The Best Season for Your Wedding in Colorado

A couple in Colorado stand in a field with mountains behind them and read their vows to one another while in their wedding attire

Planning a wedding in the gorgeous state of Colorado is no small task! From choosing your venue, selecting your vendors, and creating the timeline of your wedding day, there are a TON of things you have to take into account. One of the earliest and largest decisions you’ll have to make is which season to have your Colorado wedding in! Lucky for you, Colorado is gorgeous year round. You might then be asking, “ Katie, how am I supposed to decide on a season if they’re all so beautiful and unique in their own way?!” I’m glad you asked! It’s what we’re here to find out today. Let’s take a dive into the pros and cons of each of the 4 seasons and figure out which is best for your wedding day!

Choosing a Season for Your Colorado Wedding

Just because Colorado is beautiful throughout every season of the year doesn’t mean you should choose one at random for your wedding. Every person and every wedding is different, and the season you have your wedding in is going to affect the feel of your wedding day DRASTICALLY! It’s important to go into this decision with a clear vision in mind for your wedding day. What do you want to be doing on the day of your wedding? Is your dream venue strictly an outdoor space? Will there be lots of traveling from one location to another? What setting are you dreaming of for your wedding photos? Once you have a clear picture in mind of the day you’re hoping for you’ll be able to go into this decision with the right frame of mind and be one step closer to creating the wedding of your dreams!!

Pros and Cons of Each

EVERY season has its ups and downs, so let's take a look at them to give you an idea of what season would be best for your wedding in Colorado. Again, there is no one right answer here, every wedding is different so choose the season that feels right for YOU!

Summer

2 photos side by side, a groom stands behind the bride and hugs her, in the left photo the bride is laughing and in the right she is about to cry

Pros of Summer

First up we have summer, which has some pretty straightforward benefits to it! First of all, the landscapes of Colorado are beautiful throughout the summer. I mean just look at how lush and green Kelsey and Diego’s summer wedding was! The trees are in full bloom, green is ALL around, and the wildflowers can be in full bloom as well! Typically the wildflowers bloom between June and July depending on the area you’re in and this can be absolutely stunning for your wedding day! An added benefit is that there’s a ton of recreational activities available for you and your guests to take part in during the summer months as well. This is especially wonderful for those traveling out of state so they can experience Colorado in ALL its summer glory!!

Lastly the weather during the summer months is, as expected, much warmer than other times of the year. This can either be a pro or a con though depending on the actual heat of your wedding day and whether or not your venue has some sort of temperature control or not.

Cons of Summer

As for the cons of summer, the first should come as NO surprise. Summer is a very busy season for tourism, so it can be a little busier during the time of your wedding. This means that you’re going to have to reach out to your venue and preferred vendors early in order to make sure you have them booked for your date! Things like travel and stay costs for you and your guests will also be higher during the summer months thanks to the added popularity among tourists. Another thing to note is that afternoon thunderstorms can be very common in the summer, especially during the month of July. This means that you may have to choose a venue with an indoor space available in case of rain.

A bride and groom hold hands and kiss one another while walking away from the camera in the woods of Colorado

A bride and groom hold hands and walk away from the camera towards a barn with guests of their wedding mingling outside of the barn

Fall

Pros of Fall

First and foremost, fall is an absolutely stunning time of year here in Colorado! Colorado is known for its natural beauty, so you can only imagine how incredible it is to see the fall colors at their peak here!! The peak season happens in September and October depending on the area you’re in. If you plan to have your wedding in November you’ll miss out on the fall colors, but with this being Colorado’s mud season you can usually get a lower price for your wedding venue. This is a great option for anyone whose priority isn’t the fall colors, but more the crisp cool air off the season. Molly and Zack’s wedding at The Barn on Raccoon Creek shows some early glimpses into the fall colors and was absolutely magical!

Cons of Fall

With the beauty of the fall also comes the popularity of the season. Fall is the peak season for weddings and the busiest time of year here, which means again you’ll want to be reaching out FAR in advance to secure your venue, vendors, and wedding date. While the temperatures are usually cool and comfortable, they can sometimes dip to below freezing. This can lead to some early snowfall which to some is a downside, but we also can make the most of this and get some early winter vibes in your photos! The mountains usually start to cool off pretty drastically in the fall, especially at night. If you’re having your wedding up in the mountains be prepared for some much cooler temps as the day goes on as well as some potential snow.

Even with these cons to the season, fall is still by far my favorite season in Colorado to photograph weddings!!

