San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

k offers weddings, we had to check it out. As soon as we saw the stunning Kijamii Overlook, there was no question this was where we would get married, as who wouldn't want to get married with giraffes, rhinos, wildebeest, and gazelles as witnessses? It's so gorgeous that you hardly need any decorations at all, just some flowers and you're all set! We were also very happy to learn that a portion of the money we were spending on the wedding would go toward the San Diego Zoo's conservation efforts, as nature and conservation are passions of ours. There were so many incredible things about our wedding day at the Safari Park, but I'll list just a few. First of all, we loved that our guests were all able to get into the park for no cost to them for the entire day of our wedding, and our guests loved that as well. We also loved that we (the wedding couple) could get into the park at any time during our wedding day-we went in early and did a first look, private vows, and couple's portraits around the park prior to our ceremony. The park also offers a plethora of gorgeous backgrounds-we had our first look and private vows at the lagoon, and then walked over to the bamboo forest outside tiger trail for more pictures. On the walk over there were innumerable gorgeous spots, and we grabbed loads of great pics on the walk over. One thing I have to stress is DO THE ANIMAL ENCOUNTER during cocktail hour. Yes, it is an extra charge, but it is beyond worth it. Truly, I would have cut almost anything from our budget prior to missing out on the animal encounter. I'm not exagerrating when I say the animal encounter was a highlight of not only my wedding day, but my life. Our guests absolutely loved it too! I had expressed to my coordinator in advance that the echidna is my absolute favorite animal, and the wildlife care team brought out not only one, but THREE echidnas!!! We also got a prehensile tailed porcupine (!!), desert tortoise, cockatoo, African grey parrot, tamandua, and milky eagle owl. It was beyond incredible to get to interact with and learn more about these goreous creatures. I nearly died of joy when I got to pet an echidna and feed a piece of yam to a prehensile tailed porcupine. The food was also very good, and although there are some decibel limits for DJs because of the animals don't stress about this at all. We partied it up and it truly never felt quieter than an average wedding. TLDR: if you're even thinking of getting married here, DO IT!! And DO THE ANIMAL ENCOUNTER! You won't regret it

ng process and helped us view the venue leading up to the wedding for us to gather ideas. All of our guests were so shocked by the animal encounter and so many animals were brought out that we didn’t even see them all. Our guests were all super happy with the food and all the complicated drinks the bartenders were making, and they all said our wedding was the best they’ve ever attended and most unique. We would highly recommend having a wedding at the safari park if you want to have a wedding day unlike any other and if you love animals!

e and saw the beautiful view, I did not even care how much it was going to cost, I had to have my wedding there! Our guests told us it was the best wedding they had gone to because it was so beautiful! We were very happy with everything, Tommy Gomez was our event coordinator and he was so amazing. We could not be more thankful for him. He helped with the planning process, the rehearsal and helped calm my nerves. On the day of the wedding he did so many amazing things that we did not expect at all, he saved us appetizers, got us drinks, helped bustle my dress and so much more than we even expected. Our family and friends loved Tommy and raved about him! The service he and the entire crew of people at the venue provided was outstanding and my husband and I wish we could re-live the event again. Thank you for the dream wedding and we look forward to visiting with our annual passes!

little, so this venue was truly a dream come true for us. Plus, we're so happy to know that our money is going towards a good cause I have nothing but positive things to say: the venue was spectacular and our guests loved seeing the giraffes and rhinos roam about during the ceremony, cocktail hour, and dinner. The food was surprisingly good (Snapper with Thai Red Curry was the favorite), the drinks and bar service were great - there was never a long line for the bar, all of the staff were extremely friendly and very helpful. Everything exceeded our expectations. We were worried that the zoo would act as a "zoo first, wedding venue second" - but our experience shows that the Zoo really puts a ton of effort into their wedding program. We were planning this wedding from across the country and our Zoo Coordinator (Delanie) was a dream to work with - she answered our questions in a timely fashion, reminded us of upcoming deadlines, and made creative recommendations to help us out (she dissuaded us from using Maize colored napkins - great call, Delanie). And of course I have to mention the Animal Encounter - it was our own private wildlife meet-and-greet which we absolutely loved and our guests loved too. The kids in our audience asked all sorts of questions and it was a great way for them to be involved. The downside with the Animal Encounter, of course, is it shortens the cocktail hour to a measly 15 minutes - but I mean come on it's the Zoo - you gotta do it. All in, we paid ~$40K for fully loaded wedding at Kijamii Overlook for 100 guests with plated food, open bar, upgraded food options, Animal Encounter, and some other small upgrades (ice cream, late night snacks). At first, we thought the price was too high, but now we're so happy we went with the Safari Park. One added bonus, of course, is that you don't have to wrangle bar/catering vendors - the zoo handles it all! I can't say enough good things - a truly unforgettable experience.

