Having been married before and come away disappointed by the ceremony, Sara knew exactly how she wanted her wedding to feel this time around. And when the chance arose to fulfil her lifelong dream of getting married at a zoo, the venue was an easy choice.

Sara and Ethan exchanged vows while being watched over by California condors from their nearby exhibit. Guests spent cocktail hour following maps around the grounds and meeting the animals before returning for a reception filled with black details and pop-punk references.

“We had a loose theme of ‘’Til Death’, but I also feel you could call it somewhat pop punk,” Sara said. “I am girly but also wanted to incorporate our mutual love of all things black, doom and gloom.”

Sara had always imagined herself getting married in a black gown, and finding the dress became her favourite part of planning. Instead of a veil, she wore a cape attached at the shoulders. Seeing the complete look during her final fitting brought her to tears. The bridesmaids wore white, reversing the expected bridal party colour palette and making Sara’s black gown even more striking.

The ceremony soundtrack included instrumental versions of songs by Fleetwood Mac, the Jonas Brothers and Taylor Swift. Sara quoted Taylor Swift’s Invisible String for her vows while Ethan chose a line from Cassandra Clare’s The Infernal Devices series.

Sara walked down the aisle with both her parents and the ceremony also included a memorial table honouring loved ones who could not be there. “Both of my parents mean the absolute world to me, and my mum had been dealing with some health issues, so the fact she was able to be there to also walk me down the aisle meant the world to me”, Sara said.

At the reception, tables were named after some of Sara and Ethan’s favourite artists, including Fleetwood Mac, Black Sabbath, Green Day, Post Malone and Pierce the Veil. Guests received wooden spiderweb coasters as favours and added wooden pieces to a tombstone-shaped frame in place of signing a traditional guest book.

The venue became their biggest expense, although a chance meeting helped bring it within reach. After their original venue plans fell through, Sara ran into Jenn, an old school acquaintance, at a bridal show. Jenn told her about the zoo’s developing wedding venue and the introductory rate available to couples. Sara immediately called her mum to see whether they could make the numbers work.

A major selling point was knowing that the venue fee would return to the zoo and support its animals. With help from their families, Sara and Ethan secured the location and gave Sara the zoo wedding she had imagined for years.

Once the formalities were finished, the party leaned fully into loud music and late-night chaos. The couple sang with their friends and relatives until the venue kicked them out, then ended the night taking shots with friends in the car park.

Her advice for other couples is to give planning the time it needs and enjoy the strange little world that exists before the wedding arrives. “It’s okay to take your time saving and planning! Collect things a bit at a time, try every kind of catering and cake, do all the things and really soak it in and enjoy yourself! The day-of goes SO fast, so make sure to enjoy the whole process.”