How to Plan a Wedding in Denver, Colorado
To anyone thinking about planning their wedding in the wonderful city of Denver, Colorado I have just three words for you, GO FOR IT! Ok, that’s it for the blog right? Not quite!! You see, as much as I adore my Denver weddings, I realize that there is a LOT of planning involved in them! This planning can be a bit overwhelming, especially if this is a destination wedding for you. That’s why today we’re going to be taking a deep dive into everything you need to know to plan the Denver wedding of your dreams! This article is a BIG one, so grab a drink and a comfy seat as we dig into ALL of the details!!
Why You Should Have Your Wedding in Denver
Alright, so first thing’s first we need to talk about why planning to have your wedding in Denver, Colorado is the BEST idea ever! To anyone that’s visited the city this should be pretty apparent, but for those that have yet to experience the city let me give you a little taste of what you’re missing!! To put it bluntly, Denver really has it all. A picturesque setting amongst the mountains of Colorado, a thriving and vibrant downtown life that is practically bursting with culture, and an abundance of fantastic wedding vendors to help bring your wedding vision to life! That of course is just a brief summary of what makes this city so fantastic for hosting your wedding. I could go on and on about my love for the city, but that’s not why you’re here! Let’s get into the nitty gritty of planning your wedding in Denver!!
Questions to Ask When Planning Your Denver Wedding
One thing I find to be extremely helpful when planning a wedding is to have a list of questions to help guide you through the process. These questions act as a sort of roadmap in your planning process. They’re meant for you and your partner to work through together as you navigate towards your overall goal of creating a wedding day that you both equally love! For this reason it’s important to go through the planning process together, keeping both of your priorities in mind so that you’re on the same page from the very start!
What Size Wedding Do You Want?
The first, and honestly one of the biggest questions you’ll have to answer is what size wedding you both want. This is the first one as it affects nearly EVERY other aspect of your wedding! From logistical things like your venue and total cost, all the way down to the look and feel of the wedding itself!! There are of course no wrong answers when it comes to the size wedding you want to have, it thankfully all just comes down to preference! As far as sizes go, there’s 3 main options you can choose from according to Simply Eloped. First is an elopement which is up to 20 guests, next is the micro wedding which is 20-50 guests, and finally large weddings which are those with 50+ guests. When deciding what size wedding is best for you keep these following points in mind:
Cost
Generally speaking, the smaller the wedding the lower the cost, mainly due to needing less when it comes to food and beverage. This isn’t always the case though, as with smaller weddings you can take those same funds and put them towards other areas of your day such as your venue, where you’re staying, or hiring a vendor that otherwise would have been out of your budget.
Venue
Nearly every wedding venue will have a max guest limit, and some even have a minimum in order to book with them. This is important to know if you have a favorite wedding venue that’s crucial to the vision you have for your day as you’ll need to meet their requirements!
Feel
How your wedding day feels is impacted drastically by how many people are there. Are you looking for a more intimate and lowkey experience like an elopement? Do you want the ultimate party with excitement levels through the roof with a larger wedding? Maybe even something in between with a micro wedding?
Interaction
This one is a bit of a two-parter as it refers both to your interaction with your guests and the amount of time you get to interact with one another. In both cases though, the general rule of thumb is that the smaller the wedding the more time you’ll have for said interactions. If you’re looking to have meaningful conversations with everyone who attends, and spend more time together, a smaller wedding will make it easier to do so. With a larger wedding you’ll only have so much time available to chat with guests and to spend with each other.
What Vibe Are You Envisioning?
Along with the different feel that the size of your guest list brings, your wedding venue also drastically impacts the feel of your day! This of course makes sense as it is the literal setting for many of your day’s most important moments!! As you begin your search for a wedding venue it’s important that you have a clear vision in your mind of the vibe you’re looking to achieve on your wedding day. Denver thankfully is home to a wide array of venues, each with their own distinct feel and style to them! Whether it’s a modern space, something more industrial, or something on the traditional and historic side of things, you can find it here! You’ll also want to decide if your venue has mountain views, is found in the foothills of Denver, or is fully immersed in the city itself!!
As you plan your wedding in Denver, Colorado, really try to nail the vibe you’re looking for down in your head, so as you begin looking at specific wedding venues you’ll know right away if they fit your vision or not! And don’t worry, we’ll be looking at some of my FAVORITE wedding venues in Denver later on in this article for some specific examples!!
What Time of Year Should You Have Your Wedding?
You may have read my article going over the best season to have your wedding in Colorado, and a lot of those points hold true when planning your wedding in Denver! There are a few things to make note of though!! If you haven’t read the article and don’t really feel like doing so now, here’s a quick recap along with some specific notes that pertain to Denver:
Summer is consistently warm, sunny, and beautiful, but also one of the busier seasons, which means you’ll need to book your vendors early and prepare for a more poppin downtown Denver!