ss and fun that the Safari Park brings. It truly feels like a destination wedding without having to travel too far! We said from the beginning that one of our wedding priorities, was guest experience and our guests LOVED this venue. From the giraffes roaming behind our ceremony arch, to the rhinos bathing in the sun and then add in the animal encounter during cocktail hour, you cannot find a venue like this anywhere else. We had so many guests come up to us and tell us it was the best wedding they had ever been to, and I am sure a lot of that can be attributed to the unique, fun atmosphere that the Safari Park can bring to your event.   From the start, Magda helped us to tour to the venue and answer the many questions we had during the tour and really helped us fall in love with the venue. After we officially signed on, Delanie was assigned to us as our venue coordinator, and we were soooo lucky to have her. She was so nice and responsive right from the beginning. I honestly cannot say enough things about her because she helped make the process so easy! From meeting us at our venue food tasting, to answering our many emails, to communicating with all our vendors and making sure they felt comfortable with the unique venue space, and finally helping our wedding day run so smoothly. We feel so lucky to have had her throughout the process. You can really tell how much she genuinely cares about the couples she helps and if you are assigned her as your venue contact, just know you are honestly going to be in the best hands :) Cannot recommend her enough!!   During the wedding itself, all of the staff were so nice and helpful. From servers and chefs to folks helping to shuttle our guests on the tram and golf carts, everyone brought so much kind energy to ourselves and to our guests. Not only was the staff friendly, but we also got so many compliments from our guests on how tasty the food was too! Besides the venue space and staff being amazing, a portion of the venue costs also goes towards animal conservation that the Safari Park does, so your money is going towards a very good and needed cause.   Our wedding day was truly one of the best days of our lives and a good portion of that is due to the magic that the Safari Park and its staff brings. 1000% recommend the Safari Park, Delanie and the whole team :)

ned it during one of his sermons lol. We had the cheetah there for the ceremony and the tigers for the reception. We got to see the baby tiger have zoomies and play with mom. The animal encounters were so much fun and people learned a lot about each one. Delanie was so helpful and great at coordinating everything!!

our Safari Park coordinator and he was absolutely the most incredible coordinator for us. For the year leading up to the wedding he was communicative, forward thinking, and worked tirelessly to minimize any issues he could foresee. We were fairly budget conscious when executing our wedding, and he was very amicable to that, helping us identify areas where we could save money, and identifying elements that would cause more stress to DIY versus the cost of hiring a vendor. We got married at the Kijamii Overlook, and the venue itself was stunning. Overlooking the savannah, us and our guests thoroughly enjoyed the outstanding views of the giraffes, rhinos, wildebeests, and birds around. The building was perfect as it was quite open allowing for a breeze over the vista of the Savannah. The team that hosted the wildlife encounter went above and beyond-- we saw and got to interact with, some incredible animals-- some of which we have never seen. The Safari Park also allowed us to visit with Fernando, the Tamandua (lesser anteater), which was our FAVORITE animal we had been begging to see. The food stations were outstanding. We heard from countless guests that they had low expectations (because who thinks highly of concession food?); however, everyone was blown away at the food. We opted for the carving, Italian, and comfort food stations, all of which were outstanding. On the drive home from the venue, my husband and I spent time in awestruck of how perfect the venue and the people were to make our day so special. Although expensive for us, it was worth absolutely every penny and we would do it again in a heartbeat. We are actively looking for another reason to host an event at the Safari Park because it was such a fantastic night.

