Weddings & Receptions

The Indianapolis Zoo works exclusively with Aramark for all its catering services.

Cakes, however, are allowed from a licensed professional bakery of your choice.

Alcohol is permitted and managed entirely through Aramark.

The only requirements are the facility rental plus tax and the catering minimum plus basic fees (9 percent sales tax, 23 percent service fee and $250 setup fee).

The $200 setup fee payable to Aramark includes all tables and chairs (tables and chairs for dinner, ceremony chairs, guest book table, gift table, a/v table, unity table, cake table, DJ table, escort card table, buffet tables), the setup and tear down of all tables and chairs, all standard linens and napkins (black, white or ivory), all silverware and dinnerware for your dinner tables (china and glass) and a round tile mirror and three votive candles per table.

*As the flooring in the Bicentennial Pavilion is cement, due to breakage,  china/glass is rented through Aramark.

Parking is free for all wedding-related events.

Guests are welcome to park anywhere in the Zoo parking lot. However, parking is only offered on a first-come, first-served basis and cannot be blocked off or reserved.

Admission is only required for daytime events (9am-3pm). For all other wedding-related events, admission is not required.

These events are located within Zoo grounds, so guests pay admission to get to those locations. As admission is required, guests are then free to enjoy the Zoo grounds during regular hours.

Discounted admission tickets are available for groups of 10 or more.

Evening rentals begin after operating hours, which vary depending on the facility you choose and the time of year, and are available until midnight. A day ceremony is available from 9am to 1pm and a day ceremony/reception package is available from 9am to 3pm.

We guarantee access to the dressing rooms 2 hours prior and you are welcome to arrive anytime during operating hours for photos! Aramark will begin set up 2 hours prior. Your contracted vendors such as DJ, florist, etc. can arrive 2 hours prior.

Aramark staff will begin setup two hours prior to your event.

Dressing rooms are guaranteed for an evening wedding and reception package at no extra cost. We offer two classroom-style rooms with tables, chairs, tall standing mirrors and coat racks. You may access the rooms beginning two hours prior to your event. Your personal items need to be removed prior to the ceremony as the dressing rooms are not accessible after the ceremony. However, as those rooms are often in use during regular hours for Zoo-related events, dressing rooms are not guaranteed for daytime weddings. If they are not in use by the Zoo, rooms will be made available at no extra cost and notification of room availability will be provided two weeks prior. Dressing rooms are not offered for evening-only receptions. If you would like to access the dressing rooms earlier than two hours prior, please ask your sales representative two weeks prior to your event.

A rehearsal will be held the day prior for an hour during operating hours. It will be scheduled 30 days prior to your event.

The rehearsal is included in your wedding package and there is no additional fee for a facility rental, admission, parking or catering minimum.

Most facilities do not have sound restrictions. However, the Oceans Building and the St. Vincent Dolphin Gallery do have some limitations. Amplified sound is not permitted in the Oceans Building. In the St. Vincent Dolphin Gallery, there is a sound limit of 90 decibels (very loud!) and amplified sound is not permitted in the underwater viewing dome.

The Zoo allows types of decor to celebrate your special day. We do ask that you do not use birdseed, rice, glitter, confetti, balloons, sparklers, sky lanterns or poppers, as these items can be harmful to our animals. Specifically for the Efroymson Wedding Garden, we do allow temporary decorations but we ask that items not be staked into the ground.