Taronga Centre — Attraction in Sydney

Nothing but disappointment from the beginning Signed a contract with a package, only informed the package had changed at meal tasting. No prior communication. Package only honoured when we provided evidence Meal tasting we were told we couldn’t have additional guests, item listed as part of contract. At meal tasting 2 of the 6 meals provided were not ones we selected. 1 wasn’t even on the menu to select. No opportunity to have a retasting at our expense. Communication with the group is deplorable. After 6 weeks of no responses to emails or calls we contacted head office. When manager Jacinta finally called us back, she blamed covid for delayed response. Team Implemented ooo messages after this call.

See the list below in how Trippas White Group, failed in our expectations

1. service was ordinary. Table service was not delivered together, staff often confused on who is receiving meals, instances where half the table would be served 5 minutes before the rest of the table ect. We confirmed there would be a staff ratio of 20:1, however no more than 3 personnel were seen to serve meals all night for 100 person event.
2. Servers could not answer questions about what the canapés were being served. 3 ) Servers were obsessed with collecting glassware when the guest just finished. This left guests confused and requiring to go the the bar for new glassware.
3. minimal roaming service of alcohol. This lack of service causes a clogging effect on the bar with only 1 bar tender.
4. the “included” table salad was dismally small for a table to 8-10. It needs to be noted we already upgraded our meals with additional add ons. If we didn’t I believe people would go hungry.
5. No dedicated staff for the bridal party. We were ignored most the night and only had drinks filled once.
6. there was no roaming service of the complementary tea or coffee. We needed to specifically ask.
7. we paid $150 extra to have a dedicated staff member complete the barista coffee. Imagine my surprise when I found that i paid extra for the person already assigned to the bar, or the event planner of the night to complete this task. Barista style coffee supplied was in a take-away cups when crockery was available.
8. During the canapés hour (additional charge we paid) the rooftop ran out of drinks. Then towards the end of the canapé hour, guests were informed that there were no more beers available for consumption and had to wait until the reception. This should not have occurred as we had a 6 hour package. 10 ) overall timing for service was DISMLY slow. During the planning stage we asked for meal timing to be sped up, to which was agreed. However on the night, it was ignored. My husband needed to walk into the kitchen and ask what the hold up was for dessert as everything was all ready to go and no-one ready to serve it. 11 ) general zoo photography experience was a huge disappointment. From wasting 10 mins at the wrong gate, to having to wait 5 mins for a golf buggy driver, to a golf buggy not going more than 5km/hr (which we paid extra for) to being taken to a location which couldn’t facilitate the images provided on their social media.
9. no staff communicated the bridal room to the two women with breastfeeding babies - even when discussed during planning stage.
10. the unprofessional request of asking 100 guests to turn around when the bride arrived early. Decision should come from Bride how to proceed (ie drive around block or sneak in)
11. at the end of the night, some staff saw the opportunity to pull apart and pick flowers whilst guests were still in the room. Staff were informed flowers were available to take only following all guests departure.

It’s my opinion that the Trippas White Group cannot rely on the view of this venue for future events if this is the standard that is offered. When you paid a price you expect a certain level of professionalism and service. All feedback provided to team and we were informed all points above were in “conflict” with team. Feedback listed above was collected from over 20 individuals...

An Unforgettable Wedding at Taronga Event Centre, Sydney

We recently celebrated our wedding on 8th August 2025 at the Gili Rooftop, and it was nothing short of magical. From start to finish, the entire experience was flawless — the location overseeing the Sydney harbour and Opera house, the service by Wait staff, who knew exactly what everyone could and could not eat, telling us in a personalised way, all exceeded our expectations and even beyond our wildest imagination. The Food was outstanding. Complimented by the Service. Our Guests enjoyed it. So did we as hosts. Thank you!

The venue itself is breath-taking, offering iconic panoramic views of Sydney Harbour that made the perfect backdrop for our special day. Our guests couldn’t stop talking about the stunning scenery, both during the ceremony and later in the evening when the city lights glittered across the water. Thankfully the Rain held off till after 8PM so we had a lovely time on the rooftop Balcony.

