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Weddings

The Toledo Zoo Reviews

The Toledo Zoo View more information

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 rating
67 Reviews
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    4.9 out of 5 rating
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95% Recommended by couples

Awards

67
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2023 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2020 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2018 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2016 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2015 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2014 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2013 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2012 Winner
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    Rosa R. Sent on 11/06/2023
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    The Toledo Zoo is an excellent wedding venue

    We absolutely loved our wedding and the zoo made it a unique and fun experience. The zoo staff made everything so easy and straightforward to plan. They took care of everything we needed and answered our questions quickly and with clarity. They were so helpful and made everything run smoothly.

    The Toledo Zoo's reply:

    Rosa!
    I am so happy to hear you had a wonderful time! We are so honored to have been there on such a special day!
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    Emma M. Sent on 11/13/2022
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    Amazing!!!

    The zoo gave us the best possible wedding we could’ve EVER imagined!! They were kind and helpful and kept everything running smoothly from the time we booked, all the way to the wedding day! Rayann is so sweet and took all of my phone calls and questions and never made me feel like I was bothering her. Julia went above and beyond expectations and is a wizard when it comes to setting up decor! If you’re considering the zoo, do yourself a favor and BOOK IT
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  • Jodi
    Jodi L. Sent on 11/17/2022
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    What more can I say than...WOW!!!

    We held my daughter's wedding reception at the Malawi Center this past weekend. Everything was amazing- the ambiance, the food, the staff! I don't have enough exclamation points to interject how wonderful everything was! All the guests raved over the food and the setting. The staff (thank you so much Julia, Rayann, and everyone who worked that night!) was phenomenal, professional, and so helpful!! I just wish I had another daughter to marry off so we could do it again!!! Thank you so much to everyone at the Malawi Center for making our day perfect!!!
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    Joe H. Sent on 07/12/2022
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    Awesome venue with awesome staff!

    100% positive! Staff, caterers, animal handlers, sales staff, and everyone we came into contact with was completely wonderful! Rayann and Sara handled everything with such a great attitude.
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    Kate Q. Sent on 07/15/2022
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    Spectacular Venue and Experience at The Toledo Zoo, Aquarium

    We had such a great experience with Rayann and her team of coordinators at The Toledo Zoo for our wedding reception. They were attentive, easy to work with and incredibly professional – and they helped us to plan and implement a wedding reception in just four months! The Aquarium was a remarkable venue which wowed all of our out-of-town and local guests with its unique exhibits and glowing evening ambiance. The inclusive venue package was well worth the value with its planning services, outside vendor recommendations and management, food and beverage service and overall event coordination. We are thoroughly pleased to have had a flawless experience and memorable wedding reception at The Toledo Zoo and without hesitation, we absolutely recommend private events/wedding services at The Toledo Zoo.
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    Ron C. Sent on 07/05/2022
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    They went well above expectations!!!

    Staff was amazing and venue was beautiful!
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    Lindsay W. Sent on 06/07/2022
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    Beyond Amazing

    I had my wedding reception in the Malawi center. It was beyond perfect. The whole planning process was made so easy by the Zoo staff! Everyone was amazing and very attentive. Rayann and Alivia are amazing people to work with. I did not have to worry at all about anything. All the guests were in awe when walking in! The cocktail hour was on the terrace by the African animals and the guests still have not stopped talking about how cool that was! I cannot thank them enough for a perfect day!
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    Jeffrey V. Sent on 05/17/2022
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    Absolutely Perfect!

    We could not have been happier with our wedding at The Toledo Zoo! Every person on their team was so helpful! Any questions we had throughout the entire planning process were quickly answered. Having a day-of coordinator made our wedding day a breeze - she took away so much stress, making sure we didn't have to worry, and was willing to help with anything needed. Even having to make a last minute switch from the Formal Garden to the Aquarium due to rain was no big deal because they handled everything! The whole experience from start to finish was 10/10. All of our guests raved about the food (and they were being genuine)! The catering staff was so friendly and did an excellent job keeping up with everything. There is nothing bad that we could say about our experience! Both of our families have been loyal zoo members since we can remember, and our amazing wedding just adds another reason to the list of why we love the zoo so much.
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    Ashley B. Sent on 04/30/2022
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    Toledo Zoo Aquarium

    They did an amazing job, they were kind, professional, and punctual. They made everything go smoothly and as planned. They kept in informed and made the day so wonderful. It was more affordable than I thought it would be also,
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    Jessica Q. Sent on 10/30/2019
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    We could not have asked for a better experience!

