If you’re planning your wedding and don’t want to break the bank, I’ve got you covered! In this article, I’m sharing the best affordable wedding venues in Colorado. From outdoor venues surrounded by natural beauty to romantic indoor locations, there’s a perfect place for all couples below.
Getting married on a budget is totally possible, and the best part is an affordable wedding can be just as fun and special as any other. As a Colorado elopement and wedding photographer, I love working with adventurous couples who want a unique and personalized experience, even if this means sticking to a budget!
Let’s explore stunning, cost-effective wedding venues in Colorado. I’ll also answer common questions about getting married in Colorado.
Best Affordable Wedding Venues in Colorado
As a Colorado-based photographer, I’ve traveled all over the state for weddings. Below, I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite affordable and free wedding locations.
Don’t see what you’re looking for? Contact me, and we can find your dream wedding venue!
Town Ranch, Crested Butte
Cost: $700
Max guest count: 200 (you must rent an additional portable toilet for more than 150 guests)
Town Ranch is an outdoor wedding venue in Crested Butte, a stunning mountain town. The venue is beautiful, with picture-perfect mountain scenery. It’s an incredible place to get married in Colorado on a budget while still getting to invite your family and friends.
The space is open but protected, so you feel like you’re in a secluded area, even though it’s conveniently located a short walk from the Downtown area. This makes it easy to find nearby accommodations and walk into town to continue your party after the wedding and reception.
Balistreri Vineyards, Denver
Cost: Starts at $2,600
Max guest count: 250
Balistreri Vineyards is one of the best affordable wedding venues in Colorado, no matter what time of year you want to tie the knot. The winery has gorgeous indoor and outdoor event spaces, with natural beauty, vaulted ceilings, and a grand staircase – all amazing photo ops.
There are various prices and packages, depending on the spaces you use and when you get married. All packages include tables, chairs, linens, venue managers, and day-of coordination for a stress-free wedding.
Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park
Cost: $350 for a Special Use Permit
Max guest count: 30 for most sites
I love Rocky Mountain National Park for an intimate outdoor wedding. The entire park is breathtaking, and there are several dedicated ceremony sites.
You can have your wedding in front of a lake, at the base of a waterfall, or surrounded by tall mountain peaks. With over 300 miles of hiking trails, it’s also the perfect place if you’re an adventurous couple who wants to hike together before or after your ceremony.
Brainard Lake Recreation Area, Ward
Max guest count: 20
Cost: Small parking fee only
Brainard Lake Recreation Area is one of my favorite places to have a free wedding in Colorado. Not only is it beautiful, but all you have to pay for is the parking fee!
The area is surrounded by gorgeous scenery, with alpine forests, high mountain peaks, and a lake. Brainard Lake is easily accessible with ample parking and several locations for a ceremony, including the main area by the lake and Mitchell Lake Trail, a short hike to smaller lakes. That said, given the space, I recommend keeping your Brainard Lake guest list intimate.
Beaumont Hotel & Spa, Ouray
Cost: Weddings start at $999
Max guest count: 300
If you’re dreaming of an elegant and romantic budget wedding, the Beaumont Hotel & Spa is an amazing venue. It’s a historic hotel with beautiful architecture and timeless decor. It also has several spaces for your ceremony and reception, including a courtyard, lounge, and ballroom.
The Beaumont Hotel & Spa is also ideal for convenience because up to 30 people can stay in the guest rooms. It’s also conveniently located in Downtown Ouray, a fun town in the San Juan Mountains.
Breckenridge Brewing, Breckenridge
Cost: See details below
Max Guest Count: 120 (or rent the entire space for a larger wedding)
Breckenridge Brewing is one of the coolest and most affordable wedding venues in Colorado for beer lovers! You can have a ceremony in their outdoor space, then choose from two different indoor areas for your reception.
The Great Room is a semi-private area with a fireplace and easy access to the beer garden. It can accommodate up to 100 seated guests or 120 standing guests. The Great Room doesn’t have a rental fee, but there is a minimum food and drink cost.
