Zoo Weddings

Our tropical outdoor setting is available for your special day from full ceremonies
and receptions to wedding photos.

Location:RainForest Grove offers a natural living canopy of giant ficus trees surrounding your wedding party and guests. This open-air secluded spot can accommodate 600+ seated guests and includes viewing of the African lions. You may also arrange for this area to be tented.

Timing: Wedding ceremonies may start between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. and may last up to 2 hours. Receptions are handled separately and may last longer than 2-hour time.

Guests may arrive at any time prior to the wedding to enjoy the zoo during regular operating hours between 9:30 and 5:30.

Access: Wedding party and guests may enter through The ZOO Gift Shop or through the private north garden gate entrance and walk through garden to the wedding location in RainForest Grove.

Naples Zoo offers two standard packages.
Additional options can also be quoted.

Small Wedding: This includes location fee for use of RainForest Grove, admission for the bride and groom and the officiant and up to 20 guests and up to four musicians. This also includes 20 white or green plastic chairs for guests. A representative of the Naples Zoo will also be available during the wedding. The wedding couple will also receive complimentary zoo memberships to Naples Zoo valid through their one year anniversary. All public areas of Naples Zoo may also be used anytime during open hours on the day of the ceremony for wedding photos (bride in RainForest Grove and along waterfront).

If the wedding details or decorations are complex, we request you hire the services of a wedding planner for the zoo to work with. You may also rent different chairs, platforms for wedding party, runners, tents, etc. through local suppliers. You may also include a cake cutting during your ceremony time in RainForest Grove

Location fee: $750 plus tax.
A $250 nonrefundable deposit is required to hold a zoo locations and a date.

Large Wedding: This includes admission for the bride and groom and officiant and up to 250 guests, location fee for RainForest Grove, and safety escort fees for delivery vehicles while traveling on zoo property. You may also arrange a wedding rehearsal the day before the ceremony during operating hours which may include all members of the wedding party and parents of the bride and groom. A representative of the Naples Zoo will also be available during the wedding. The wedding couple will also receive complimentary zoo memberships to Naples Zoo valid through their one year anniversary. All public areas of Naples Zoo may also be used anytime during open hours on the day of the ceremony for photos of the bride and groom and wedding party.

To insure your wedding is everything you expect, the zoo requires a wedding planner for all large weddings. All chairs and wedding accessories are to be arranged by the planner and confirmed with the zoo.

Location fee: $2,750 plus tax.
A $250 nonrefundable deposit is required to hold a zoo locations and a date.

Receptions: All receptions are booked separately and quoted based on the specifics of your group. The zoo can also offer after hours events for wedding and receptions through our evening events program.

©Patricia Esposito

Other Fees: Any vehicles making deliveries inside the zoo must be escorted by zoo staff and require a fee per trip. This fee is waived for both size weddings for the first two trips. A fee of $30 per round trip is assessed for all additional trips.

As every wedding can be unique, please contact us for a firm quote with any special requests.

Important Information:
RainForest Grove is an open-air setting. You may host your wedding outside or choose to rent a tent.

The wedding party is to arrive dressed as no changing facilities are available.

©Sara Timmons

Amplified music is permitted in RainForest Grove by special permission and arrangement with the performers to guarantee modest sound levels.

Unless a caterer licensed for alcohol in our facility is present, champagne/wine toasts are not permitted. Alcohol must be consumed only in RainForest Grove.

Any additional floral arrangements or arches can be arranged by Naples Zoo from the garden itself or must be approved through the zoo's botanist.

Depending on zoo staff availability to drive, a golf cart can be rented to take wedding parties to locations for photos and the wedding. Fees are quoted at time of inquiry.

Additional options can be added depending on time of year and staff availability including personal animal encounters with some of the zoo's inhabitants and a professional zookeeper to greet guests or to stand with wedding party, etc. Fees are quoted at time of inquiry.

For more information, call the zoo's group sales office at 239.260.5409 ext 127.