    We could not have imagined a smoother, more enjoyable wedding planning and day experience. Lexie was wonderful to work with throughout, and always answered questions thoroughly in a timely manner! We are also thankful for Kaitlyn, making sure rehearsal and the day of went nicely. The Formal Gardens were beautiful and the Great Hall in the Museum of Science is magical. The venue and people at the zoo provided us with an incredible wedding, and we are incredibly grateful.

    The Toledo Zoo's reply:

    Jessica thank you so much for your beyond kind review. This truly makes our day to hear this!! We wish you and James all the best! Please come visit us again soon
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    Sarah G. Sent on 10/10/2019
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    October 5 2019

    Organized, friendly people
    I’d write a lot more amazing things, but I don’t have time. Lol

    The Toledo Zoo's reply:

    Thank you, Sarah! We loved working with you and Chris on your wedding day!! We wish you guys all the best!
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    Chelsea Sent on 10/14/2019
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    DO THE ZOO! Best decision I have made for my wedding!

    LOOK NO MORE! The Toledo Zoo- Malawi Center exceeded my every wish for our wedding! Lexie Finnegan is the most amazing, organized, helpful, selfless wedding planner. She went FAR above and beyond helping out my mom and I plan. I miss her actually! The giraffe feeding was unforgettable, the food delicious, the facility immaculately clean, the cocktail hour lovely. This is a MUST for your venue. Your guests will talk about your wedding and how unique and stunning it was forever. Lexie- thank you for making the best day of my life so easy and perfect!

    The Toledo Zoo's reply:

    Thank you Chelsea for your kind words! You were the best bride to work for and we miss you and John!! We wish you guys all the best!
  • Greg
    Greg S. Sent on 08/30/2019
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    Wonderful experience

    Amazing working with Lexi and her crew. They helped make our wedding very memorable. From the planning stages, to the tasting dinner, to finalization, and even during the day itself, they were very helpful and accommodating. And where else could we have a polarbear as a guest. Thanks again.

    The Toledo Zoo's reply:

    Congratulations, Greg and Julie! We loved working with you both from start to finish and had such an amazing day with you, your guests and the polar bears! Wishing you endless love and happiness.
  • Heather
    Heather S. Sent on 09/25/2019
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    Best day of my life

    The zoo was the perfect venue for my wedding. Every detail was executed perfectly allowing me to just get caught up in the magic of the day. I couldn’t dream of a more beautiful day.

    The Toledo Zoo's reply:

    Thank you Heather for your review. We loved all the beautiful details and touches your wedding had! We wish you and Dan all the best!
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    Maggie M. Sent on 02/17/2019
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    The Toledo Zoo Malawi Event Center

    This venue is fantastic! We had a winter wedding there and had some concerns that were never realized. We decided on the additional carts to shuttle the guest which was helpful. Many said it was the best wedding they'd been to! The aquarium as the backdrop is stunning and we could not have been more pleased with the entire process. Magical is one of the best descriptions I can think of. Lexie Finnegan is wonderful to work with. Very responsive and incredibly helpful. The bar and wait staff were so friendly and polite. They were a big help at the end of the night as we were packing things up. You will not be disappointed if you decide on this venue for your wedding or any large party firvtgat matter

    The Toledo Zoo's reply:

    Maggie,
    Thank you so much for choosing us to host your reception - it was an honor and you looked stunning in your dress! We wish you and DJ nothing but the best!
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    Kelly Sent on 03/10/2019
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    Perfect & unique!

    Having our wedding at The Toledo Zoo was perfect and better than we even imagined- even if it happened in the middle of a snow storm! We had our first date here + were engaged here, so we picked to get married here! The aquarium was beautiful and worked out perfectly for us! Lexie was extremely professional, always responsive and made our day run smoothly from beginning to end. The zoo staff were helpful, kind and polite. The food was delicious, and the service was even better! I can’t recommend the zoo enough. All of the wedding venue options are beautiful and unique! If we had to redo our entire day over again, the zoo would still be our #1 choice!

    The Toledo Zoo's reply:

    Kelly we loved you and Alex and loved having the honor of planning your big day! Snow storm and all we had the most magical time. We know we will see you again soon at our Zoo!!
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    Maggie M. Sent on 02/07/2019
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    Lexie was so helpful and willing to work with us on our vision!

    We couldn’t have asked for a better staff and wedding reception.

    The Toledo Zoo's reply:

    We had so much fun seeing your vision come to life! We wish you and DJ the absolute best. Your love for each other is what makes our jobs so worthwhile.
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    Bobbie-Jo N. Sent on 12/13/2018
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    friendly, helpful, ontime

    Staff was helpful, the setup was great as well as clean up. I felt it could have been a little longer. As in, start at 5:45pm and end at 11pm. The Venue is gorgeous and its the one day that its all about the Bride and Groom.