Fall is THE busiest season for weddings in Colorado due to the fall colors, which is of course the main draw along with the slightly cooler temperatures. For Denver specifically these colors come about later in the season compared to the mountains.
Winter is a busy season in terms of outdoor activities, but less so for weddings, which makes it easier and sometimes less expensive to book your vendors. You’ll of course need to prepare for colder temps, but it’s a small price to pay for the beauty that comes from this time of year!
Spring is the final piece of the puzzle. This is of course the rainy time of year, but that also means Colorado is blooming and coming back to life after the winter. This is the case in Denver as everything begins to blossom at this point, making the city feel truly magical!
To be fair, each and every season is beautiful in Denver, Colorado, so when you’re planning your wedding it again just really comes down to how you want your wedding to look and feel
Where Will You and Your Guests Be Staying?
Another fantastic part of planning your wedding in Denver, Colorado is that there are basically endless options for you and your guests to choose from for your stay! The only trouble here really is that there could be too many options to choose from!! Like with all aspects of your wedding day, here I want you to think about your experience. You could rent an entire block of rooms from a hotel for you and guests of your wedding to stay at, or you could get an Airbnb for you and your wedding party to stay at, or your wedding venue may also have lodging included on location! Whichever route you end up going with, be sure to provide some resources for your guests to use when booking places for their stay if you don’t intend to block out rooms of a hotel for them.
While we’re on the topic of logistics I really quickly wanted to mention flights as most couples and their guests will be flying into Denver unless they’re Colorado locals. Thankfully this part is incredibly simple as the Denver International Airport is massive, and is only a 30 minute drive from the heart of the city!
What Else is There to Do?
One of my favorite things about couples planning a destination wedding in Denver, Colorado is finding out how they and their guests plan to make the most of their wedding weekend here! There is SO much to do in and around Denver, you’d be doing yourself a disservice not experiencing at least some of what the city has to offer outside of your wedding day festivities!! Whether you want to head to one of the many museums in the city, catch a sporting event, hit up some of the breweries and restaurants that make up the city, or even make a trip out into the mountains for some hiking or skiing, there is no shortage of things to keep you and your guests busy ALL weekend long!!
Vendors You’ll Need for a Wedding in Denver
Alright, time to get into some of the biggest decisions you’ll be making when planning your wedding in Denver, Colorado, selecting your vendor team! Your wedding vendors have a huge influence in the look, feel, execution, and really your wedding experience as a whole. The great thing about planning a wedding in Denver is that when it comes to your vendors there are a lot of options available, much more so than in the mountains by comparison! The tricky part of having this many options though is that it can be hard to make the final decision on who to book, which is why I’ve made SUCH a point to have a clear vision for your day throughout this article!! Let’s take a look at all possible vendors you could use to make your wedding day the celebration you’ve been dreaming of!
Wedding Planner or Coordinator
Even before booking a wedding venue, I strongly suggest booking a wedding planner or coordinator, especially if you’re traveling from out of state! While they have similar titles, these two vendors offer drastically different experiences. For couples that are looking for help from the get go as far as vendor recommendations, timeline planning, etc. I cannot recommend a Colorado wedding planner enough! They’ll be there from day one to help guide you through EVERY part of your wedding planning process!!
And for those that like the idea of handcrafting their vendor team, but want help with making sure the wedding day itself runs as smoothly as possible, I recommend booking a wedding coordinator. I have an entire article talking about the benefits of having a coordinator as well as some of my favorites you should check out!
Venue
Next is your wedding venue! Like I mentioned earlier in this article, this is probably the decision that has the most impact on the overall feel of your wedding day. By now you should have a pretty solid vision in your mind of the vibe you’re looking to have for your wedding day, which will help you choose the space that’s best for you! As we take a look at some of my favorite wedding venues in Denver, Colorado, there’s one other thing I want you to keep in mind as you plan your wedding. I recommend you choose a wedding venue with both indoor AND outdoor spaces available for you to use on your day. You just never know what the weather is going to be like until the day of, so it’s always nice to have a backup!!
Some of My Favorite Wedding Venues in Denver
Unfortunately a list of ALL of the awesome wedding venues in Denver, and what makes them special, would practically become its own novel, so we’ll stick with just 5 of my favorites here! If you’re looking for more inspiration as far as wedding venues though I have another article that covers 10 of my favorites in the Denver area you can check out as well!!
Upper Larimer
In the heart of Denver, Colorado, this wedding venue is the perfect location for couples looking to plan a wedding with a cool industrial setting! The venue has both indoor and outdoor spaces, a prime location for portrait photos on the streets of Denver, and a WHOLE lot of character to it! For a deeper look at the venue check out my blog on Jessie and Taylor’s wedding day at Upper Larimer!
Denver Museum of Nature and Science
Modern style, gorgeous views of Denver, and a unique setting for portraits unlike anything else in the city, what’s not to love about the Museum of Nature and Science?! The museum is an ideal location for couples looking to have a large wedding celebration with a setting that is both elegant and historic!
