My Favorite Colorado Mountain Wedding Venues

A Colorado mountain wedding is truly an elevated experience! Whether it’s the amazing views, incredible colors, natural scenery or fresh air, Colorado is home to alluring mountain wedding venues. I love photographing weddings in the mountains of my beloved Colorado state – it’s great to be able to work where I love to play.  My favorite wedding venues range from peak to peak and mountain town to mountain town of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Photographing Colorado mountain weddings is one of the best parts of my job.

There is a reason Colorado mountain weddings are so popular! Colorado is one of the best vacation destinations in the country and its mountain wedding venues are among the most beautiful in the world. Guests love to come here for a destination wedding and then stay for an extended vacation. Mountain weddings in Colorado aren’t just about a memorable ceremony, but they turn into multi-day affairs where everyone celebrates together in the mountains, rivers, lakes, cabins, and bars. Here are my favorite mountain wedding venues and best mountain towns for a wedding.

Vail Wedding Venues

The Vail Valley’s expansive views and beautiful scenery make it a spectacular locale for a Colorado mountain wedding. Colorado’s largest ski mountain, also called Vail, is an incredible place to have a mountain wedding. From the charming Vail Village to the sophisticated vibe and hype that surrounds Vail, there are lots of perfect wedding venues in this chic alpine wonderland. The valley is filled with aspen trees that light up in the fall. The venues here range from rugged to posh and everything in between.

Breckenridge Wedding Venues

Having a mountain wedding in Breckenridge, Colorado is like getting married in the clouds; especially since Breckenridge boasts the tallest chairlift in North America – 12,840 feet at its peak! This friendly Colorado mountain town at the base of the Rocky Mountains Tenmile Range has quaint, charming shops on historic Main Street and a large variety of restaurants – a paradise for shoppers and foodies. My all time favorite place to eat crepes is on Main Street at Crepes a la Carte. They are amazingly delicious.

Breck,  as the locals call it, is Colorado’s largest historic district with several historic buildings and landmarks highlighting the town’s mining history. We have great fun visiting Breckenridge throughout the year.  During the winter, Boreas Pass is an awesome winter hike. The pass is 11,481 feet high and travels along the Continental Divide.  Hiking around Blue Lake in the summer is a favorite tradition. The scenery and incredible views are definitely worth the trek.  Of course, a trip to Breckenridge would not be complete without meeting Isak Heartstone, a 15 foot tall wooden troll sculpture. You will find him hanging out on the Trollstigen Trail. Isak the Troll is very photogenic and seems much friendlier than the common internet variety.

The surrounding areas of Breckenridge are amazing locations for a Colorado mountain wedding. Idaho Springs is super close to Denver and has hot springs, rafting, and Beau Jo’s Pizza. It’s an historic gold mining town. Georgetown is just up the hill from Idaho Springs. It has a rich history,  except silver was mined instead of gold. The Georgetown Loop Railroad is a great ride for the entire family. The town of Dillon borders Dillon Reservoir and perfect for water lovers. Nearby Frisco has unique shopping and restaurants and its fun to wander around the town. Keystone is a ski area/village with great skiing. All of these mountain towns would be amazing choices for a Colorado wedding venue.

More Breckenridge Wedding Venues:

Beaver Run Resort
Copper Mountain Resort
Wedgewood Lodge
CountryBoy Mine
Silverthorne Pavilion (located in Silverthorne)
10 Mile Music Hall (located in Frisco)
Freight (located in Leadville)

Keystone Wedding Venues

More Keystone Wedding Venues:

Black Mountain Lodge at Arapahoe Basin
Timber Ridge at Keystone Resort

Idaho Springs Wedding Venues

Winter Park Wedding Venues 

Winter Park Resort is one of Colorado’s oldest ski resorts, first opened in 1939. It’s the closest ski resort in Colorado to Denver International Airport, a great incentive for a destination Colorado mountain wedding (and a quick escape if necessary). I have a soft spot for Winter Park because I hosted my very first photography workshop at the Mary Jane Lodge, the same Mary Jane ski area known for the best moguls in North America. My son and I look forward to our annual vacation to Winter Park where we stay at The Vintage Hotel and have an awesome time tubing down the Coco-Cola Tubing Hill. Visiting nearby Grand Lake Village is great fun. Grand Lake is a beautiful alpine lake with charming stores along the wooden boardwalk. One of our most memorable family adventures was renting a boat and exploring  Grand Lake.

