How to Plan Your Wedding in the Mountains of Colorado

A bride and groom kiss one another while standing in a field surrounded by the mountains of Colorado while taking portraits on their wedding day

Are you looking to plan your wedding in the gorgeous mountains of Colorado but you aren’t quite sure on where to start? First of all, CONGRATULATIONS!! This is such an exciting and important moment in your relationship, and as a Colorado local I’m SO happy that you’re looking to celebrate your love in this wonderful state I call home! That being said though there is a LOT of planning that goes into a wedding here in the centennial state, as you may now know depending on where you’re at in the planning process. To help all the couples planning to have their wedding here I thought it would be a good idea to put this guide together to help with the planning process. Come with me as we take a look at everything you need to know to plan your own wedding in the mountains of Colorado!!

A bride and groom sign their marriage license together after their wedding ceremony, behind them is a lake and the mountains of Colorado

What is the Vision for Your Wedding in the Mountains of Colorado?

A wedding day can look like a LOT of different things! Even making things as specific as having it in the mountains of Colorado, there are still plenty of ways to make your wedding different and unique to you! Take Glavine and Doug for example, who had their ceremony and portraits in the mountains at Sunrise Amphitheater, followed by a reception down in Boulder! There’s also Sophie and Dirk, who chose to celebrate their day at Mountain Wedding Garden, a venue in Crested Butte where they had their ceremony, portraits, cocktail hour, and reception all in one place! You really can make your wedding day look and feel like anything you want it to be, so when planning your wedding day in the mountains of Colorado be true to the vision you both have for your day!

A bride and groom smile at one another while walking hand in hand as they take portraits in the mountains of Colorado on the day of their wedding

Deciding Where to Have Your Wedding

One of the biggest decisions you’ll be making for your wedding here in the mountains of Colorado is deciding exactly where your wedding will take place! There are quite a few factors you’ll have to consider when making this decision, so let’s go through them!

2 brides hold hands and look at one another while taking wedding day portraits at sunset looking out at the mountains of Colorado

Determine Which Region of the Mountains

Colorado is home to a wide array of gorgeous mountain ranges, so one of the first things to consider is exactly which mountain range you want to have your wedding in! There are SO many options for mountain ranges to have your wedding in Colorado, and each has their own aesthetic, feel, and overall appeal to them. Some are more rugged and are better suited for intimate weddings, elopements, or wedding portraits, while others are easier to access, or even have wedding venues as a part of the mountain range! Choosing the right location all depends on the experience you’re looking to have, both for you and your guests.

Some of My Favorite Mountain Ranges in the State

San Juan Mountains

A rugged mountain range in the southwest corner of Colorado. There aren’t any major cities near the San Juan Mountains, but there are plenty of smaller towns with an insane amount of charm to them to choose from! The mountain views here are incredible as well!! If you’re looking to find out more about the San Juan Mountains I actually wrote an entire article about planning an elopement here that will give you a more in depth look of the area.

Vail

A beautiful mountain range west of Denver that is the perfect option for a wedding day in the mountains! The town of Vail is full of character, and is the perfect place for you and your guests to stay for your wedding weekend. While the mountains in Vail are home to one of the largest ski resorts in the entire world, they also make for a breathtaking setting for a wedding year round!!

Aspen

Just south of Vail is the town of Aspen, which boasts a similar feel and style to it compared to Vail! Aspen offers plenty of options for skiing, a vibrant downtown, and one of the most gorgeous views for a mountain wedding venue in Colorado, the Aspen Wedding Deck!

Breckenridge

Between Denver and Vail you’ll find the picturesque town of Breckenridge! This adorable and lovely town is BURSTING with character. The nearby mountains also make for the perfect setting for your wedding day in Colorado and give you and your guests plenty of options for entertainment outside of your wedding festivities!!

Steamboat Springs

Next on my list is Steamboat Springs, which can be found in northwest Colorado! This wonderful town nestled in the mountains of Colorado is a bit further removed from Denver, but honestly the trip is VERY much worth it! Between all there is to do in town, all the options for outdoor activities, and of course the gorgeous setting in the mountains for your wedding, there is a LOT to love about Steamboat Springs!!

Buena Vista

Around an hour south of Breckenridge is Buena Vista, Colorado, a town with a focus on community and a setting like none other! Buena Vista gives you that perfect small town feel for your wedding day celebrations while being surrounded by some of the most gorgeous mountain views in all of Colorado! There is so much to do in and around Buena Vista, and so much to love about this town!!

Denver Foothills

Finally, just outside of Denver we have the stretch of mountains known as the Denver Foothills! This mountain range offers a wide array of options for your wedding venue, and with them being as close as they are to Denver it makes logistics incredibly straightforward for both you and your guests!!

A wedding ceremony takes place at a wedding venue in Colorado that looks out towards snow covered mountains in the distance

Black and white photo of a bride and groom kissing one another while on a street in Telluride Colorado

Choose a Venue

A HUGE part in deciding on where to have your wedding in the mountains of Colorado is deciding on a venue for your celebration! Your venue is the space that will be hosting you and your guests for the day, and likely where you’ll be spending the majority of the day itself, so it’s important to find one you love. There are a ton of incredible mountain wedding venues to choose from in Colorado, so many that I even wrote an article covering 10 of my favorites for you to check out! When choosing a venue, find one that fits the style you’re looking for, has the amenities you need to ensure you and your guests are comfortable, and of course has those gorgeous mountain views you’re looking for!