Skylight
Next on our list is Skylight, which is actually one of the venues featured in my list of 10 favorite Denver wedding venues! Found in the heart of Denver’s downtown, this venue is still deeply connected to its history thanks to the exposed brick and wood beams of the building's structure. The historic feeling isn’t overpowering though, and acts more as an accent or jumping off point for your own decor and style!!
Space Annex
Another favorite that was also on my top 10 list is Space Annex, a historic building whose interior is stunningly modern. The mix of styles between the interior and exterior of the building provide your wedding day with a sense of variety that is hard to come by! Oh, I almost forgot to mention that the Space Annex itself is actually an art exhibit, adding an impossible level of character to the space!!
Lumber Baron Inn & Gardens
Last and certainly not least is the Lumber Baron Inn & Gardens! This historic house is a venue that I’ve talked about at length, both in my top ten list as well as a full wedding venue feature I wrote about the space! I simply adore the rich historic feel of the space and the one of a kind experience they provide for their couples!!
Wedding Photographer
You knew this part was coming! As a Colorado wedding photographer I have to toot my own horn a little bit!! I know I have a little bias in this area, but I truly believe that your wedding photographer is one of THE most important vendors you choose for your wedding vendor team! Think about it, we’re the ones that document ALL your favorite moments for you to relive, we spend the most time with you out of anyone at your wedding (yes even your spouse!), and wedding photographers like myself also work hard to ensure that all aspects of your wedding run smoothly.
That’s why finding a wedding photographer for your day is such an important decision, you need to love their work, trust them to have your best interests at heart, and be comfortable with hanging out with them for multiple hours on your wedding day! So as you begin inquiring with wedding photographers make sure you vibe with them in ALL of these areas and not just their photos alone!!
Catering
You may or may not have to choose your catering option for your Denver wedding, it all comes down to your venue! Some have in house catering, some only have specific caterers that they let you choose from, and some let you choose any caterer you want. Pay attention when booking your venue to their requirements, especially if you have a specific vision for your catering! If you have a food truck in Denver that you LOVE and want to be the one to cater your wedding then you better be sure to choose a venue that allows this!!
Florist
Denver is home to a ton of different florists that are all incredibly talented! Just like with your catering, pay attention to what your venue allows as far as floral decorations for their space. Are you limited to only your bouquet and flowers for your tables, or can you go all out with a floral archway and more?
Videographer
Just like us photographers, wedding videographers document the biggest and best moments from your wedding day for you to relive for years to come, just through a completely different medium! You won’t spend nearly as much time with your videographer compared to your photographer, but you should still look for a videographer whose work you enjoy and who you trust!
Desserts
Do you want a big wedding cake, a small cake alongside other desserts, or something completely different like an ice cream bar? Whatever you envision for your wedding, you again need to determine what your venue does and does not allow, just like with your other catering!
DJ or Live Music
Do you plan on having a DJ for your Denver wedding, or were you planning on having a live band perform? Both are crucial for getting the dancefloor moving, but they do have their own pros and cons. DJ’s are usually less costly than a full band, are great at reading the room and can adjust the set as needed. A live band on the other hand is a guarantee that your dance floor will be PACKED the entire night! The energy is unmatched, though they are slightly more limited when it comes to song requests. I always recommend either option over creating a playlist of your own to play for your reception. While this can work and is the most cost effective, there’s nothing that compares to a professional who can read the dance floor and know exactly what it needs at that moment!!
Some Key Things to Note
Ok so we’ve covered a LOT of info on how to plan your own wedding in Denver, Colorado! There are still a few things I want to cover though. The first of which is the legalities of your marriage here in the Centennial State!
Self Solemnization in Colorado
A big draw of planning to have your wedding in Denver, and really Colorado as a whole, is that the state allows self solemnization. This means that you can marry yourselves without witnesses or an officiant! This is great for those looking to elope, but also for couples that want to have a friend or family member officiate their wedding without the need for them to become ordained!! For more info on the requirements of self-solemnization in Colorado be sure to check out my guide!
Colorado Adventure Session
For couples looking to get the best of both worlds, meaning the downtown vibes of Denver AND portraits deep in the mountains of Colorado, I have a solution! An adventure session!! These sessions are something I LOVE to do with my couples! Usually the day after the wedding I’ll head out into one of Colorado’s stunning mountain ranges with my couple. We’ll then hike into the mountains, taking in the breathtaking views and scenery, all the while wearing their wedding day attire. It is seriously SO much fun, and if you’re interested in learning more about these sessions you should check out my article going over them in detail!
Ok, so that was a LOT! I’m glad you stuck around all the way through though, as I’m sure now you can see just HOW much really goes into planning your wedding in wonderful Denver, Colorado!! If you’re getting into your planning process and realize you’re ready to book your wedding photographer, head on over to my contact page to send me an inquiry. I’d love to hear from you, get to know you two and your love story, and help with any questions you may have about planning your day!!
