This is a really fun venue, and we would highly recommend it. Additionally, our guests all seemed to have a great time. The giraffes, in particular, were a huge hit and the fish in the Malawi Center are mesmerizing. The zoo went through three d...ifferent wedding coordinators from when we booked the venue until our wedding, just over a year later. Consequently, communication was sometimes a challenge, and sometimes we would hear conflicting information. We did find all the coordinators to be kind and respectful, but it seems like the Toledo Zoo would benefit from making sure that these individuals receive more extensive training/support when they transition into this role. There are a few areas we think the Zoo could improve to help make the experience even smoother, effective, and stress-free-
1- Have getting ready areas on both sides of the zoo, as there are wedding venues on both sides of the zoo. For instance, our wedding was at the Malawi Event Center, and we were told the only place to get ready was in the Aquarium for the girls and the Great Hall for the boys, which are both on the complete other side of the zoo. Our photographer mentioned that he had seen other brides get ready in a location closer to the Malawi center, but we were never told this was an option. Additionally, in the getting ready area, it would be helpful to have a higher hanging closet since the wedding dress and all the bridesmaid dresses were long.
2- We found the parking situation to cause extra unneeded stress. We were told that everyone besides the 1-2 vehicles transporting decorations had to park in the main zoo parking lot. The getting ready location is on the other side of the zoo and has a parking lot (Broadway) in very close proximity. We were told that we were not allowed to leave cars there. We were allowed to park there to bring in materials, but then would have to move the cars. When getting ready for a wedding, it is ideal not to have to be walking all over the zoo and getting hot and sweaty (especially in the summer). We also had grandmothers with us, so we didn’t want to have them to walk too far as well. Since we didn’t have access to the golf carts yet, we had to create plans for family to transport the bridal party from the main lot to Broadway entrance. This is definitely a logistical challenge that the zoo needs to address.
3- Allow the participants to use the golf carts earlier than 5:15 pm (for a 6 pm start time). You do receive one free golf which holds five guests and the driver, but each additional one costs $250. We bought two golf carts to accommodate the size of our wedding party, since we were getting ready on the other side of the zoo. We asked to start using the golf carts at 5 pm so that we could use them for pictures and were told no. When you pay so much money for a helpful feature, it would be nice if they were truly accessible, since it is pretty common to take pictures ahead of the event. Additionally, after our ceremony, when we were trying to take pictures quickly, we had to wait for a little while until the golf carts to be radioed and sent over. Instead of wasting time waiting for them when you’re generally on a limited time schedule, have the golf carts right there waiting.
Overall, this venue is a really neat place for a wedding, but they could work through some of their current policies and practices to make it better.