'Request Quote', you agree to The Knot creating an account for you, if you don't have one, and to our Terms of Use. See our Privacy Policy to learn what data we collect and how we use it.

Riverbanks Zoo & Garden's photos

Why use The Knot to message vendors?

Messaging our verified vendors on The Knot is free, safe and secure.
Conveniently track vendor messages and planning details all in one place.
Our mobile apps make it easy to stay in touch with vendors while you're on‑the‑go.
For personalized pricing and package details, sending the vendor a message is the fastest way to get info.

Riverbanks Zoo & Garden

About this venue

Pricing details

Amenities + details

Meet the team

Availability

Reviews

5.0

Review Summary

Location

Contact

Wedding vendors in Columbia

Why use The Knot to message vendors?