The Tour Tasting Room is entirely private and has an attached outdoor patio for space outside, too. This is perfect if you want to be inside and outside, and you can have lawn games during your reception. The Tour Tasting Room holds 40 seated guests or 75 standing guests. Renting the tasting room costs $150 during the week and $250 on weekends. There’s also a minimum food and drink cost.
Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs
Cost: Free
Max Guest Count: 15
Not only is the Garden of the Gods one of the few free wedding venues in Colorado, but it’s also absolutely breathtaking! The park is surrounded by magical red rock formations and mountain scenery – truly all the decor you need.
There are six main sites where you can exchange your vows at Garden of the Gods. Even though some sites allow up to 50 guests, I recommend keeping your guest count to 15 people or less because parking is limited, and ceremony locations don’t comfortably accommodate a large group.
Ridgway State Park, Ridgway
Cost: $200 during the week and $250 on holidays and weekends
Max guest count: 100
If you want to get married outdoors in southern Colorado, Ridgway State Park is easily one of the best locations. Have your ceremony overlooking a reservoir surrounded by beautiful mountain peaks. Explore the park to take beautiful photos, and have your reception in the open-air pavilion.
I love Ridgway State Park for adventurous couples because there are so many activities, including hiking, horseback riding, skiing, and snowshoeing. You can stay overnight in a yurt or tent at the campground or nearby in a vacation rental or hotel.
Bread Bar, Silver Plume
Cost: Contact Bread Bar for details on cost
Max guest count: 70
One of my favorite weddings I’ve photographed was at Bread Bar, a unique bakery with an 1800s vibe.
Bread Bar is the perfect place for a fun micro-wedding in Colorado. You can have an outdoor ceremony on the mountainside patio, then head inside for a reception with craft cocktails. Bread Bar also works with local vendors to help you create your dream wedding and reception.
Affordable Wedding Venues in Colorado: FAQs
Get answers to common questions to make the most of your special yet affordable wedding in Colorado.
What is the average cost of a wedding in Colorado?
The average cost of a Colorado wedding is $30,058, according to the Wedding Market Report. However, costs can vary greatly depending on your venue, time of year, vendors, and guest count. It’s entirely possible to make most budgets work for your wedding in Colorado!
How to have a budget-friendly wedding in Colorado?
If you want to plan a budget-friendly wedding in Colorado, it’s important to book an affordable wedding venue. You might also book during the off-season if the venue’s rates are lower during that time.
I also recommend keeping your guest list limited to your closest loved ones. Not only is this more cost-effective, but it can also help you have a stress-free and authentic wedding experience.
Where’s the best place to get married in Colorado?
There are so many amazing places to get married in Colorado, but a few of my favorite places are Crested Butte, Ouray, and Brainard Lake. I love these locations because they’re more hidden gems, which means fewer tourists and a more intimate experience for you and your love!
If you want help choosing the perfect place to get married, let’s chat! I’m a Colorado elopement and intimate wedding photographer, and I love helping couples find their ideal location.
Let’s Plan Your Budget-Friendly Colorado Wedding
I hope you found this article helpful and feel inspired to get married on a budget in Colorado. There are so many places to get married on a budget, and I love helping couples find the perfect location.
Not only do I capture the special moments of your wedding day, but I can also help with the planning process. My wedding packages include location scouting, timeline planning, vendor recommendations, a custom online gallery of all-edited high-resolution images, and more.
kinsley + caden
“Brooke was the perfect choice for our wedding day! We had a micro wedding at Sapphire Point in August. I had never been to Sapphire Point and Brooke was so helpful suggesting vendors, picture locations, parking, marriage license info etc. She was so kind and helpful before and during the whole process and was a large part of why the day went so smooth. She does so much more than just show up and take pictures, Brooke will truly go out of her way to make your wedding day perfect! The photos are gorgeous and I keep getting so many compliments! I truly cannot recommend her enough!”
"Brooke was a large part of why our day went so smooth and will truly go out of her way to make your wedding day perfect!"
