16 of My Favorite Intimate Wedding Venues with Views of the Colorado Mountains

While elopements have kinda been my thing for a while now, I’ve always had a soft spot for intimate weddings. These slightly larger celebrations, typically 30 or fewer guests, give couples a similar level of creative freedom as elopements while allowing them a chance to celebrate with more of their friends and family. Another similarity of elopements and intimate weddings is the importance of planning out the details of the day thoroughly. One of the most important aspects of this planning process is deciding on one of the many amazing intimate wedding venues found throughout Colorado. That’s where today’s article comes into play!

Today we’ll be taking a look at 16 of my favorite intimate wedding venues throughout the state, and a few of the things that make these venues some of the best. Much like my article about elopement locations throughout Colorado, we’re going to categorize these venues based on their proximity to Denver as that’s likely where couples who are planning a destination wedding will be flying into. So without further ado, let’s take a look at some intimate wedding venues!

Intimate Wedding Venues Within Two Hours of Denver

For couples looking to keep the travel arrangements on the simpler side for both themselves and their wedding guests, our first six intimate wedding venues can all be found within a two hour drive of Denver, Colorado!

River Bend

Lyons, Colorado

Key Notes and Amenities:

• Multiple Getting Ready Spaces
• Large Outdoor Dinner Tent
• Tables and Chairs
• Catering Tent and Bar
• Audio Equipment
• Riverside Fire Pit 
• Newly Constructed Barn Space (coming in 2025)
• Tiny House Resort Through WeeCasa (a fantastic option for you and your guests to stay at in addition to Airbnbs in Lyons or Boulder)

A stunning intimate wedding venue just 1 hour north of Denver, Colorado. Located on the North Saint Vrain Creek, River Bend is a naturally beautiful oasis that gives couples a surreal wedding experience. The venue offers an astounding feeling of privacy with how close it is to the town of Lyons, it really does feel as though you’re off in your own world when celebrating your wedding here!

Sunrise Amphitheater

Boulder, Colorado

Key Notes and Amenities:

• Easy Access via Car (Parking Permit Required)
• Handicap Accessible Ceremony Space
• No On-Site Getting Ready Spaces, Electricity, or Water
• On-Site Latrine Toilets (Cleaned Every Friday)
• Photography Permit Required ( I can help with this!)
• Boulder is Full of Restaurants for Your Reception, and Airbnbs for Your Stay

The Sunrise Amphitheater is home to one of the most beautiful ceremony spaces you’ll find in all of Colorado. Looking out over the city of Boulder, Colorado, this site is ideal for an intimate wedding ceremony followed by a gorgeous hike through some of the nearby trails for your wedding portraits. Finish off your celebration with an evening in Boulder amongst your loved ones for an unforgettable wedding experience! To get a more concrete idea of what a wedding at the Sunrise Amphitheater can look like check out Giulia and Tyler’s wedding day.

Devil’s Thumb Ranch

Tabernash, Colorado

Key Notes and Amenities:

• Multiple Outdoor and Indoor Venue Options
• Customizable Wedding Packages
• On-Site Catering and Alcohol
• Outdoor Activities to Enjoy the 6,500 Acres of Land
• Up to 35 Guest Rooms Available at the Resort

The environmentally conscious Devil’s Thumb Ranch sits on 6,500 acres of land in Tabernash, Colorado, and is a remarkable intimate wedding venue for a variety of reasons. The ranch is only around an hour and a half outside of Denver, and treats its couples to exquisite mountain views as far as the eye can see. It’s a phenomenal spot to say your I Do’s in the company of your closest friends and family!

SkyView

Estes Park, Colorado

Key Notes and Amenities:

• On-Site Staff Assistance (Setup, Teardown, Day of Coordination, etc.)
• Honeymoon Suite
• Catering Options and Vendor Recommendations
• On-Site Lodging for Guests
• Found in Estes Park, Giving You and Your Guests Options for Weekend Activities

The aptly named SkyView features rooftop views of some of Rocky Mountain National Park’s epic mountain peaks. Only an hour and a half outside of Denver, Colorado, this intimate wedding venue offers a wide array of amenities for its couples to enjoy.

Freight 

Leadville, Colorado

Key Notes and Amenities:

• On-Site Getting Ready Spaces
• Chairs, Tables, Linens, Lounge Furniture, and More
• Wedding Planner and Event Staff
• Fire Pit and Yard Games
• Vendor and Off-Site Ceremony Recommendations
• 13 On-Site Cabins and an Array of Local Airbnbs

This historic 1800’s train depot and lumber yard has since become one of the coolest intimate wedding venues in Colorado. Just shy of 2 hours from Denver, Freight offers couples a rustic setting for their wedding day while being surrounded by the beautiful mountainous landscape that encapsulates Leadville.

