The Best Elopement and Small Wedding Venues in Colorado
The 135+ best places to host your Colorado elopement or small wedding.
Updated May 1st, 2024
Take a peek at what you’ll find in the guide:
What areas of Colorado are included in this guide?
Denver
Boulder
Colorado Springs
Colorado Foothills - Bailey, Black Hawk, Evergreen, Golden, Idaho Springs, Morrison
Estes Park - Allenspark
Breckenridge - Dillon, Frisco, Keystone, Silverthorne
Colorado Northern Mountains - Grand Lake, Granby, Steamboat Springs, Winter Park
Colorado Central Mountains - Aspen, Beaver Creek, Buena Vista, Carbondale, Marble, Vail,
Crested Butte
Colorado San Juan Mountains - Durango, Ouray, Ridgway, Silverton, Telluride
Why you might need a venue for your elopement or small wedding
When you start dreaming up what your elopement or small wedding in Colorado will look like, you might initially think that you can have your ceremony wherever you’d like. But that’s not quite how it works! Between permitting rules, accessibility of locations, privacy, and ensuring that your wedding follows Leave No Trace principles, you may end up needing to rent or reserve a space for your elopement ceremony.
When we say “venue” we aren’t necessarily referring to the traditional wedding venue that you might imagine for a big wedding, although many larger venues do offer elopement and small wedding packages! Many of the venues we recommend to our couples are small and casual, they celebrate the outdoors and have options for any budget.
6 reasons you might need a venue for your elopement:
1. You have a total group size of more than 10 people.
This number includes you, your guests, and any on-site vendors (such as a photographer, a videographer, an officiant, etc.). With groups larger than 10 people, it can be very difficult to receive permits and permission from the National Forest for an event. It can also be very difficult to find locations that allow you to be respectful of the land and follow Leave No Trace principles. There are a few small exceptions to this rule and we share all such locations with couples who hire us.
2. You want privacy for your ceremony.
If you’re looking for complete privacy for your ceremony or any other part of your elopement day, we recommend choosing a venue that can be reserved only for you and your group. Wedding permits on public lands such as National Forests, National Parks, and State Parks often do not give you exclusive use of the space. This means that there could be other visitors around while you are having your ceremony. We find that visitors are often very respectful of wedding ceremonies, but the best way to have complete privacy is to reserve a venue that does give you exclusive use.
3. You want to ensure that your ceremony space is reserved for you.
With elopements and small weddings becoming more popular each year, it is becoming common to run into other couples in popular locations. There’s nothing more awkward than showing up to your ceremony location and finding another couple already there. By reserving a ceremony location, you are guaranteed that you will be able to get married in the location at the time you planned for it.
4. You want to hire an officiant, a caterer, or any other outside vendor.
If you’re looking to have an elopement or small wedding experience that involves outside vendors in addition to your photography and videography team, we suggest reserving a venue. This makes permitting much simpler and gives you the opportunity to choose a location that really serves your vendors (such as having electricity, a kitchen, etc.).
5. You want to set up chairs, furniture, or decor.
If you are envisioning a beautiful ceremony or reception set up, you will need to reserve a venue that will allow you to do that. Similar to privacy, not all rented spaces will allow furniture or decor. Rocky Mountain National Park, for example, does not allow you to bring in anything (but yourselves) to your ceremony location.
6. You want your ceremony location to be easily accessible.
There are a lot of things to think about when it comes to the accessibility of your elopement or small wedding. What time of year are you getting married? What is the weather expected to be and what roads are accessible? Do you and your guests have experience being at high elevations? How much hiking or walking are you and your guests willing to do? What kind of vehicles do you have and what kind of roads are your comfortable driving on? How close to accommodation and restaurant options do you want to be? Often, if you want to get married in the winter or if you want your ceremony location to be easy to get to, it will make sense to rent a venue.
But don’t feel disappointed by the word “venue!” There are SO many incredible venues across Colorado that will perfectly fit your vision! You’re in luck if you made it to this list and you’re looking for an elopement or small wedding venue that:
Fits any budget, small or large.
Is completely surrounded by beautiful mountain views.
Offers privacy and solitude for you and your guests.
Is easily accessible year-round.
Offers a space for your intimate ceremony as well as a reception or celebratory meal afterward.
Can show off and maybe even teach you and your guests a thing or two about Colorado’s history.
Is all-inclusive and includes your meal in addition to your ceremony.
Is new and modern.
Is close to Denver.
Is far from Denver.
Allows you to host your wedding in the outdoors without harming the environment.
Can be decorated with florals, arches, benches, and other furniture or decor.
Allows you to hire other vendors to help your wedding day go smoothly and to help complete your vision.
