About this vendor
The Detroit Zoo makes a beautiful backdrop for your special day! Make your wedding unforgettable and have a small intimate ceremony in the Butterfly Garden or have a large affair out doors to add a touch of wildlife to your wedding.
Amenities + details
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Reception Area
Covered Outdoors Space
Dressing Room
Liability Insurance
On-Site Accommodations
Outdoor Event Space
Wireless Internet
Settings
- Ballroom
- Museum
- Park
- Tented
Venue Service Offerings
- Bar & Drinks
- Food & Catering
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Reviews
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3.8
out of 5.013 reviews
Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 7
Working with the entire events staff at the Detroit Zoo was a fantastic experience. We held a 120-person ceremony at the fountain, and it couldn't have been more perfect. We also r...
ented a golf cart to make it easy to get around for photos, and we can't wait to see them. The staff was invaluable, accommodating, and had excellent communication, checking in with us beforehand to ensure everything was set. The fountain was set up with chairs perfectly, electrical outlets were available for our musician and PA, and the rooms we had in the Education Center were perfect for getting ready. We have both loved the Detroit Zoo since we were kids, and having our special day there was magical. Highly recommend it!
My niece was considering the Zoo as a possible wedding location. She scheduled the appointment and the individuals at the gate said they "didn't have her on the schedule". She show...
ed them the emails of her scheduled appointment.
They then brought someone who was supposed to show the couple around, explain pricing, how things work with the set up, what to expect, what the rules regarding the aviary and butterfly house are, etc. and was effectively just told "Here's the space. Look around." Nothing was explained beyond that there's no room to get ready in. No ideas on how to set up or use the space, etc. She was severely disappointed by the unprofessionalism.
You would think someone who is effectively considering making a minimum $5,000.00 donation to the zoo would at least have their questions answered. She asked how many weddings they usually do per year and the person said 4-8. Which may explain the lackluster meeting.
If this is how it is on just the meeting, I'd hate to think how the weddings go. Very disappointing as the zoo is normally such a great place to visit.
Professionalism is a zero. They won't order the correct linens, they won't set the tables up correctly, they won't even have the bar set-up for your venue when guests arrive. The...
food will be cold and they will mislead you on how much it costs to rent the venue. Absolutely the worst experience and their incompetence ruined the wedding.
My daughter and son-in-law’s wedding at the Detroit Zoo could not have been more special and memorable. They wanted a place that was uniquely suited to them and were happy and exc...
ited when they first learned that weddings can be held at the Detroit Zoo. The zoo’s event staff was extremely helpful in planning and in making arrangements for every aspect of the wedding.
Prior to the wedding, the bridal party was photographed feeding the giraffes, just as they’d hoped.
The ceremony in front of the fountain was beautiful and the zoo provided comfortable white chairs for the guests, and microphones for the officiant, bride, and groom.
The reception in the gallery was lovely with its spectacular tile floor, extraordinary art, beautiful lighting, and it was comfortable for everyone even in the heat of August due to the excellent air conditioning.
The appetizers and entree dishes prepared by the zoo’s chefs were perfectly prepared, absolutely delicious, and presented in elegant platings.
The zoo provided a tram to carry guests from the front gate to the fountain, and then from the fountain to the gallery, and to the front gate at the end of the evening.
The butterfly garden in the gallery was open for guests to explore before dinner, and also had an elevator to assist guests who were seated in the upper tier. There was plenty of room for dancing, and an excellent place for desserts and for the bar.
This venue was unusual and a delight for the bride and groom, and for all the guests. It is a wedding that will be fondly remembered by everyone in attendance because it was unique, lovely, and so much fun!
The Detroit Zoo is the most beautiful location for a wedding, we used the butterfly house for our ceremony and the Interpretive Wildlife Gallery for our reception. We worked with M...
egan and she helped us coordinate a perfect wedding day! She is so helpful, and extremely knowledgeable about the options we had for the space. I would 100% recommend getting married here!!
The knot indicated the Zoo as being: $$ = Affordable... $80/person plus the additional costs is a lot more then "Affordable". I read that the use of tables and chairs is extra, an...
d that alcohol is also an additional package to purchase.
Had our wedding been in the fall, we definitely would have booked this venue. Since we were concerned about groomsmen getting heat exhaustion we decided again the venue.
Both the ceremony which takes place at the fountain and the reception which took place in the wild life interpretive gallery were beautiful. The staff that helped set up were we're...
great and extremely helpful.
I hate to write this about an organization that is so near and dear to my heart...but if I can spare one other bride the nightmare that we are enduring, I consider it worthwhile. T...
he Detroit Zoo has managed to turn what should be a fun and enjoyable process into an anxiety-laden source of stress and uncertainty. At this point, we are just praying that the day is not a complete disaster and waste of money.
We are in the process of planning our wedding reception at the Detroit Zoo's Wildlife Interpretive Gallery. Had I known everything I know now about how they operate, I would have found a different venue DESPITE having my heart set on the Zoo. About a month ago, we took a list of concerns to the event manager, which is when they told us our coordinator had been let go. I will post another review after our event happens, but here is the summary of how the planning has gone:
- The coordination has been so bad that they fired Ruth, the original coordinator we worked with. About 75% of what she told/emailed us would end up being retracted/different a few days later, everything from pricing to what we can/can't bring in.
- Banquet pricing is beyond ridiculous (the cost will be around $20K for ~110 people) and their response to any 'special' request--which would be considered reasonable at any banquet hall--is always no even though the rules or restrictions they cite are nowhere in writing. Basically, you can't bring anything in, you have to buy it from them, and they will charge you a fortune. Example: $18 for a sandwich plate for vendor meals.
- All your set up has to happen in the one hour between Zoo closing and the start of the reception, and everything has to be torn down and removed at the end of the night---which means finding vendors who can accommodate is near impossible (or they'll charge you an arm and a leg).
- There's a real lack of appreciation for your business. Despite the fact that we're spending a sum of money equivalent to the cost of a car, there's no interest in making us happy. Delays in responses are often blamed on "big events" going on at the Zoo--indicating that ours is clearly unimportant.
I hope this helps if you are considering the Detroit Zoo for your wedding reception. My optimistic side believes our wedding day will be 'fine,' but when you pay a small fortune for an event that you only get one shot at, it should be much better than 'fine,' and there shouldn't be so much doubt associated with it.
Everything turned out as planned. My ceremony was held in the Butterfly Garden and the reception was in the Wildlife Interpretive Gallery. Ruth did a outstanding job keeping everyt...
hing on track! Beautiful Beautiful Beautiful!
Ruth was so fabulous to work with from day one. She was timely about responses to queries. She's energetic and upbeat. I was happy to know she was so experienced in weddings! T...
he venue is gorgeous of course! I would recommend using the tram for pictures! Our ceremony was in the Butterfly House which means we had to wait until the Zoo closed and have an evening reception but we were fine with that. By taking pictures in the zoo before the wedding, we were all able to relax and have fun before the ceremony. The pricing for the ceremony was very reasonable but we went elsewhere for the reception--the catering was a little high here. By having your wedding at the Zoo you can easily make it unique--and the money goes to a great cause!
The venue was absolutely gorgeous and the coordinators Ruth and Jennifer were wonderful to work with.
The Detroit Zoo Wildlife Interpretive Gallery and Butterfly Garden offered a unique venue, guests loved the location, ambiance, and how different it was from a normal reception hal...
l. The food was excellent and everyone raved about it. It was a cocktail/appetizer party and it went over very well.
Contact
8450 W. 10 Mile Rd, Royal Oak, MI
Detroit Zoo Weddings