Vail Wedding Deck 

Vail, Colorado

Key Notes and Amenities:

• Wheelchair Accessible Mountaintop Ceremony Space
• Planning Assistance
• Available Mid-June through Mid-September
• Special Deals when Booking 10+ Rooms Through Vail’s Website
• Additional Airbnbs Available in Vail

Vail Wedding Deck, or its formal name the Holy Cross Event Deck, is a truly one of a kind intimate wedding venue found in Vail, Colorado. This event space sits atop Vail Mountain and offers an unbeatable 360 degree view of the surrounding majestic landscape. Sitting at just about 2 hours from Denver, these views are hard to beat with such a short travel time!

Intimate Wedding Venues Between Two to Six Hours from Denver

For couples that are willing to spend a little extra time traveling to their intimate wedding venue’s location, here are seven venues found between two to six hours from Denver!

Surf Hotel

Buena Vista, Colorado

Key Notes and Amenities:

• Planning Assistance
• All-Inclusive Package Offerings
• Luxury Couples Sweet for Two Nights
• Multiple Indoor and Outdoor Spaces to Choose From
• On-Site Catering
• Tables, Chairs, Tableware, and More
• Discounted Rooms for Wedding Guests
• Tons of Airbnb Options in Buena Vista

Sitting on the Arkansas River is the impressively elegant Surf Hotel. This magical wedding venue in Buena Vista, Colorado is perfect for both intimate and massive celebrations. Sitting at around two and a half hours from Denver, the Surf Hotel offers couples an array of amenities, a classic European style, stunning riverside photo opportunities, and breathtaking mountainous backdrops to enjoy for their wedding.

Mt. Princeton Hot Springs

Nathrop, Colorado

Key Notes and Amenities:

• On-Site Lodging
• Personalized Menu Options
• Décor Assistance
• Vendor and Day of Coordination
• Natural Hot Springs, Spa Services, and Outdoor Activities
• Tons of Airbnb Options Along Chalk Creek Drive where Mt Princeton Hot Springs is Found

A luxurious resort like Mt. Princeton Hot Springs makes for the perfect intimate wedding venue in Colorado! Two and a half hours outside of Denver, this resort offers beautiful indoor and outdoor options for a wedding celebration sandwiched between the beautiful Mt Princeton and Mt Antero. The amenities and offerings of Mt Princeton make it an easy choice for couples looking for an all inclusive venue experience.

Hotel Jerome

Aspen, Colorado

Key Notes and Amenities:

• Array of Venue Options, Indoor and Outdoor
• On-Site Guest Rooms and Suites
• Tableware and Wedding Arbor
• Setup and Teardown Assistance
• Transportation to and from the Hotel to Your Venue
• Wedding Planner
• On-Site Getting Ready Spaces
• Customizable Menu
• On-Site Spa and Other Activities
• Endless Options for Entertainment and Lodging in Aspen

Found in the heart of Aspen, Hotel Jerome offers a luxurious experience for couples to enjoy throughout their wedding weekend. The sheer amount of venue options, each as beautiful as the next, all are surrounded by the breathtaking mountains that house Aspen, Colorado. Hotel Jerome provides couples with an experience that is equally as enjoyable as the picturesque setting it is found in.

T Lazy 7 Ranch

Aspen, Colorado 

Key Notes and Amenities:

• Multiple Venue Options, both Indoor and Outdoor
• Various Cabins to Stay In
• 3.5 Miles from Downtown Aspen and its Lodging and Entertainment
• Bartending Staff
• Getting Ready Spaces
• Event Assistance

Between Aspen and the infamous peaks of Maroon Bells is the wonderful T Lazy 7 Ranch, which sits at around three and a half hours from Denver. This wonderful space offers an variety of intimate wedding venues surrounded by some of the most iconic mountain peaks in Colorado. The gorgeous meadows and rustic ranch vibes create a setting that is hard to pass up when searching for your wedding venue!

Maroon Bells Amphitheater 

Aspen, Colorado

Key Notes and Amenities:

• $200 Reservation Required and can be Made up to 1 Year in Advance
• Reservation Includes 5 Vehicle Passes
• Shuttle Access is Available
• Nearby Picnic Site can be Reserved for a Reception
• Not Available: Fri and Sat in June, July, and August; Fri, Sat, and Sun in September

Maroon Bells Amphitheater quite literally has no equal. This intimate wedding venue features THE most photographed mountains in Colorado as its backdrop! The wonderful natural beauty of Maroon Bells makes it an ideal ceremony space, and with it only being 10 miles from Aspen there are also a ton of reception spaces available if you would like something more formal than the nearby East Maroon Portal Picnic site.

