Skip to main content
Weddings
One couple is considering this venue right now. Save your date

About

On Hitched.co.uk since 2021

Last update: May 2025

Chester Zoo is a wedding venue and zoological garden that can set the stage for a truly unforgettable and distinctive celebration. Adored by happy couples and animal lovers alike!

The Oakfield

At Chester Zoo's charming Oakfield manor house, your nearest and dearest are bound to be impressed by the vintage architecture. A listed building that has been lovingly restored, it is replete with detailed wood panelling, and the walls are lined with old-fashioned photos. You and your partner can say 'I do' in the gardens, a wonderful place to make your union official. After your ceremony, you can explore the zoo while enjoying your photoshoot. The zoo is home to 27,000 species of animals, and you are welcome to pose beside them. Ceremonies and receptions can take place inside the mansion.

The Square

A stunning new venue based in the original stable block where the zoo began back in the 1930s.We’re breathing new life into square one of our zoo. You’ll find The Square in a secluded setting in the heart of the zoo. Featuring an impressive, gated entrance, the building features a large private courtyard, exposed brick walls, vaulted rafters, large feature windows overlooking the garden and a host of original features which tell the story of the original building.

Services Offered

The Chester Zoo staff is passionate about helping soon-to-be newlyweds with planning their special days. As such, they offer a variety of services designed to do just that. Consultations, planning assistance, and day-of coordination are just a few of the duties they are happy to perform. In addition, the venue's exceptional culinary team can complement your event with a mouth-watering meal.

Flexibility and creativity

The venue offers ultimate flexibility for weddings and corporate events, with a 200 capacity venue as well as a courtyard, garden and set of unique smaller meeting spaces.

Sustainability, built in

The building itself is being sustainably renovated. From sedum roofs, to the use of reclaimed materials and air source heating solutions.

Frequently asked questions

Venue type:

In the country
Pub or restaurant
Unusual weddings
Historic
Landmark
Barn
Outdoor license
Unique weddings

Ceremony options:

Civil ceremony licence

Dining options:

Seated meal facilities
Corkage option
Alcohol licence
Buffet meal facilities
In-house catering

Evening entertainment:

Entertainment licence
Live band facilities
Evening reception facilities
DJ facilities

Overnight accommodation:

Overnight accommodation for wedding couple
Overnight accommodation for guests

Venue staff assistance:

Master of ceremonies/toastmaster
Wedding coordinator

Venue leisure facilities:

Hairdresser

Other features:

Exclusive use
Accessible facilities
Car parking
illustration notebook

Do you have any questions?

Reviews for Chester Zoo

A
Amy Sent on 30/05/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Unreal wedding!!

We had such an amazing experience at Chester zoo for our wedding day. We chose to get married at the oakfield as we liked how much character it had, rather than the other venue. Overall, the staff were amazing, a special shout out to Jess (our wedding planner) who made our wedding so special and helped with everything we wanted! The staff on the day made it! They were so full of life and everyone loved them, especially the bar staff! The venue itself is amazing, we had access to the oakfield all day, and was even allowed around the zoo at night to take photos, which were an unreal experience and felt so special to us! Overall I would 1000% recommend this venue! It’s so unique and you get some much included for the price. The day went seamlessly with no issues, that I know of! We will forever remember this special day! Thank you to all the staff x
Gemma
Gemma Sent on 13/07/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Perfect venue, perfect day

We had our wedding at Chester Zoo and it was absolutely perfect! From start to finish, the experience was seamless thanks to the fantastic wedding co-ordinator who kept in regular contact and provided updates every step of the way. On the day itself, she made sure everything ran smoothly – she was truly amazing.

The food was incredible, with delicious options for everyone, including lovely vegan and vegetarian dishes that our guests are still talking about. All the staff were so helpful, friendly, and professional – we honestly can’t fault a thing.

Chester Zoo is a unique and beautiful venue, and we feel so lucky to have celebrated our special day there. We would 100% recommend it to anyone looking for a memorable and unique wedding venue.
Phil
Phil Sent on 20/06/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Perfect venue for a perfect day

Throughout the planning process, our contacts at the zoo were very knowledgeable, organised and responsive. Any questions were swiftly answered. They kept regular contact with vendors we hired for the day, too.