he magical day we had hoped for. We went with the zoo's reccommendations for vendors which made it an even more seamless exprience. The ceremony started as the zoo was closing so it really felt like we had the entire place to ourselves. It was evident that they handle events like this all the time and I cannot recommend a wedding at the zoo enough!

e knew this was the perfect wedding venue for us as the money goes directly back to conservation. Us being animal lovers and my dream to help with animal conservation this was absolutely perfect! The entire process of booking with the Zoo was so easy! Emily was our coordinator for the zoo and she was absolutely Amazing! She made everything so easy for us and explained everything. She answered all my many questions and made our wedding perfect. She was able to help us figure out special requests we wanted and was SO fun to work with. Her and our wedding planner Courtney from Breezy Day made the day flow so seamlessly that everything was on time and stress free. She and Courtney took care of all our guests and were so sweet. Emily understands the rush of a wedding day and fully cares for everyone and the bride and groom. She even had a plate of food waiting for us after the ceremony which was SO amazing so we could get fuel for the reception! The zoo and the venue are so organized, from the coordination of the day to the menu, food, vendors, plating décor, signage, and attention to detail. We were truly impressed with how much coordination was happening on the day of the wedding and how much the staff helped in every way. Our day went perfectly, and we can’t thank the staff enough! Hands down the staff at the zoo is INCREDIBLE!! Emily was on top of everything and such a joy to work with! She is so kind, sweet, and understanding! Tommy was also such a joy to work with on our wedding day! He helped with our first look and was so kind! These two are a power team! We highly recommend the animal encounter to anyone looking to book this venue as it was such an unforgettable experience for us and all our guests! We still have people complimenting that our wedding was one of the best weddings they have ever been to, and the animal encounter was such a blast for them. We also recommend the venue of the Harusi Lawn/Tiger Long House. It was such a beautiful ceremony location where our guest got to see the animals in the background. Our reception was so fun, and everyone loved that the tiger was hanging out with us all night! We just want to thank the staff for making our day so incredible!!

here! Our coordinator Alyssa was always so on top of everything and never minded all of the questions we had for her as well as having tons of great recommendations for outside vendors. The food was delicious (we opted for the plated meals and they were served so promptly!), the views could not be beaten, and on top of getting an amazing wedding, you're also contributing to their animal conservation efforts! That alone made us feel great about having an awesome wedding AND supporting a wonderful cause. Not to mention that our guests LOVED it! We are still hearing from them that it was the coolest wedding they've ever been to, but we've met friends of friends who will get excited when they hear we're "that cool zoo wedding so-and-so went to!" To top it all off, the day passes to the park, and the Animal Encounter during cocktail hour felt like really awesome party favors to guests instead of something that may just get thrown out eventually. All in all, if you're considering having your wedding at the Safari Park, I'm telling you to go for it!

erlook because we had older guests, we didn’t want them to have to move from the ceremony to the reception site. Kijamii Overlook was perfect because the ceremony and reception were at the same open-air site overlooking the safari with giraffes and rhinos. The kids loved it! We added on the Wild Animal Encounter, where we had birds, a porcupine and sloth visit us. We had guests sitting around us entranced by the animals. It was a big treat for everyone. Other hits for folks was the charcuterie board at the cocktail hour and an ice cream bar at the end of the night. The Safari Park and chef were able to accommodate all our guests dietary restrictions for vegan and gluten-free options. They also helped our ADA guests get right up to the ceremony site. Tommy coordinated everything without a hitch on the big day. He even tied the perfect windsor knot when we needed help. He worked seamlessly with our team of vendors to make our wedding better than we’d dreamed. Tommy even helped us get up to the Old World Gardens for our photos, the bride’s favorite spot in the park. Many of our guests said it was “the best wedding ever.” We highly recommend the San Diego Zoo Safari Park for your wedding or special event.

