by Beth Buehler
Planning a Colorado wedding that celebrates the vision, personalities and interests of the bride and groom is at the heart of planning destination nuptials. Family and friends are traveling to a special place the happy couple has selected and perhaps will be adding on a day or two for their own vacation moments. Planning an event from afar that satisfies all can be tricky, but Destination Colorado’s website and members are dedicated to keeping the internet surfing to a minimum and linking you to amazing spaces, places and people that are ready to help you plan a Colorado destination wedding.
Destinations – Perhaps you have been to Colorado as a kid with your family, during work travels or on a romantic excursion. If you have a specific location in mind, head straight to the town or region of choice. On Destination Colorado’s website, all member destinations can be viewed together or sort by Denver, Front Range, Mountains, Southwest, South Central and Western Slope to get a snapshot of various regions.
Winter destination weddings are also a Colorado specialty. Courtesy Viceroy Snowmass.
Venues – If you want to start by looking at venues for the rehearsal dinner, ceremony and reception, browse a list of all Destination Colorado member venues or narrow down the search by the 25 listed destinations, group size and facility type (alternative unique spaces, hotel/resort or restaurant). One of the handiest features is they all have tabs for wedding-specific information and a person to contact.
Mother Nature provides the decor for a reception or rehearsal dinner at Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs. Courtesy Cheyenne Mountain Resort
The Pueblo Convention Center transformed for an elegant gathering. Courtesy Pueblo Convention Center.
Services – Once you have a destination and venue(s) in mind or secured, it’s time to start seeking providers for services such as audiovisual, entertainment, group activities, photography and transportation. Destination Colorado’s website also lists great options in these categories so everything goes off without a hitch. For example, when guests are traveling for your destination wedding, make sure they have a great time upon arrival by booking or mentioning activities such as the Taste of Denver Food Tour or Vail Valley Food and Beer Tours. Or help the wedding party break the ice with a Geeks Who Drink quiz at the rehearsal dinner or bachelor party.
Experience a destination with activities such as Taste of Denver Food Tours. Courtesy Taste of Denver Food Tours.
Requests for Proposals – Destination Colorado’s website is set up to easily send requests for proposals to multiple destinations, venues and service providers all at once instead of having to contact them individually. Simply type in your contact information, indicate your interests in these three categories and provide basic event information such as dates, number of people, lodging type desired, etc. Hit send and get ready for responses!
Exchanging vows in the beautiful outdoors. Courtesy Beaver Creek Group Sales and Services.
Congratulations on your engagement and best wishes for an amazing Colorado wedding. Destination Colorado stands ready to help make your big day hassle-free and over-the-top memorable!
Beth Buehler is editor of Colorado Meetings + Events and Mountain Meetings magazines, has planned numerous meetings and events and enjoys exploring Colorado in all seasons.