We chose Brooke to capture our Colorado elopement and she did exactly that and more. She made it easy to plan our day out with locations and timelines so that we could focus on ourselves. We decided last minute to change our afternoon/evening elopement to a 6am sunrise one so beat the heat of the day. Brooke accommodated us without hesitation and even created a new timeline for us so that we knew where to be for the perfect sunrise. She was kind and understood what we wanted in terms of our elopement and we are so grateful to have her capture the day. Our photos turned out beautiful and truly helped us relive the day. I would recommend Brooke to anyone wanting their special day photographed.
"Brooke accommodated us without hesitation and even created a new timeline for us so that we knew where to be for the perfect sunrise."
erica + stacy
kirstie + colin
Brooke not only photographed our mountain elopement beautifully, but she put so much thought into the details and knew all of the answers the questions I didn’t even know to ask. She really puts a lot of thought into each photo and brings her expertise while still remaining very open to what we wanted and ideas we had. She even helped pick the perfect spot for us and advised us on the logistical details like securing a reservation at the mountain lake where we wanted our ceremony. She is SO easy to work with and very friendly and chill. My husband and I are super awkward in front of a camera but she made it so natural and easy - and the shots came out better than we could have imagined.
"She really puts a lot of thought into each photo and brings her expertise while still remaining very open to what we wanted and ideas we had."
amanda + jace
Brooke is many things; talented, calm, flexible, experienced/ knowledgeable, patient, incredibly responsive, organized, resourceful in a pinch, supportive, creative, professional yet a blast to work with, and goes above & beyond w her clients. Our wedding was a spectacular dream and we couldn't be more grateful that she made that single day last forever. Whether she's photographing nature or an intimate event, her pictures tell a story of peace, love, whatever your vision may be. We couldn't recommend her more and we look forward to booking with her for all of our vow renewals, seasonal and family pictures for as long as she'll have us.
"Whether she's photographing nature or an intimate event, her pictures tell a story of peace, love, whatever your vision may be."
linden + brent
Working with Brooke was a dream come true! Before we even met, my husband Brent and I were impressed by her portfolio. After meeting, we were even more convinced that her photography skills and knowledge, and her fun and easygoing personality were exactly what we were looking for in an elopement photographer. Brooke was able to take our vision and facilitate everything so that it worked out beautifully, especially when it came to finding the perfect location (the incredible mountains surrounding Ouray). Throughout the entire planning process, she was honest and flexible, and made it clear that her goal was for us to be 100% happy. In the end, her creativity and our happiness totally shine through in every single photo.
"Throughout the entire planning process, she was honest and flexible."
lauren + branden
I can't begin to express my gratitude for the intimacy and beauty behind Brooke's photographs. In capturing our wedding day, she went above and beyond to document our story, our families, and the depths of our love in ways that I'll forever be grateful for. Brooke has an eye for not only capturing the adventure and magic of your love, but deeply connects with your personal story, understands your relationship, and then gives that back in the most incredible way. She is truly an artist and tells your story in an authentic and creative way for you to look back on for years to come. We are forever grateful to Brooke for spending the time to get to know us, our story, and capturing the memories that we'll relive for years to come.
"Brooke deeply connects with your personal story, understands your relationship, and then gives that back in the most incredible way."
heather + jedd
“If you're contemplating which photographer to go with, THIS IS YOUR SIGN TO CHOOSE BROOKE!!!! She is so so so talented and was able to capture our elopement exactly how I pictured and wanted! We eloped in Ridgway, CO this past September and she was so helpful figuring out picture locations, recommendations of timeline for the day, and just made the whole day feel so smooth. She schedules multiple check ins, phone calls, etc., leading up to the big day to ensure everything is as you want it. Brooke has such a calming, down to earth presence and is one of those awesome people you feel like you've known forever after just the first time of meeting."
"Brooke has such a calming, down to earth presence and is one of those awesome people you feel like you've known forever."
christy + austin
Brooke is the absolute best. She truly went above and beyond for my fiancé and I to be able to get our engagement photos taken with the fall colors. Brooke is so sweet, fun, personable and incredibly talented. We could not be more in love with our engagement photos! Our engagement session with Brooke was such a special experience and a memory we will cherish forever.
"Our engagement session with Brooke was such a special experience and a memory we will cherish forever."