2 photos side by side of a couple in their wedding attire in a field in front of the mountains of Colorado, in the left photo they are kissing and in the right photo they are dancing

Winter

A bride and groom stand atop a snow covered mountain and hug, the bride is facing away from the camera and is wearing a denim jacket with her new last name on it

Pros of Winter

During the winter months, Colorado becomes a beautiful winter wonderland! Snowy weddings are absolutely gorgeous, just take a look at Zulecia and Rudee’s winter wedding to get a glimpse at what I mean! The pros for this season don’t stop at how beautiful the state of Colorado becomes though, there are SO many reasons to have a winter wedding here! One of the best reasons is that there is a TON less competition for dates, venues, and vendors. Colorado is definitely popular in the winter months thanks to the skiing crowd, but that doesn’t extend much into the wedding industry outside of mountain wedding venues. This calmer season also brings lower costs along with it which can be huge for some couples.

Cons of Winter

As for the cons of winter as a season for your wedding in Colorado, I already alluded to one which is the additional popularity with ski season. Colorado in the winter is a skier's DREAM, but the added traffic will make booking a mountain wedding venue much more difficult, especially on the weekends. The potential for blizzards is of course higher in the winter which can make things difficult for your wedding day. You’ll want to be sure that if you have an outdoor wedding venue that they either have an indoor area or a backup location for you to use in the case of any harsh weather. Lastly there’s no greenery or foliage for you to use in the backdrop of your photos aside from the evergreen trees. This can be a benefit though for some as it really helps to achieve that winter wonderland wedding feel!!

A groom reads his vows to the bride who is standing in front of him smiling, the two are standing in the snow in front of the mountains of Colorado

Spring

Pros of Spring

The last season on our list is of course spring! Spring is an interesting season in Colorado, but can be a great option for your wedding season. For starters the weather has begun to warm up, which means that the landscape is starting to bloom which can be seriously breathtaking!! This is a muddier season of the year, but that also can be viewed as a positive since the rates for hotels and venues, especially in the mountains, are usually lower than other months. The earlier months of spring also have less bugs out which is a massive benefit for outdoor weddings. Finally the days are getting longer which in addition to the warmer temperatures also gives you more daylight to work with!

Cons of Spring

As for the cons of spring as a season for your wedding in Colorado, a lot of it comes down to the unpredictability of the season. It’s NO exaggeration that you need to be prepared for any kind of weather during the spring. Whether it be snow, rain, or an almost summer-like sunny day, spring can bring a lot of different weather scenarios to your wedding day. This can be a tough thing to work with as it is hard to predict, so you’ll really have to pack and prepare for any weather scenarios.

A groom and his groomsmen walk towards the camera and adjust their suits while in a forest

General Tips

With the pros and cons of each season out of the way there are just a few more things I’d like to cover when planning your wedding in Colorado, some general tips for you to keep in mind as you make your decision and start planning your wedding!

Plan Ahead for the Weather

We talked about this briefly in prior sections, but it’s worth repeating as it can be a lifesaver for some weddings! ALWAYS be prepared for the weather of your wedding day to change rapidly!! This is especially true for any mountain wedding venues as the weather can quite literally change at the drop of a hat. Pack layers, bring umbrellas, and most importantly keep an eye on the weather in the weeks leading up to your wedding day. Be sure that you’re ready for any and every possible weather scenario.

Eloping Rain or Shine

When it comes to eloping in Colorado, most couples opt to not book a venue for their day and rather spend their time together out on a hike throughout one of Colorado’s many jaw dropping trails. This leaves us completely exposed to the elements, and while we cannot control the weather we CAN work with it! What I mean is we can still make the most of your elopement day even if the weather doesn’t quite go our way. Whether that means we wait out a particular rainstorm that is set to only last an hour, or we put on some extra rain gear and tough it out for an epic mountain elopement in the rain!

Make Sure Your Venue Has a Backup

With outdoor wedding venues in Colorado they often have a backup space or at least a plan in place for if the weather of the season isn’t exactly ideal for an outdoor wedding. It’s crucial that when booking your venue, especially in months that are more prone to having sudden changes in the weather, that the venue you select has a backup plan that you actually enjoy! While of course the hope is that your wedding day will have perfect weather, that sometimes just isn't the case! Having a wedding venue that has a backup that you love almost as much as their main space is a great way of ensuring that no matter what the weather is like your wedding day will go off without a hitch!!

Making Your Choice

Finally the time has come to decide on the season you wish to have your Colorado wedding in! This is of course a slightly stressful decision, but also an INSANELY exciting one!! As you talk over this list of pros and cons with your partner, be sure to be open and honest with one another. Talk about the expectations you both have for your wedding day. There again is NO wrong answer for which season to have your wedding in, only you can decide which season is right for YOU! Discuss the priorities you both have for your day, what you both want to experience, what you want your guests to experience, and from there you should be able to decide on the perfect season for your wedding day.

If you’re set on a season and ready to book me as your photographer for your wedding day be sure to send an inquiry through my contact page! I’d love to hear from you and find out about your vision for your wedding day! Also if you’re looking for more resources for planning your wedding you can check out my other blogs here for all the ins and outs of wedding planning.