There’s one last incredibly important thing I want you to think about when choosing a wedding venue. Whether you’re having your ceremony and your reception at the same location, or one or the other, one thing I recommend is choosing a venue with both indoor AND outdoor options for your day!! Colorado weather can be crazy, and is something we’ll cover more in depth later in this article, but trust me when I say you will never regret having backup options for your day!!

A bride and groom smile at one another while standing in a forest together in the mountains of Colorado

A bride and groom hold hands while walking along a path in their wedding attire, behind them is a lake and the mountains of Colorado

Consider Your Guests

You two are of course the most important part of your wedding day, but you should also take your guests and their comfort into account for your wedding in the mountains of Colorado!

Accessibility

First and foremost you’ll want to consider the accessibility of your wedding when planning to have it in the mountains of Colorado, both in terms of traveling to Colorado and actually being able to get to your wedding. For travel you’ll want to consider which airports are near your venue, and what the easiest way for your guests to get to your venue is. Should they fly into the Denver International Airport and then drive? Would it be best to fly to a regional airport after flying into DIA?

Then comes the accessibility of your wedding and more so your venue. While most wedding venues in the mountains will be accessible via car, it’s important to pay attention to whether or not they are handicap accessible. For those looking to have a winter wedding you’ll also want to take this into account as sometimes the mountain roads can get tricky and even inaccessible in some locations depending on the severity of the weather!

A bride smiles at the groom while holding his hands as the two walk in a field in their wedding attire with the mountains of Colorado in the distance behind them

Lodging

The next area to take into account is lodging, both for you and your guests! Is this something that your venue offers? Are there options nearby? Will you and/or your guests need to travel somewhere after your reception is over, and how far? The big question to ask yourself here is what experience are you looking to have for yourself and your guests. Do you want to have your friends and family around for your entire wedding weekend celebrating alongside you, or do you want to give them the freedom of making their own trip out of it? There’s no real wrong answer here, but it’s worth noting having a place for you and your guests to stay near your venue will keep things easier for everyone!!

An intimate wedding ceremony takes place in the mountains of Colorado as guest sit and watch

Activities

Anyone who’s traveled to Colorado knows that no matter the season there is a LOT to do here!! Outside of your wedding festivities you’ll want to take into account what you and your guests can do for entertainment throughout the weekend! With a wedding in the mountains there is going to be a large amount of hiking trails nearby more than likely, but what else? Can they go horseback riding nearby? Head to Denver to explore some of the shops and restaurants? Are there skiing options available? There’s loads to do here, and if you need recommendations don’t hesitate to ask your local photographer!!

A bride and groom kiss after their wedding ceremony in the mountains of Colorado

A bride and groom embrace one another while next to a dirt road in the mountains of Colorado

A wedding ceremony takes place in the mountains of Colorado at the outdoor space of the wedding venue, Woodlands Colorado

Other Details to Consider for Your Mountain Wedding

Decide on a Time of Year

Choosing when to have your wedding in the mountains of Colorado is almost as important as deciding on where to have it!! The good news is that every season of Colorado is beautiful for a wedding, especially in the mountains! There are some key things to consider like busy seasons, varying temperatures, snowfall and more. For a full breakdown of the seasons check out this article I wrote covering them in detail! Here’s a quick run-through of the seasons though if you’re in a hurry:

Fall - The busiest time of year with how beautiful it is, and the weather is a little all over the place. That being said, this is my FAV time of year for weddings, especially in the mountains where you can see ALL the fall colors on full display.

Winter - Usually freezing cold, but the snow makes for gorgeous winter weddings, and there’s plenty of opportunities for skiing!
Spring - A bit rainier than the rest of the year and a little less tourist heavy as a result. Be prepared for some muddier hikes and less cooperative weather, but you also get to enjoy nature’s bloom after a long winter!
Summer - One of the busier times of year as the weather is consistently warm, you really can’t go wrong with a summer wedding though! They give you the best chance of having your full wedding day outdoors if that is what you’re looking for.

Black and white photo of a bride and groom holding hands while standing on a hill with snow covered mountains behind them

A wedding ceremony takes place in the mountains of Colorado

A bride and her bridesmaids walk towards the camera while in a clearing in the mountains of Steamboat Springs in Colorado

Vendors

Planning a wedding day is NO small task, as anyone who’s planned one can tell you, and if you’re in the middle of planning you probably also know yourself!! This is why I cannot recommend enough how important it is to choose a vendor team you can trust. Your vendors are the professionals that will make your dream wedding day in the mountains of Colorado a reality! Finding and choosing the right vendor team for your wedding in the mountains can be tricky, especially for couples from out of state. This makes a local wedding planner an invaluable member of your team! They’ll have recommendations for other local vendors that they know can provide you with the experience you’re looking for!!

Most wedding venues also have vendor recommendations that you can use as well if you’re struggling to find certain vendors for your day. You of course can also talk with any vendors you have booked that are local, such as your photographer (me!), about any recommendations they may have. Ultimately the vendors you have for your wedding day will depend heavily on the priorities you have for your day. For example some couples will want a videographer for their day, others are fine without one, either way the choice is yours for your day!!

A portrait photo of a bride in her wedding dress standing in front of the mountains of Aspen, Colorado

A bride and groom kiss while under the floral arch of their wedding ceremony space in the mountains of Colorado

There really is a lot that goes into planning a wedding in the mountains of Colorado, but trust me it is SO worth it! To get a look at some of my favorite weddings in the mountains check out my blog, and if you’re ready to book me as your photographer be sure to send over an inquiry through my contact page!!