More Winter Park Wedding Venues:

Woodspur Lodge
Strawberry Creek Ranch
The Overlook at Grand Lake
Granby Ranch
The Winter Park Mountain Lodge

Telluride Wedding Venues

Telluride, Colorado in Southwest Colorado is definitely off the beaten path from Denver, which makes it a wonderful Colorado mountain town destination wedding. We love visiting Telluride. It is a special spot for me because my best friend was married in Telluride. Telluride is an isolated town at an elevation of 8,750 feet with beautiful, rugged mountain scenery and an old-west meets REI atmosphere. Telluride also hosts one of the premier film festivals in the country every summer. I love viewing the picturesque Victorian houses in the historic district put their during it’s mining heyday. Plus, Bridal Veil Falls (yes a positive omen for a mountain wedding) are spectacular – the tallest free falling falls in Colorado that freeze in the winter!

The autumn colors and views are totally amazing, although Telluride is gorgeous in all seasons. We love riding the free gondola from the town to the mountain, a really awesome type of public transportation (and one of the only public transit gondolas in the U.S.!). Telluride has great trails which we love to hike. It was honestly worth the drive to Telluride just for the pizza from the local pizza place.

More Telluride Wedding Venues:

The Peaks Resort & Spa
Alta Lakes Observatory
Gorrono Ranch

Aspen Wedding Venues

Aspen, Colorado is an ultimate Colorado mountain wedding destination. Aspen is a world-class ski resort with four ski areas. The summer in Aspen is spectacular with all the activities imaginable such as hiking, biking, and fishing to name a few. The natural beauty makes Aspen a masterpiece easel for a photographer. Aspen offers luxurious accommodations and restaurants, spectacular scenery, an over abundance of sophisticated chic and cool vibes (and VERY upscale shopping) and awesome wedding venues. I love the Maroon Bells – two iconic fourteeners in the Elk Mountains separated by about a third of a mile. Oh yeah, and lots of Aspen trees in Aspen. This might be TMI but I have a tattoo of the San Juan Mountains – that looks the exact same as the picturesque Maroon Bells which I got after falling in love with the view on a hiking trip.

More Aspen Wedding Venues:

Hotel Jerome
Buttermilk Mountain Lodge
Aspen Meadows Resort
Lynn Britt Cabin

Ouray Wedding Venues

A destination wedding in Switzerland would be amazing. However,  if Switzerland is not on your list of possible wedding venues, maybe Ouray, Colorado would be the perfect Colorado wedding venue. Surrounded by towering peaks with gorgeous, numerous waterfalls, Ouray is called the “Switzerland of America” because it resembles towns in the Alps. Because of the abundance of waterfalls, Ouray is known as a winter destination for renowned ice climbing and the formation of crazy ice crystals. My kiddo and I went to Ouray for some rest and relaxation and to chase waterfalls (I know, I know, ~Don’t go chasing waterfalls…~). Ouray’s entire downtown area is on the National Historic Register which makes me feel like I am stepping back in history.

Need a Colorado Mountain Wedding Photographer?

This Colorado raised photographer would love to create amazing photos for you. I love photographing weddings in the mountains as much as I love exploring them in my free time. I may have grown up on the front range of Colorado but my favorite place to escape to for both work and pleasure is in Colorado’s mountains. I am willing to do what’s needed to create your perfect wedding photographs. Whether it’s fording creeks, riding gondolas/ chairlifts, getting sprayed at waterfalls, or drinking an early morning Mimosa – I do what it takes! So take me along on your Colorado mountain wedding adventure for fun, laughter, tears, and all the photos. Take the next steps to learn more about me, look at my work, and connect with me!