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Point Defiance Pagoda Reviews

Point Defiance Pagoda

Point Defiance Pagoda

Tacoma, WA
3.7 out of 5 rating, 13 Reviews
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Reviews

3.7 out of 5 rating
3.7 out of 5 rating
13 Reviews
75% recommend it
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  • Quality of service
    4.1 out of 5 rating
  • Average response time
    3.7 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    3.8 out of 5 rating
  • Value
    3.8 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    3.3 out of 5 rating
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Awards

13
  • J
    Jesika Sent on 05/04/2016
    5 out of 5 rating
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    My husband and I were lucky enough to find that the Pagoda was available two months before our wedding after our first venue had a scheduling conflict. Our wedding was on new years day and we could not have been more blessed to have this space available to us. We had about 115 guests at our wedding and were able to do the ceremony and reception indoors at the Pagoda. We even were able to do the rehearsal the night before for about and hour. It turned out beautiful and we loved how flexible and helpful the attendants at the Pagoda were.
  • Brent
    Brent Sent on 09/02/2009
    5 out of 5 rating
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    All of the staff at Metro Parks were wonderful to work with. The location was opened earlier than we expected, and things went so very smooth with our wedding ceremony outside at the flagpole area, and the reception inside the Pagoda. If you have the ability to wait for the right day for you and have the funds, we highly recommend this venue!
  • M
    Michele Sent on 10/06/2013
    4.9 out of 5 rating
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    The Pagoda at Point Defiance Zoo and Park was a very beautiful place for our summer wedding! We were married in front of the Japanese Garden and Pond. Our wedding reception was both inside the Pagoda and outside with views of Mount Rainier and the Puget Sound. Our wedding guests were very touched by our wedding ceremony location and enjoyed the sights and sounds of our wedding reception location! The Pagoda staff were very helpful and friendly and we would highly recommend this location to anyone for any event! Thank you so much! :)

    Michele and Nina
    • illustration stars

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  • J
    Bianca Sent on 06/12/2019
    4.8 out of 5 rating
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    Beautiful venue with a little touch

    the pagoda is a beautiful place. we wanted a simple and elegant wedding as family was helping coordinate and plan, and it turned out Amazing! the patio was included in initial fee so we was able to get married outside and have reception inside. the only downfall was certain areas were public on the outside and parking slightly tight, but it was as perfect for us!!
  • User1254374 Sent on 07/23/2013
    4.8 out of 5 rating
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    Beautiful location, plus so much outside space for kids (and adults). It was perfect. We held our ceremony at the bottom of the grand staircase and there was room for all 130 of our guests, then our reception was mainly inside but we put tables around the outside of the pagoda as well. The staff (especially the on site staff) was great, although sometimes getting an email response was tough. It is expensive, but you get a lot of space. For us, it was the perfect location for a casual, largely outdoor, summer wedding.
  • B
    Brenda Sent on 06/25/2019
    4 out of 5 rating
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    Wedding and Reception Venue

    Beautiful setting for my wedding and reception. A bit costly but the view made it worth it. Everyone loved it. Daniel was helpful and professional. Thank you!
  • A
    Ashley Sent on 07/13/2017
    4 out of 5 rating
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    We booked over a year ahead of time. There were a lot of restrictions in the contract, but staff was responsive to our many phone calls the week before to make sure everything was squared away. The venue was clean and we had more than enough tables and chairs to choose from for set up. The venue is so lovely on its own that it was easy to get away with simple decorations. We were fortunate to have amazing weather, so there were many great spots for pictures and the patio was the popular hang out. Clean up was simple (no deep clean required). The only downside was that we had limited time for set up (since we were paying by the hour) and were unable to do the rehearsal at the venue due to scheduling conflicts. Overall we were pleased with our experience and very happy with how our wedding turned out.
  • G
    Gina Sent on 11/28/2008
    3.4 out of 5 rating
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    I had no problem reserving my date because it was a November wedding. They were very friendly and helpful! A little pricey, but worth the cost. There was lots of kitchen space and fridge space.
  • E
    Sarah Sent on 10/31/2008
    3.4 out of 5 rating
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    While the venue is beautiful it was expensive. In addition, it is difficult to get information and to meet with people. We didn't really have a contact person assigned to us and no one met with us. As long as you are ok with kind of figuring things out through various people and emails and not actually meeting any one contact person in person then it is good. We had the reception and the ceremony here. It was extremely beautiful and our guests were happy. There is no outside cover if it rains. The inside of the Pagoda is suitable for small to medium sized weddings. With 125 people it was pretty crowded.
  • S
    Tara Sent on 09/23/2009
    3.2 out of 5 rating
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    We chose this location because it is one of the most beautiful city parks in Washington. They setup and take down 100 chairs. You can check availablility online. The only draw back is trying to schedule a rehearsal; If you are doing it on from Friday through Sunday you might run into a problem since you have to do it when no other wedding is going on which means you have to wait to schedule your rehearsal till about a month or less before the wedding. They also only rent it out at certain time blocks so check with the website before you schedule.
  • J
    Jessica Sent on 10/14/2018
    3.1 out of 5 rating
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    We booked the Pagoda in June 2017 for my July 2018 wedding. I worked with Daniel the whole time leading up to the wedding. He was great at getting back to me about any questions I had. The Pagoda is a beautiful spot to get married but unforchantly I ended up not getting married there. Two days before my wedding I got a call saying that some how the venue was doubled booked and we no longer could have our wedding there. This was the worse thing that could happed to us. I know this does not happen all the time but I want people to know what happed to us so they can make the right decision for them. I would hate to see this happen to anyone else. Have your date double checked before you sign any paper work. Like I said before Daniel was great during the planning but once our wedding was canceled with them he was very little help with fixing the situation.
  • M
    Meagan Sent on 05/04/2009
    2.8 out of 5 rating
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    We looked at this venue when there was an open house so we got to meet with someone and check out the venue. I feel like it was reasonably priced (in March/low season) compared to some other venues. It was amazingly beautiful and worked with my cherry blossom and lantern theme. I would agree that it was a bit small with 125 people, but cozy. The caterers worked fine with the kitchen. Had 2 nice little rooms for the men and women to get ready in before hand.