t the Safari Park was a wedding venue, I absolutely knew we must get married here, no venue could ever compare! Our wedding here did not disappoint us in any way. This is hands down the most wonderful venue, run by the most caring and incredible, hospitable workers. Having animals part of our wedding was absolutely magical in every way. It was unique, fun, beautiful, and breathtaking. Now, first I will say our experience booking the venue was very efficient. We got a tour by Magda, which allowed us to seal the deal and book the exact day we wanted! We were super happy to later on attend the menu tasting where we got to meet our lovely Venue Coordinator, Delanie, and see her in person. This not only allowed us to see how beautifully the tables would be decorated, but also get a taste for the food they would serve at the wedding and ask lots of questions. Throughout the year leading up to our wedding, I sent numerous emails back and forth with Delanie, and she always responded in a timely manner. She has impeccable attention to detail, and gives wonderful explanations and information. I had so much fun planning this wedding, but also of course, so much stress came along with it. With Delanie's help and kindness, she always put my mind at ease. It was Delanie who ultimately put together the event timeline, which was SO incredibly helpful for my planning with other vendors, and who helped me every step of the way whenever questions came up. She was always kind, and I am so sad that our time of working together has come to an end. She is truly a gem and so very talented at coordination, I wish we could be friends in real life! We got married at the breathtaking Kijamii Overlook location, and our guests could not believe the beautiful landscaping and views from the site. They were actually jaw dropping. And to top it all off, during our ceremony, we had the most serendipitous bout of several giraffes galloping behind us. For a moment, our whole audience was awestruck. It was truly an incredible experience and brought everyone joy. They brought out five amazing animals for us during the animal encounter, and our guests could not have been more excited and engaged! The Safari Park staff as a whole are the most kind and accommodating people you will meet. They made sure every detail was executed beautifully, from the folded linen napkins to the serving of cake slices. I truly believe the price per person is very reasonable, when you consider all of the items they take care of in their package, especially considering the admission price alone! Additionally, we got SO many compliments on the food and drinks! We are so happy that we upgraded our cocktail hour bar, because guests were so pleased with how fast the line moved, and really enjoyed the cocktails. By far, a fan favorite from our dinner buffet was the Creamy White Macaroni & Cheese with Gruyere and Sugar-Cured Bacon, we must have gotten at least 15 people saying it was the best they've ever had. All in all, I will never get over how perfect our Safari Park wedding was. I am so pleased that we will be able to visit for the rest of our lives and share long lasting memories of this beautiful and wonderful place. They are so deserving of every donation received. Photos featured by Love Story Photography 🙂

et with exceptional inclusivity. The venue itself is decorated as you see on a typical day at the park, requiring minimal additions aside from table centerpieces. This is ideal for those seeking a hassle-free experience without compromising on style. Our guests had the opportunity to explore the Safari Park prior to our reception, which comes included in any reception package. Once the reception began, we had the venue till late allowing our guests the unique experience of seeing the Safari Park at night and being treated to the majestic sight of the tiger lounging throughout the evening. The Safari Park's venue coordinator exceeded our expectations, ensuring seamless coordination with our day-of coordinators and accommodating our requests. One special request of mine was to have the horticultural team showcase plants native to our parents' home countries, they even passed around a carnivorous plant for everyone to see up close. The reception package includes many food services to select from. We decided on appetizers during cocktail hour, followed by a buffet-style arrangement for the main course. The efforts of the culinary staff at the Safari Park received the highest praise from our family and friends as they unanimously voted it the best wedding food they have ever had. It was heartwarming to witness the kids, and even a few adults sneak in for seconds, possibly even thirds, a true testament to the quality of food the Safari Park has to offer. The Sambutan Longhouse at the Safari Park provided an unforgettable backdrop for our celebration, and we are so glad to have had a wonderful communicative venue coordinator from the park as well as an upbeat staff during our wedding reception.

