Where to Get Married in Colorado

As outdoor wedding photographers we love helping our couples decide where to get married in Colorado. Luckily the state brings many options for beautiful wedding venues and places to host your big day. From mountains to lakes, there are a few things to consider when deciding where to plan your Colorado wedding.

Getting married in Colorado is about more than just picking a venue off a top ten list. It’s about considering the various factors and then determining the best fit. Do you want the most beautiful, most convenient, most affordable, or most meaningful?

Do you want to get married on a mountain, near a lake, or in the vibrant downtown? Will you be alone or surrounded by all of your friends and family?

Before you get bogged down looking at varies specific venues, keep the following tips in mind. They will help you narrow your search and keep your priorities in mind.

1. beautiful wedding destinations

First of all, if you’re talking about hosting a wedding in Colorado you’re likely looking for a beautiful destination. The state has a lot to offer the adventurous and outdoorsy couple but epic views can also be viewed from inside luxurious venues. When it comes to beautiful destinations it helps to narrow it down.

You can find mountain tops, mountain views, unique red rock features, aspen groves, rivers, forests, and more. You can see the mountains without being in them or you can bury yourself deep in the Rockies. What vibe do you envision?

Get inspired by the variety of choices of beautiful Colorado mountain wedding venues and decide what’s right for you and your guests. When it comes to the destination you can get completely off the grid or be near a really cool mountain town. Do you want your guests to completely unplug or are you interested in giving them a lot of fun things to do?

Perhaps you want every moment of your day to be in the presence of the mountains in which case you need to look for a venue set up for both ceremonies and receptions with a view. Or maybe you will compromise and pick an epic ceremony spot followed by a “delicious dinner it doesn’t matter where because I’m eating.”

So step 1 is to decide what does beauty mean to you. Mountains, lakes, luxury, or something else?

2. convenience

Now that we’ve determined that beauty is a must, perhaps you want to consider convenience. How far are you willing to go for the best views? How far are your guests willing to go?

If people are coming from out of state, it’s important to consider their drive time from Denver International Airport. Not only can the drives be busy but the altitude can take a toll if guests are coming from sea level.

Luckily, I-70 connects Denver with many popular mountain towns such as Evergreen, Breckenridge, Vail, and Beaver Creek. Meanwhile, I-25 can make getting to Colorado Springs and Fort Collins fairly easy.

A few popular destinations such as Rocky Mountain National Park as a little more out of the way but accompanied by beautiful drives and quaint towns like Estes Park. Other popular wedding destinations such as Ouray, Telluride, Aspen, and Crested Butte are a little harder to access but bear breathtaking rewards.

If you want the mountain vibe but are hesitant to be at too high of an elevation consider venues in Denver, Boulder, or the Colorado foothills.

3. wedding price

You knew the topic would come up. It’s hard to talk about wedding planning without bringing the budget into it. This time we’re not only talking about your costs but also costs to your guests.

Accommodations costs can vary through the Colorado mountain towns, the more remote you get the more limited your options become. Additionally, venues have different pay structures. Some charge you for every napkin and spoon while others are all inclusive.

Clearly understanding where your venue lands on that list will help you be more clear on whether it will fit into your budget. It reminds me of buying airplane tickets, sure certain airlines seem inexpensive but at the end of the day after you’ve checked your bags and had a snack you would have been better off paying a little more on the front end.

What about places to get married in Colorado for free?

Just throwing this out there because we get asked a lot. There actually are some places you can get married in Colorado for free or very limited cost. It’s all about getting creative.

At the very least, you will have to get a marriage license so let’s say you’ll be spending at least $30.

Beyond that your costs will be determined by location choice and wedding size. You can get married in some National Parks, National Forest, and State Parks for free or very low permit or usage fees. Those fees often go up as you add more people to your wedding party.

A great idea that we’ve seen if you’re trying to reduce costs is an intimate ceremony somewhere low key followed by a dinner at a restaurant or your airbnb.

Think outside the traditional wedding venue for places like Garden of the Gods, Rocky Mountain National Park, or the Silverthorn Pavilion. All of those options are either free or very inexpensive. Not to mention stunning!

4. wedding location meaning

Perhaps you’re a Colorado native and you want to get married at your favorite ski resort. Maybe you’re not that familiar to the state but you know you want to make it an adventure.

Either way once your wedding day is complete that location will take on new meaning to you. Perhaps you can consider choosing somewhere that you imagine yourself returning to celebrate an anniversary.

We love helping out-of-state couples find somewhere memorable to say “I do.” Whether on a mountain top or field of wildflowers, having a special location can help immortalize the moment.

A trend we’ve been seeing is combining the wedding with the honeymoon. Couples journey to Colorado or another wedding destination to tie the knot but also explore and travel. It can be a fun way to make the most of your time and money.

in conclusion

When deciding where to get married in Colorado, we recommend that you choose somewhere beautiful and breath-taking that has the right combination of convenience and adventure for both you and your guests. We also suggest you consider the meaning the location has or will have to you as well as affordability for you and your guests.

Cheers to your wedding planning, we hope that helps! All of our Colorado wedding planning advice is structured to help your wedding day be a great experience. If there’s a question we can answer, reach out.

FREE comprehensive e-guide: Prioritize your planning so your wedding is a memorable adventure.

We are Marc and Brenda Bergreen, a husband and wife photography team specializing in outdoor weddings and other adventures. Capturing people in nature and the mountain lifestyle is a passion that became a dream that became a life. In addition to these tips for brides, we also have tips for photographers like this wedding settings guide.

Based in Evergreen, CO we travel throughout the state as Colorado mountain wedding photographers. We also frequently travel to California and other wedding destinations to document your love in a variety of memorable settings. Don’t hesitate to contact us and let us know how we can help! Be sure to follow us (weddings instagram & adventures instagram) and/or like us (facebook) to stay tuned.

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