Aquarium and Zoo Wedding Venues in Cliffside Park, NJ

“I recently hosted my wedding at the Elmwood Park Zoo and let me start by saying: my guests and I had a great time!! The carousel and Christmas decorations made for a beautiful photo spot, the canopy gardens hall is a lovely reception space, and their bridal suite is a great new addition for getting ready photos. Becky was so helpful, kind, and knowledgeable. She always got back to me quickly with any question or concern I had, and my wedding day went very smoothly. I truly had a great time at the zoo, and I really recommend the trail of the jaguar as your cocktail hour space as my guests LOVED it!!! Now for the things that kept this from being a five star experience. Firstly, I had numerous guests complain about the drinks being EXTREMELY weak at the bar. I was happy that that the open bar was included in the price of their standard package, so I can't say I'm surprised about it, but my guests were pretty bummed about the quality of the drinks. Second, the carousel broke while guests were riding it. I got to ride it personally as did many of my guests, but a lot missed out because of that technical hiccup. Finally, and most upsetting to me personally, I was extremely upset about the lack of communication regarding the construction at the zoo. I understand that the events team does not control these projects, and that they cannot guarantee the use of any ceremony spot, but I found out about the construction (and that my chosen ceremony site had been torn down) on my own by visiting the zoo for leisure. It was a DIY decor wedding, and I had already made many purchases for decor based on the site that I had discussed several times with my coordinator. That lack of communication cost me money and caused me unnecessary stress that would have been avoided if someone would have just told me when the construction had begun MONTHS prior to my personal visit. Despite those few issues, I had a beautiful wedding at the Elmwood Park Zoo. I had so much fun, and my pictures turned out lovely! I had so many people say it was the most fun wedding they had ever attended. I would absolutely recommend them for your wedding, as long as you stay on top of them about future construction plans as the zoo continues to expand ;)”