Elmwood Park Zoo
Guest capacity
Up to 150 seated guests
About this venue
When you plan your next event at Elmwood Park Zoo, not only do you treat your guests to a highly interactive experience at the most unique event venue in the Greater Philadelphia area, but you also support an important nonprofit organization. The zoo is centrally located in Montgomery County and is easily accessible to guests from Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Philadelphia Counties. From intimate affairs with your closest loved ones, to all-out bashes with every far-flung friend and relative, Elmwood Park Zoo is your choice for the most unique and exciting wedding venue.
Our event spaces
- Canopy Gardens Hall
- Pond
- Zoo Bowl Theatre
- Red Barn
- Trail Of The Jaguar
- Zoo Brew Beer Garden
Available services that can be provided by Elmwood Park Zoo
Services & amenities
- Bar services
- Catering services
- Clean up
- Dance floor
- Dressing room / Bridal Suite
- Event coordinator
- Event rentals
- Event staff
- Liability insurance
- Service staff
- Set up
- Wedding cake services
- Wheelchair accessible
- Wifi
Transportation & access
- Self parking - free
- Wheelchair accessible
Rentals
- Barware
- China
- Flatware
- Linens
- Standard Chairs
Reviews
Write a review4.8 out of 5
5 reviews
Zoo Wedding
I don’t even know where to start. My daughter and her fiancé were determined to have their wedding at a zoo. After reviewing several possibilities they chose the Elmwood Park Zoo, and we couldn’t be happier with our choice. If you choose to get married at a zoo, animal interaction is one of the top priorities and the Elmwood Park zoo did not disappoint. We chose to include the giraffe feeding for all of our guests along with six different animal encounters throughout the evening. The guest were thrilled. The zoo also offered a variety of different locations for the ceremony and the cocktail hour which was nice to have options. We then chose the Canyon Garden for the reception which was lovely. They recently added a bridal suite which was a nice bonus. The only downside is that there is no adjoining bathroom and outside food was not allowed when the bridal party was getting ready. Perhaps at some point in the future, they will offer a light snack menu. The zoo also offers an extensive menu for both the cocktail hour and the reception. The food was very good and the caterers accommodated our requests for special dietary needs. I have to say we were very high maintenance. We had a specific design vision with many moving parts . In addition, my daughter added several specialized elements to the evening… A peanut butter and jelly unity ceremony , a memory bouquets for loved ones no longer with us and their 2 large dogs participating in the ceremony to name a few! In many ways we pushed the envelop and the zoo met every challenge. We did decide to hire a Day of Coordinator (Lauren from IDoInvites was phenomenal), but the the star of the zoo was Becky Bell who is their Event Manager. I cannot begin to tell you how wonderful she is. Her attention to detail was incredible. She made everything look easy.. and trust me it wasn’t! We had a lot going on ! She always had a smile and never got ruffled no matter what issue or change we requested. She is a true professional, and I attribute her to making the evening a success. As I mentioned we also hired Lauren from IDoInvites as our coordinator and she and Becky were in total sync. What a dynamic duo these two were. I would highly recommend the Elmwood Park Zoo for any upcoming event.
Say I do at the Zoo! 10/10 Recommend
Guaranteed to be the most fun and unique wedding there is! The location is beautiful and has various options for ceremony and cocktail hour, plus Canopy Gardens Hall is a beautiful building. You get all the charm of an outdoor wedding, without having to over-decorate a bland reception tent. There are plenty of nearby hotels for ease of out-of-town guests which makes transportation more simple. Most importantly, Becky and her staff are out-of-this-world awesome. Not only are they fun, but they are patient, and understanding, and work hard to make sure everything runs as smoothly as possible rain or shine! Bonus, booking with Elmwood supports Zoo Operations. If you're spending money on a wedding, some should go back to a good cause if it can right?
Priceless!
The ability to hold your wedding at a zoo is such a unique experience, but having a staff that feels like family makes it worth every penny. I would recommend this zoo and staff to anyone looking for a fun experience for you and your guests. From our first visit untill even after our wedding, Becky (event coordinator) was incredible to work with. Her and her staff were attentive, kind, and made sure everything ran smoothly. Weeks later, our guests are still raving about our wedding, the food, animals, and the staff. Please consider this venue, you won’t be disappointed.
A Beautiful Wedding but Not Without Issues
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 ;)
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