The Best Wedding Venues in Colorado: A Photographer's Shortlist
I get asked this more than almost anything else, usually on the first call, sometimes before we've even talked about photography. Where should we get married?
My honest answer is that the best venue is the one that fits the weekend you actually want. Colorado has places that are perfect for 30 people and wrong for 200, and places that look incredible online but feel like a conference center once you're standing in them. So this isn't a ranking. It's the list I'd give a friend, with a note on what each place does best.
Also: Where you get married matters less than how you do it, and thats why partnering with an experienced planner is the best advice I can give (outside of choosing an awesome photographer, of course)
For the classic mountain resort weekend
The Little Nell, Aspen. If you want the polish of a five-star hotel with the mountain right outside the door, this is it. Service is flawless, the views from the top of Aspen Mountain are hard to beat, and your guests will never have to think about logistics.
Hotel Jerome, Aspen. Historic, warm, and right in town. This is the one for couples who want Aspen without the ski-resort feel. The interiors photograph beautifully on cold or rainy days, which matters more than people think.
The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs. Old-world grandeur at the foot of Cheyenne Mountain. Ideal for a larger, more formal celebration where you want guests taken care of from arrival to brunch.
For the ranch wedding, done well
Devil's Thumb Ranch, Tabernash. Under two hours from Denver, with timber lodges, open meadows, and views toward the Continental Divide. It manages to feel rustic and genuinely luxurious at the same time, and it works in every season.
C Lazy U Ranch, Granby. A true guest ranch that hosts one wedding at a time. Couples who want horseback rides, campfires, and a full weekend with their people tend to fall hard for it.
For the intimate, once-in-a-lifetime trip
Dunton Hot Springs, Dolores. A restored 1800s mining town in the San Juans with hot springs, a tiny chapel, and a handful of cabins. It's remote on purpose. If your guest list is small and you want it to feel like a secret, there's nothing else like it in the state.
Della Terra Mountain Chateau, Estes Park. Right at the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park, with suites for the wedding party and easy access to the park for portraits.
Closer to home in Boulder
Boulder has quieter options I love for smaller weddings and rehearsal dinners, including the historic Chautauqua Dining Hall under the Flatirons and the St Julien Hotel downtown. Both put you a short drive from trailheads that are stunning at golden hour.
What I'd actually look at before you book
A few things matter more than the photos on a venue's website:
Where the light falls at your ceremony time. A west-facing ceremony site in July can mean squinting guests and harsh shadows. Ask to visit at the same time of day as your ceremony.
Your rain plan. Mountain weather turns fast in summer. The indoor backup should be a space you'd actually be happy in, not a holding room.
Lodging and travel time. A remote venue is magical until guests are driving mountain roads at midnight. Plan on-site lodging or shuttles.
Permits for anything off-property. Portraits on public land, and especially drone coverage, often need permits. Some towns don't allow drones at all.
The bottom line: choose the place that matches how you want the weekend to feel, then build everything else around it. The photographs will follow.
If you're touring venues and want a second opinion on light, timing, or portrait locations nearby, I'm always happy to talk it through.
Megan, Rezz Studios