We had a number of meetings where we went through the plans for the day, which were then emailed to us swiftly, with any changes reflected.

We met the chef when tasting the menu and he was able to answer any queries without any issues.

On the day itself, everyone was on the ball. Organisation was amazing. Service staff were brilliant. DJ was great.

Let's hope I don't have ton get married again, but if I would, I'd choose the square at Chester zoo again without a doubt.
Courtney
Courtney Sent on 09/07/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Stunning venue

What a perfect venue for a wedding. So unique and so perfect in every way.
Rachel was the best listening to any questions and always being on hand when we needed she is a credit to Chester zoo events and the girls we where handed over to for the actual day were on top of everything.
S
Sarah Sent on 04/09/2024
3.4 out of 5 rating

Expensive, not flexible and vegan meal awful

Our wedding was on 15/8/2024 - we met with the Wedding Co-Ordinator regularly

One thing which we couldnt choose was the DJ - despite informing them that the DJ makes or breaks the wedding atmosphere the answer was it was part of the price and we could have our own but we had to pay extra - the DJ was awful - empty dancefloor at 10:30pm and so I had to go over and speak to him - our guests thought he was very lazy

Also we were told that the venue would be closed to general public from 4pm and at 4:30 we still had general public walking through with pushchairs and children running around

the vegan meal was awful - we had fish and chips which were fabulous but the vegan meal was so tiny (smaller than their starter) so I had to ask for fries to be cooked and would pay for this - we didnt try the vegan meal as we eat meat however choose a vegan meal to try

we put a complaint in and they said they would take my comments on board - apparently at 12am at night guests are apparently meant to walk through the zoo to make their own way 'drunk' to the gates - which is dangerous - the agreement was initially there would be staff but then IO spent ythe evening trying to find staff

Not worth the money
Chloe
Chloe Sent on 03/08/2024
5 out of 5 rating

What a venue!

An absolutely gorgeous venue and staff who could not be happier to help! In particular, Frankie, our coordinator, was very accommodating to our wants and always happy to assist. The location is extremely beautiful and I recommend adding the ranger walk!
Madeline
Madeline Sent on 23/12/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Beautiful Historic Building!

The Oakfield was a beautiful venue for our wedding at Chester Zoo! The building was absolutely lovely and created the perfect atmosphere to celebrate our big day. From the cozy intimate library room for our ceremony, to the charming bar and dance floor, to the indoor-outdoor feeling garden room for the reception, this space was truly phenomenal. And a huge thank you to all the staff at The Oakfield for everything they did to make the day so special. Our guests were completely blown away by the food, and are still saying how it’s the best food they’ve ever had at a wedding! Magda was fantastic on the day making sure everything ran smoothly and all of our guests were catered for. Ellen went above and beyond to help coordinate every detail and request for the day, and I can not thank her enough for all of her hard work! We highly recommend having your wedding at The Oakfield at Chester Zoo!
M
Matt Sent on 25/02/2020
5 out of 5 rating

Dream come true!

Getting married at Chester Zoo was a dream come true for us! But we had no idea just how magical it would all be. We were completely blown away by the beauty of the Oakfield - especially at Christmas! The building just seemed to come alive! Everywhere was so perfectly decorated and every little detail was thought about. From the minute we started planning we were put so at ease by the team who were there to help us every step of the way; we cannot thank them enough. The Oakfield staff made our day so relaxed and were there to cater for everyone’s needs all through the day; nothing was ever too much. Our wedding was everything we ever wanted and more, we wouldn't have changed a single thing and I cannot recommend Chester Zoo & The Oakfield enough. A truly magical day we will never forget. We look forward to returning to The Oakfield in the years to come to relive the perfect memories we made on our special day!
We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to make your big decisions easier.

Badges

illustration stars

Did the reviews win you over?

Chester Zoo Real Weddings

Cassie & Chris
51 photos · 17/04/2025
Chloe & James
48 photos · 23/07/2024
James & Jade
29 photos · 29/08/2017

Deals

Map

Upton by Chester CH2 1EU Hoole (Cheshire)
illustration visit

Would you like to schedule a visit?

Other suppliers in Cheshire for your wedding

Wedding Venues

Replies within 24 hours