    The Toledo Zoo's reply:

    Thank you so much for your review Bobbie-Jo! We absolutely loved setting up your beautiful decorations and it was an honor to host you and Logan's big day. We wish we could party all night long with you guys :) Hope you have been well and congratulations again!
  • Kristi
    Kristi S. Sent on 10/20/2018
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    The Toledo Zoo took care of everything!

    My husband and I love the Toledo Zoo and so it was the perfect place for us to get married at. We live in Texas now, so we needed a place that would take care of everything! The only thing my husband and I had to get outside of the zoo was our DJ, photographer, and officiant. We got married in front of the elephant exhibit and had the reception in the aquarium. All the guests loved the elephant that came out behind us during the ceremony and loved all the aquariums as a backdrop. Also, Lexie, one of the zoos wedding planners, was amazing!! She always responded to my emails in a timely manner and was patient with my busy teaching schedule, and a time zone difference, when I had to respond back. If you get the chance to get married at the Toledo Zoo, do it! I am so lucky to have been a stress-free bride and my husband and I both got to enjoy our wedding day.

    The Toledo Zoo's reply:

    Kristi thank you SO much for your kind words! It was an honor to host you and Ryan and all your guests. We had so much fun planning with you and watching your big day come to life! Congratulations once again to you both, we wish you well!
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    Allison Sent on 05/01/2019
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    Venue review

    Beautiful Venue! They did such a great job and made our wedding day beautiful.

    The Toledo Zoo's reply:

    Allison thank you so much for your review! We absolutely loved hosting your wedding in our Malawi Event Center. You and Will were a dream to work with!
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    Samantha Sent on 10/03/2018
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    Amazing and Unique Wedding Venue!

    The Toledo Zoo and staff are amazing. The Malawi Pavilion where I had my reception was so beautiful and the perfect place for a wedding. The staff was so receptive, I probably sent over a hundred emails with questions about the big day, and they were wonderful at keeping me calm and helping us to have the best wedding. I loved working with them.

    The Toledo Zoo's reply:

    Samantha these photos are stunning! You are Robert were such a joy and there was so much love on your big day! We loved planning with you and would do it every day of the week if we could :) Congratulations once again, come see us soon!
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    Molly Sent on 08/13/2018
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    The Toledo zoo exceeded our expectations. They made our wedding dream come true. The appetizers were amazing with the crab stuffed mushrooms and veggies. They decorated for us we just provided everything and gave instruction on what we wanted. Lexie was amazing and very responsive with emails through the whole planning process. Catie was our coordinator and did an amazing job as well. She helped us pack everything and ensured nothing was forgotten. The staff that was working was very nice and well dressed. Having our wedding at the Toledo zoo was our dream and it was 100% what we wanted and surpassed our expectation. Our guests were all amazed and loved the beauty of the formal garden for our ceremony. We went to the aquarium for the reception. Guests loved how close those two venues were together so they could walk and enjoy the scenery. <3

    The Toledo Zoo's reply:

    Molly we greatly appreciate all your thoughtful words about our Zoo! We are so thankful that your wedding was everything you dreamed for - this is our ultimate goal! Please come see us again soon. Congratulations to you and Brian, we wish you all the love in the world!
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    Katrina Sent on 09/13/2017
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    Absolutely fabulous! From the initial meeting to our last dance everything was smooth and perfect. The staff was personable and professional. They made planning easy and handled a lot of the finer details for us. The venue was beautiful in the aqua and the gardens we perfect for photos. Wish we could do it all over again just to work with the staff. It was a dream come true!
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    Morgan Sent on 09/01/2017
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    The price of the Toledo zoo is comparable with most other venues in the area, the benefit of choosing this venue (besides that it is totally awesome and unique) is that it is all inclusive! The staff at the Toledo zoo took care of every little detail leading up to and on our big day. Staff was on hand every moment to make sure that everything went to plan and headed any issues off without a hitch! Our guests are still raving about the awesome experience at our aquarium ceremony and cocktail hour in the African pavilion. Our reception was in the Nairobi pavillon and it wa absolutely gorgoues. The staff from start to finish was professional and fun and it seemed like they actually enjoyed their jobs! They took time to make sure that myself, my husband and our bridal party had every little thing we could need at every moment. Good was excellent, alcohol was great, great options for entertaining kids. If I had to do it all over again, I'd look no farther than the zoo.
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