wished for. The wedding is completely customizable and you can add in or not have what you want. We recommend doing the tasting, which is where we decided on our menu and met our coordinator. Tommy kept in touch with us regularly in the year leading up to our wedding and always answered my many-questioned emails within 24 hours. He was always so helpful and provided any insight that he had, along with experienced recommendations. The venue itself was completely picturesque. The wedding was in the evening and the lagoon was a great background for all of our wedding photos and the reception. Tommy worked with all of our vendors to ensure that they knew when/where they needed to arrive and being the bride, I was able to walk up to my wedding with absolutely everything done. Tommy also allowed us to bring and store some decorations at the rehearsal and was so accommodating with our very large family at the rehearsal. On the day of, Tommy helped ensure that everything was ready to go and gave us updates. He was even available for my parent's questions and provided them with help. Once the ceremony was over, Tommy brought up drinks so we could relax before the photos began. He also helped my mom bustle my dress, made sure we had appetizers at our table when we arrived at the reception, and kept our timeline. I cannot recommend him as a coordinator enough. At the end of the night, my family was prepared to clean up the reception and when we went to grab the boxes, Tommy had already ensured that everything was packed up and loaded on the golf cart for us. He always went the extra mile for us at every step and it truly was the most stress-free day and that was 100% because of Tommy. I highly recommend the amazing venue, (the profits go towards the animals so how much better does it get?), the process and options. We got comments on how it was the best wedding that people had been to.

le and amazing! We chose Harusi Lawn and Sambutan Longhouse at Tiger Trail, we were a bit worried it would be cramped with 100 guests but there was plenty of room in the Longhouse. The ceremony area near the cheetah enclosure was very beautiful and needed minimal decoration (although we still had a florist and other decorations for the gift/guest book table). One of the highlights of the day was the Animal Encounter, I definitely recommend adding this if possible. The zoo staff presented 4 animals, which included a cheetah and kangaroo! All our guests were amazed and really enjoyed the animal presentation. The food was also amazing, we had the 24-hour braised beef which was so delicious, I could not stop eating. All the guests we talked to also said the salmon with ponzu sauce was very good, and they even said their kids who are picky eaters loved the kids' meals. We actually didn't get to try the hors d'oeuvres, but our guests said they were all very good. Our event coordinator Tommy Gomez was so nice and fun to work with, and the Safari Park staff was extremely kind and understanding when there were delays with our wedding due to a serious illness I was going through. Tommy always answered our various questions promptly, and made sure everything went smoothly on the big day. There were a couple minor hiccups in terms of transportation (golf carts and shuttles) in between the ceremony and reception venues, but Tommy got them sorted out right away. To be fair, it seemed a bit logistically difficult to move 100 guests in between 2 venues which were somewhat far apart. He also had a great sense of humor and even busted out a few dance moves on the dance floor! All the rest of the staff were also very friendly and attentive. We got so many compliments from guests that this was the most unique and best wedding they've ever been to. Their prices are very reasonable considering their package includes hors d'oeuvre, tables, linens, beer and wine for cocktail hour, etc. It's also awesome that the money you spend goes towards their conservation program. The day was everything I hoped it would be, it was such a wonderful venue!

is an absolutely STUNNING venue that overlooks the animals roaming the savannah. When you arrive to the venue, you truly do not feel like you’re in San Diego anymore but rather on a safari vacation! There's a fun fire pit and beautiful bar built into a tree (how cool is that!). We chose the plated meal option and the food was all so delicious and cooked to perfection (we had the pan seared chicken, baseball top sirloin and shiitake mushroom risotto). We upgraded our bar and appetizers too, which I highly recommend because the Cheetah-rita signature cocktail and upgraded appetizers (we upgraded to the ahi tuna and vegan falafels, on top of the 3 standard hor d’oeuvres that you get with the package) were a hit amongst our guests! So many of my wedding guests have said that this has been the most beautiful and unique wedding location they have been to! One of the most magical things happened when we were saying our vows- a few giraffes lined up right behind me as if they were wanting to listen too! And as a bride, this location and venue was the most perfect thing I could have ever imagined! And I cannot praise the staff more. Our coordinator was Delanie Brown and she was the absolute BEST person to work with! Delanie started communicating with me months before the wedding and always made herself available to answer my many questions. She was so patient, kind, accommodating and knowledgeable. Delanie made sure we were always well informed about any upcoming deadlines and always made sure we were on track with our planning. She was there the day of the wedding as well to make sure everything went as planned. People always say how planning a wedding is stressful, but I can honestly say that Delanie was such a joy to work with that the planning process was truly seamless and easy for us because of her. Many, many thanks and appreciation to her and the rest of the staff at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park! Thank you for helping us create and celebrate the most special day of our lives, and for giving us some of the most beautiful memories that we will cherish forever!