Weddings
A Wedding Day Like No Other
Rosamond Gifford Zoo is one of the most unique settings to celebrate your special day. Home to more than 700 animals, a wedding at the zoo sends a message about your love for nature, conservation and our environment. Best of all, proceeds benefit our animals and support the zoo’s mission.
We host wedding ceremonies, cocktail parties and receptions. Our in-house catering team has the culinary experience and professional expertise to make your wedding unforgettable.
Our wedding packages include private menu tasting, free and easy parking, a complimentary one-year dual membership to the zoo for the couple, and more!
Book a tour today and say “I Do” at the Zoo!
Book your wedding by December 31, 2022
and receive a complimentary Meet and Greet
with an animal ambassador.
PLUS – Receive 50% off your ceremony venue rental
including Elephant Overlook or Penguin Coast!
Say "I Do" at the Zoo!
Featured Venues
Elephant Overlook
Ceremony at Elephant Overlook
$1500
Start your “Ever After” with Elephants! Hold an unforgettable wedding ceremony on the main overlook of the Helga Beck Asian Elephant Preserve. This newly available events venue offers an awe-inspiring view of magnificent Asian elephants interacting in the preserve just below.
Penguin Coast
Ceremony at Penguin Coast
$1000
Say “I Do at the Zoo” with the perfect party of witnesses, our colony of Humboldt penguins! The patio at Penguin Coast offers a unique spot to say your vows – in front of the viewing window with the best-dressed birds at the zoo swimming and diving nearby. Add a little splash to your wedding! Include a fun bubble enrichment for the penguins after your vows and watch the action!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, our minimum guaranteed guest count is 50 people.
While our banquet room rental capacity is up to 200 guests for a buffet style dinner, we recommend 175 or less for events with a dance floor (like weddings!) and 150 or less for plated dinners with a dance floor. We can accommodate up to 300 people for a cocktail and hors d’oeuvre reception.
An appointment is required to view our venue. Our event calendar tends to be very busy and our banquet room may be in use by another client if you drop in unexpectedly. One of our event coordinators would be happy to give you a detailed tour and answer any questions you might have.
Catering at the Zoo is a full service in-house catering facility and we are not able to accommodate outside caterers.
We get this questions all the time, but it really depends on your vision for the day. Cash bar vs. open bar, zoo rentals and menu choices all affect the price tag. The number of people you are expecting is a huge factor in the overall cost, and entertaining 50 people is vastly different from entertaining 150. We believe you can have a beautiful, meaningful wedding on any budget, but the more people you wish to join the festivities the more you can expect to invest.
We do have a required minimum spend of $7500 (total cost including food, beverage, alcohol, facilities rental, service charge and sales tax) on Saturdays from June to October. On Fridays and Sundays during the season or during off-peak months we have more flexibility.
What our clients say...
We chose to have our wedding reception at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo because it holds a special place in our hearts. Not only was it where we had one of our first dates, but we also just love animals. We wanted to make sure that we were putting our money into a good cause and what better way to celebrate our marriage then to help all of the animals at the zoo!
Diana Dunn & Ramzi El-Hassan
We had the best wedding! Everyone had a great time. The staff was so friendly, the food was awesome, and the animals were so fun! I highly recommend this venue to any bride!!!
Emily Tripepi
Highly recommend events here. Laura and Brian‘s wedding could not have gone more smoothly or received more compliments. Food, staff and facilities were all of highest caliber and so easy to work with. Thank you to everyone!
Paula Daley
Can’t say enough amazing things to express how happy we are that we went with the zoo for our wedding!! Everyone was unbelievably helpful and on the ball through the whole process, and our wedding day was so fun that we are still hearing about it regularly almost six months later. If I could rate higher than excellent, I would. They’re awesome!!!
Rebecca Jones
The Zoo catering crew exceeded all of our expectations! Our family and friends all had a fabulous time and we even had friends saying they wished they had done their wedding at the zoo. Thank you for a fantastic night!