Wedding planning can be stressful, but we can help! Riverbanks Zoo and Garden makes having the wedding of your dreams easy. Let’s set the stage: a wedding ceremony overlooking the lush and vibrantly colored botanical gardens with peacefully flowing fountains. There’s a quiet hush from having the gardens all to yourselves for this special moment. The sun is setting in the background as your first kiss is shared as husband and wife. Turning to face family and friends, you take the first steps of a new life together. Your guests walk into the reception to start the party. You and your spouse stay behind in the gardens to capture those beautiful once in a lifetime photographs together and to soak it all in for a moment.
Whether you are looking to have your ceremony and reception or just the reception, Riverbanks can make any wedding day magical. Our Magnolia Room is perfect for receptions up to 150 guests. At $1750 for four hours during our peak season, the Magnolia Room and our beautiful Botanical Gardens are yours for the night. This room is one of our most versatile spaces. It can be transformed anyway desired.
Rental fee includes:
- Tables for reception
- Chairs for reception
- Linens (white, black, or chocolate brown)
- Set up
- Clean up
- Event Manager
- Tram service
- Access to the Magnolia Boardroom
Our gardens are perfect for an outside ceremony. Each season brings new plants and flowers. A flowing fountain runs through the middle, lighting up at night. The trees are wrapped in lights, giving off a soft glow to add that enchanting feel. Guests can walk from the parking lot up to the Magnolia Center experiencing all the gardens have to offer. For those who do not wish to walk, a complimentary white wedding tram will be running to drive guests up to the ceremony and back to the parking lot after the reception.
With plenty of natural light, mirrors, and plug-ins, our Magnolia boardroom is the perfect space for the Bride and her ladies to get ready in. The Bride can then exit from either the Boardroom French doors or the Magnolia Center doors out into the ceremony that takes place on the terrace overlooking the gardens. Ceremonies happen an hour after the zoo closes, giving your wedding an exclusive feel. In case of bad weather, a rain plan is in place for inside the Magnolia Center. We do not have ceremony chairs in house, but we take all the stress away by renting them on your behalf. A ceremony set-up fee, along with the chair rental and delivery fee would be required.
The Reception takes place inside the Magnolia Room. Our team handles complete set up and tear down of the event. Upon arrival, the Magnolia Room will be set up awaiting the finishing touches from your other vendors. We supply linens (white, black or chocolate brown) and simple lantern centerpieces, but outside décor is welcome. Our food stations are beautifully decorated by our staff to match the feel of the Magnolia Room. Riverbanks Zoo and Garden requires the use of our full service catering and bar. This saves you the headache of searching for caterers! From heavy hors d’oeuvres to a plated dinner, the possibilities are endless. Our food is truly magnificent and not typical “zoo food” by any means! Our Wedding Representative will calculate the minimum food and beverage spend depending on your guest count and event date. Our menus and bar packages can be viewed online on our website.
At the end of the night, have your guests send you off in the front of the Magnolia Center. A sparkler send-off is an eye catching way to end a magical night before riding off to the honeymoon. Don’t worry about leaving family behind to clean up the post wedding mess! Our event staff has it covered. Your family simply has to take whatever décor you’ve brought and call it a night. It doesn’t get any easier than that!
Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is truly a unique venue to host a wedding. We make it simple from the very start. Come let Riverbanks take some of the wedding planning stress away. For more information, fill out our inquiry form or call our Private Events Department at (803) 602-0900 to speak to one of our representatives.