A heartfelt thank you to the Taronga Events team for their exceptional service:

Lauren (Sales Team) — From our very first enquiry, Lauren was friendly, attentive, and incredibly helpful in guiding us through the planning process. Her prompt communication and genuine care set the tone for everything that followed.

Brooke (Wedding coordinator) - She was on the ball with the event.

Aswini (F&B Supervisor) — Ensured every aspect of food and beverage service ran smoothly. I requested a certain Alcohol to be changed and she managed it with prompt attention. The menu was beautifully presented, delicious, and perfectly timed, with Aswini and her team were there, knew who had any food restrictions etc, making sure every guest was looked after. Thank you Aswini!

Sara (Bridal Assistant) — Coordinated our wedding day logistics with warmth and professionalism. She went above and beyond to make our photo sessions around the Zoo memorable, especially the enchanting shots by the Giraffe enclosure — truly a highlight for us. Thanks for being very Nice and to get us the BEST photos with the Giraffes. You went beyond your Job description!

Rimsha (Bartender) — Friendly, welcoming, and attentive, keeping the drinks flowing and spirits high all evening.

And not forgetting all the People in background, like the Chefs, Administrators, Management etc. Everyone deserves an Applause. Thank you.

A very kind word of note to Taronga Docs team - There are a few things that could have been improved - two things especially that come to my mind - make the booking process and selecting the F&B easy. Inclusions and exclusions should be spelt out clearly. Just humbly saying - I was confused by the process. And 6 separate PDF attachments in every email by your team. No one can read all that stuff especially when they run into a few pages. When I have a "Big Day" planned - there are a 100 moving things to take care from this side of the fence btw. I took my chances not reading all the print to the nth degree and sort of regretted it on my special day. "Johnny Walker Red label" Whisky was on the Shelf. Whisky and Spirits need to be Quality. RED LABEL should be DEFINITELY off your Menu (it slipped into mine). That is not for a venue like yours. It's the Cheapest Whisky. Atleast it should be Gold Label as a minimum for your Venue class. I would have been ridiculed for this "Johnny Walker Red Label" inclusion as the ONLY Whisky, by my friends for a Lifetime :) thankfully I asked Aswini to take it off and she did it! Thankfully. Jack Daniels (JD) was a better, respectable option. Again kudos to your F&B staff who managed to get some alternate stuff out there quickly.

We stayed the night at Taronga retreat, which I would also highly recommend, especially after an exhausting, fun-filled evening! My wife said the Brekky was outstanding, and so were the Views of the Sydney harbour.

We couldn’t have asked for a better team or a more beautiful venue. Thank...

We were so excited to have our daughters wedding at Taronga Zoo reception earlier this month, our guests were looking forward to attending the reception. We had international and interstate guests who joined us in celebrating this special event.

However we had nothing but disappointment from the staff and the catering company. The food was not worth the money we paid per head. Our guests left hungry and very disappointed. Very embarrassing when your guests were treated like kids from by the staff too. Guests asked for extra bread rolls and they told, No!!

My daughter was told by the function coordinator that they will have a staff member looking after them the whole night, well that didn’t happen.

The wedding cake was not an ordinary wedding cake. It was an Italian style cake, we were told that it took the chef 40 mins to cut the cake. When the cake came to the tables, it was displayed like a mess. No forks or even napkins!! We had our guests eating the cake with their hands.

Taronga Zoo charge $ 5.00 per head to serve individually pieces of cake, they charge $70 corkage fee, if you bring your own alcohol . A limit of 15 litres only. If you don’t use the whole 15 litres you still pay for it. It is definitely not worth the $$$$ per head. I would never recommend this reception. Definitely not worth the money. You pay for the view, that’s it.

We gave our feedback to the reception and of course, nothing, no apology, we just got brushed us off. Very...