    Also, the surounding gardens are amazing to take photos in!
  • M
    Monica Sent on 07/27/2010
    0.2 out of 5 rating
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    Because there are two identical vendor addresses for this venue, and my experience was so awful, I need to post to both:

    I truly wish I could give Metro Parks Tacoma's Point Defiance Park Pagoda a good review. It's a beautiful venue, if a little bit pricey, and the woman running the open houses for the year plus prior to our wedding was immensely helpful each time we visited. We felt lucky when we reserved it exactly a year prior, the first opportunity that you may reserve a venue (and, you must do it in person... the first indication that the arrangement would not be ideal).

    However, the staff at the office of Metro Parks Tacoma (who shall remain nameless, but was the same person all year) was not as helpful. Many, many calls (and messages) went unanswered:

    First, we wanted to add an hour to the beginning of our reservation a few months after the initial contract signing. We left many messages, then finally on the fourth or fifth call, I simply stated my credit card number, expiration date, and security code into their voicemail – something I did not feel comfortable with, but it did finally get the request acknowledged and completed. We received no phone call back, but did get a mailed confirmation of payment and adjustment to the reservation start time.

    Then, MPT requires a liquor permit to serve BYOB at their venues. But when I called to ask Washington State Liquor Control for more information on the permit itself, the representative said such a private event does not require vetting by the state - that they would prefer such permits not be purchased to cut down on wasteful and unnecessary paperwork. When I called to ask the staff at MPT to confirm we really have to go to the trouble, she never got back to me and I ended up just buying one to move on with plans.

    This unresponsiveness was particularly jolting the week before the wedding, when I tried to call to ensure they received deposit information so we wouldn't lose our reservation. On the contract, they stated they would contact us about 3 weeks before to confirm any last minute changes and to arrange the deposit - this did not happen. During the week before your wedding, the last thing you need is a vendor to fall through on their responsibilities and to have a sinking feeling that your reservation was canceled without notice. When I finally got her on the line rather than her voicemail (this was the 4th try in 3 days), she expressed very little shock and barely any remorse that I was unable to contact her - it was the attitude of someone who doesn't care and never checked her voicemail, having no idea I was so urgently trying to connect. This conversation took place only 4 days before the event!

    The worst thing that occurred: we hired a shuttle to get our imbibing guests safely from downtown Tacoma and back after the reception. Metro Parks Tacoma CORDONED OFF THE ENTRANCE OF THE PARK at about 10pm (or perhaps at dark, 9:30pm?), so the shuttle driver could not get in for a 10:30pm pickup. It took an hour and a half to figure out what was going on (the shuttle company wasn't too bright, either) and resolution finally occurred when another staff member from MPT came to lock up the building at our end time of midnight. A guest of ours had to ride out to the entrance with her, reassure the shuttle driver to follow them against traffic, and get into the park to get our guests, seniors and passed-out children at midnight (!!!), to their lodging. It was an utter nightmare and so embarrassing.

    It seems to me if someone pays $250 an hour for access to a building, that that access should be FULL AND OPEN throughout the ENTIRE time stated on the contract. In no place in our paperwork about the venue or contract did it state that access to the venue would be restricted after a certain time. Had we known this, we would have taken steps to ensure the gates were left unlocked for our guests to get home - even though with the "service" we had endured in the last year, we would not have trusted their reassurances of honest conduct.

    The problems did not end the day of the wedding. A full 13 days after, the deposit was still on my credit card statement. This was the most unprofessional move of MPT's during the entire year they caused us insecurity and frustration. Three business days should have been sufficient to refund us our money - that we had to ASK for our $500 back after a safe and careful use of their venue? Utterly shameful.

    I urge everyone seriously considering this or other venues in Point Defiance Park to find an alternative that is not administered by Metro Parks Tacoma. It's just not worth the frustration and embarrassment, let alone the price for what little to no service you get. A wedding is already fraught with stress and emotions - don't make it worse for yourself by renting from Metro Parks Tacoma!