Creede Creekside HQ

Creede, Colorado

Key Notes and Amenities:

• 2 Magnificent Cabins on site, Creekside HQ and 94 Creekside
• Additional Airbnbs Nearby
• Planning Assistance
• On-Site Getting Ready Spaces

Around four and a half hours from Denver, Colorado, tucked in the San Juan Mountains, is where you’ll find our next intimate wedding venue! Creede Creekside HQ is a retreat of cabins near the town of Creede. This remote and romantic getaway is the perfect location for a private wedding ceremony amongst your closest friends and family. The wide open valley sheltered within the jaw dropping mountains creates a magical setting for the two of you to say ‘I Do’.

Top of the Pines

Ridgway, Colorado

Key Notes and Amenities:

• Available May 15th to October 15th
• Renovated Indoor Pavilion with Folding Chairs and Folding Tables for a Reception
• Prep Kitchen for Warming and Cooling of Food (Not a Full Kitchen)
• 3 Day Weekend (Fri-Sun) Booking Option, with Setup the Day Before the Wedding, and Teardown the Day After the Wedding
• Single Day Weekday (Mon-Thur) Booking Option
• Airbnb Options Throughout the Town of Ridgway

Another fabulous intimate wedding venue found in the San Juan Mountains is Top of the Pines, or TOP for short! TOP is about five and a half hours from Denver, and features arguably the most breathtaking ceremony space we’ve talked about so far. The wide open space stands in stark contrast to the magnificent mountain peaks that surround it, giving you a truly epic space for your wedding day to take place in.

Intimate Wedding Venues That are Six or More Hours from Denver

Our final three intimate wedding venues are more than a six hour drive from Denver, Colorado, but the mountain views here are WELL worth the extra drive!

San Sophia Overlook

Telluride, Colorado

Key Notes and Amenities:

• Available June-October and December-March
• Chairs and Water Station Included
• Reception Space Rental Required for Thursday-Sunday Weddings in the Summer and Any Wedding in the Winter
• Accessed Via Gondola
• Airbnb Options Throughout Telluride

The first intimate wedding venue sits just over 6 hours from Denver, Colorado, and features wonderful views of the mountains surrounding Telluride. In addition to the out of this world views of the San Sophia Overlook, the venue also offers an array of reception spaces to choose from and free gondola access from the city of Telluride!

The Observatory at Alta Lakes

Ophir, Colorado 

Key Notes and Amenities:

• Max Guest Count of 45 (Excluding Vendors)
• Space for 12 to Sleep in the Lodge
• Sits at an Elevation of 11,300ft
• Hot Tub
• Plenty of Outdoor Activities, Guided and Otherwise
• 44 Minute Drive from Telluride and its Lodging

For couples looking for an intimate wedding venue where they can truly get away from it all and experience the Colorado mountains to the fullest, this one’s for you. The Observatory at Alta Lakes rests under the peaks of the Silver and Palmyra mountains which make up part of the San Juan Mountains, and is six and a half hours from Denver. The remoteness of the lodge allows you to completely unplug and immerse yourselves into the love and excitement of your wedding day, all the while marveling at the wondrous landscape around you.

Dunton Hot Springs

Dolores, Colorado

Key Notes and Amenities:

• Can Sleep 68 if Renting Both the Hot Springs (52) and River Camp (16)
• Whole Property Rental Required with 14+ Guests
• Property Rental Includes All Meals (Customizable Menu) and Beverages
• Access to Hot Springs, Mountain Bikes, and Library Included in Property Rental
• Planning Assistance and Vendor Recommendations
• 2 Hours from Telluride’s Airbnbs and 1 Hour from Dolores’ Airbnbs

Our final intimate wedding venue of the list is Dunton Hot Springs, which is also found in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains. Around 8 hours from Denver, this group of rustic cabins made from an abandoned mining town create a wholly unique wedding experience. The amenities of the venue combined with the fantastic views of the surrounding mountains come together to help create the intimate wedding day of your dreams.

There’s 16 of my favorite intimate wedding venues throughout Colorado that let you experience our fantastic mountains to the fullest! For more assistance with planning your intimate wedding check out this article, and if you’re ready to book me to document your day head on over to my contact page!