top 10 best wedding venues in colorado

Top 10 Best Wedding Venues in Colorado

Colorado is one of the most naturally-beautiful places in the world. The majestic Rocky Mountains comprise approximately fifty percent of the Centennial State, which makes for an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise. It also makes Colorado one heck of a good place to have a wedding. So, with the multitude of picturesque wedding venues throughout the state, how do you go about choosing one? Where do you even start your search? That’s the question we had to ask ourselves before sitting down to create this list. With so many amazing options, it’s no easy task to narrow down the best Colorado wedding venues.

With that said, if you choose one of these ten amazing venues for your wedding, you absolutely will not regret it. But, if you still need more options, be sure to check out our larger, region-specific venue guide!

Without further ado, here is our list of the top 10 best Colorado wedding venues (in no particular order).

1) Purgatory Resort

Purgatory is one of the most remote ski resorts in Colorado, if you’re coming from Denver. This could be a positive or a negative depending on how you look at it. On one hand, your guests will have a long (albeit) beautiful trip to attend your nuptials. On the other hand, Purgatory’s remoteness is precisely what makes it such a magical place. Also, it’s so far away from any sort of light pollution, so it’s the perfect wedding venue to take nighttime photos of the stars, like we for this Purgatory wedding.

Wedding ceremony at Purgatory Resort | Best wedding venues in Colorado

Durango wedding at Purgatory Resort | Best wedding venues in Colorado

Wedding photo with Milky Way | Best Colorado Wedding Venues

2) Camp Hale

Camp Hale used to be a training facility for the 1oth Mountain Division, which was a specialized infantry in WWII. But now, it’s one of the coolest wedding venues Colorado has to offer. There’s no cell reception, which means your guests will all be present and in the moment. And, if you or your photographer has a 4×4, there is a nearby forest service road that takes you up to one of the best views in the entire state. Check out Kelly and Chris’s epic Camp Hale wedding to get just a taste of the views from this epic Colorado wedding venue.

Camp Hale Wedding Ceremony | Best Colorado Wedding Venues

Camp Hale Wedding | Vail Wedding Photographers | Best Colorado Wedding Venues

bride and groom in the mountains for Camp Hale wedding in Vail, Colorado

3) Stanley Hotel

While Colorado is most well-known for its plethora of natural beauty, the Stanley Hotel is on of the most recognizable manmade landmarks in the state. The 100+-year-old hotel, which lies just a few miles outside the gate to Rocky Mountain National Park, served as the inspiration for The Shining, Stephen King’s classic horror novel. You can now take “ghost tours,” get lost in the hedge maze, or have a glass of whiskey at the iconic bar. And, our course, you can have a really, really cool wedding here. Check out Eden and Cade’s Stanley Hotel wedding to see more!

Stanley Hotel First Look | Best Colorado Wedding Venues

Unique wedding photography | Estes Park Wedding | Best Colorado Wedding Venues

Unique Colorado Wedding Photography | Best Colorado Wedding Venues

4) TenMile Station

TenMile Station is a really cool and rustic wedding venue located in the middle of Breckenridge Mountain, just over 10,000 feet in above sea level. Due to its high elevation, you never know what kind of weather you’re going to get, regardless of the time of year. The last wedding we shot at the venue was in June, on the very day of the summer solstice, and we received over an inch of snow during the reception! Check out the blog post here

TenMile Station Wedding | Best Colorado Wedding Venues

Breckenridge Wedding at TenMile Station | Best Breckenridge Wedding Venues

Breckenridge Winter Wedding | Best Winter Wedding Venues in Colorado

5) Garden of the Gods Resort

The best thing about Garden of the Gods Resort is the incredible view of the venue’s namesake park, Garden of the Gods, and Pikes Peak beyond. And since it’s located within the city limits of Colorado Springs, your guests won’t have far to travel from the airport. It’s kind of a “best of both worlds” type of venue. Mountain views without the hassle. Also, this is one of the best wedding venues in Colorado Springs to watch the sunset.

wedding dress hanging in the window

vibrant wedding photography bride and groom with Pikes Peak

Garden of the Gods Resort wedding ceremony in Colorado Springs

6) Pine Creek Cookhouse

Aspen is a cool little town, but some the best spots to take photos in the area are just a bit further afield. Located less than 15 miles south of Aspen, just past the ghost town of Ashcroft, Pine Creek Cookhouse is an amazing log cabin restaurant and wedding venue that lies in one of the most picturesque mountain valleys in all of Colorado. And that’s really saying something! Check out this Pine Creek Cookhouse wedding to see more.

Outdoor Mountain Wedding Ceremony | Pine Creek Cookhouse Wedding | Aspen Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Aspen wedding | Pine Creek Cookhouse

Best Colorado Wedding Venues | Pine Creek Cookhouse Wedding

7) Devil’s Thumb Ranch

For those looking for a rustic vibe, but who still require all of the amenities, a Devil’s Thumb Ranch wedding is perfect. A working horse ranch located just north of Winter Park, the venue’s slogan says it all: “Welcome to a tucked-away haven of pure, untamed wonder – a place where yesterday’s views and values intersect with today’s adventures and comforts.” Couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

Devil's Thumb Ranch Wedding | Best Colorado Wedding Venues

horses running in the background behind bride and groom in the rain

Best Winter Park Wedding Venues | Winter Park Wedding

8) Planet Bluegrass

Planet Bluegrass has to be one of the most unique wedding venues we’ve ever had the pleasure of shooting during our wedding photography career. It doubles as a concert venue and every Planet Bluegrass wedding we’ve shot has been complete with a live band. Plus, the North Sant Vrain Creek runs through the property, which brings a nice cool breeze to those long, hot summer weddings.

*Note: If you’re unable to book a Planet Bluegrass wedding for whatever reason, I’d recommend checking out River Bend directly across the street. It has a very similar look and vibe – the only difference is they impose a noise ban due to the proximity to residential areas, so you have to have either an acoustic musical act or do a silent disco (which is actually super fun).

Planet Bluegrass Wedding | Best Colorado Wedding Venues

Planet Bluegrass Wedding Band | Best Colorado Wedding Venues

live band playing during blue hour in Lyons, Colorado

9) Mile High Station

Most of the best Colorado wedding venues are in the mountains, but there are some really great urban wedding venues in Colorado as well. Mile High Station is located just south of Mile High Stadium and has a really cool urban chic vibe. It’s housed in an old steelworks building and is unlike any other wedding venue we’ve ever shot. Check out Landon and Tyler’s Mile High Station wedding to see more photos!

*Note: Mile High Station now has a twin venue called Ironworks which is just across the parking lot!

Mile High Station Wedding | Best Colorado Wedding Venues

groom walking down aisle at Mile High Station wedding

Denver Skyline Wedding Photo | Best Colorado Wedding Venues

10) Black Canyon Inn

Black Canyon Inn holds a very special place in our hearts because we had the honor of photographing the first ever wedding held at their new venue space, The Boulders, in 2020. Since then, we’ve gone on to photograph 15 more weddings at BCI, officially making it our most-photographed wedding venue of all-time. It honestly feels like a second home at this point. The staff is wonderful, the food is superb and the views are breathtaking. Look no further if you’re in the market for an iconic Colorado mountain wedding venue.

Thanks for taking the time to read out list of the 10 best Colorado wedding venues! But we’re just scraping the tip of the iceberg here, so be sure to check out databases (below) for more. Happy wedding planning!

wedding party portrait at winter wedding at Black Canyon Inn

wedding ceremony at winter wedding at The Boulders

blue hour portrait of bride and groom at The Boulders Black Canyon Inn wedding

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