As a Colorado local and wedding photographer, it’s one of my favorite places for couples to tie the knot! In this guide for Colorado micro weddings, I’m sharing the best locations and helpful planning tips so you can have the perfect wedding.
Below, we’ll explore stunning places for an intimate ceremony in Colorado, both indoors and outdoors. I’ll also discuss how you can start planning your wedding day, including setting a budget, creating your guest list, and choosing the best location.
Best Locations for Colorado Micro Weddings
There are many micro wedding venues in Colorado, from breathtaking outdoor ceremony locations to beautiful indoor spaces. Whether you’re planning an elopement-style wedding or you have a small guest list in mind, the following locations throughout Colorado are incredible.
Many outdoor areas require a photo permit, which costs around $50. However, I’m not including that in the costs below since I cover these for couples I work with.
Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park, CO
Max guest count: 30
Cost: $350 for the Special Use Permit
Availability: Year-round
Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) is one of my favorite places for a micro wedding in Colorado because of its picture-perfect scenery. The park is surrounded by lakes, waterfalls, mountain peaks, and trails.
There are several locations throughout RMNP for a small wedding ceremony with guests, including Lily Lake Southside Picnic Area, Moraine Park Discovery Center Amphitheater, and 3M–a large rock overlook.
Brainard Lake Recreation Area, Ward, CO
Max guest count: 20
Cost: Minimal parking fee only
Availability: Year-round
Brainard Lake is one of the most affordable small wedding locations in Colorado. It’s a beautiful area surrounded by forest and mountain views, perfect for an outdoor wedding, and the lake is a gorgeous backdrop for an intimate ceremony.
Brainard Lake is less than an hour from Boulder, a stunning alternative to RMNP, and is easily accessible. There are also several spots to exchange vows, with space for loved ones to join you.
Center for the Arts, Crested Butte, CO
Max guest count: 200
Cost: $15,000
Availability: Year-round
One of the most unique Colorado micro wedding locations is the Center for the Arts in Crested Butte. You can choose from several spaces for your ceremony and reception, including a tranquil courtyard and a modern theater room. The Center for the Arts makes your wedding day easy with all packages, including chairs, tables, tech equipment, and on-site staff.
The Center for the Arts is conveniently located in Crested Butte’s cute downtown area. I love Crested Butte for weddings, too, because there are so many fun outdoor activities to do with your love and for your guests to enjoy.
Town Ranch, Crested Butte, CO
Max guest count: 200
Cost: $700+
Availability: See website for availability
Town Ranch is another picturesque venue in Crested Butte, and it’s perfect for an outdoor wedding. I loved photographing one of my couples in this beautiful, protected open space and productive ranch land with 360-degree mountain views.
Downtown Crested Butte is within walking distance of Town Ranch. While you can invite up to 200 guests to a wedding at Town Ranch, the venue has limited parking, and the on-site restroom access is for up to 150 guests.
San Sophia Overlook, Telluride, CO
Max guest count: 250
Cost: $5,000 + for wedding venue only
Availability: June-October and December-March
The San Sophia Overlook in Telluride is easily one of the most beautiful locations for Colorado micro weddings. The overlook deck is at an elevation of 10,540 feet and offers 360-degree views of tall mountain peaks.
This stunning wedding venue is at Telluride Ski Resort, making for a beautiful and adventurous wedding location. The on-site hotel rooms make it a convenient location for you and your guests, and you can also rent a gorgeous reception space at the resort.
Bread Bar, Silver Plume, CO
Max guest count: 70
Cost and availability: Contact Bread Bar for more information
Bread Bar is an 1800s-era bakery that can also be rented for a unique wedding space. This is the perfect place for an intimate micro wedding in Colorado.
You can rent Bread Bar for a mountainside outdoor ceremony on the patio while also enjoying the antique vibes of the indoor space during your reception. Bread Bar is known for its cocktails and other drinks, but you can also connect with local vendors for your wedding celebration at Bread Bar.
Beaumont Hotel & Spa, Ouray, CO
Max guest count: 300
Cost: Weddings start at $999
Availability: Year-round
The Beaumont Hotel is historic, elegant, and romantic – the ideal venue for your micro wedding in Colorado. With unique architecture and timeless decor, you don’t have to worry about decorating the space. There are also various options for your ceremony and reception, including a courtyard, ballroom, and lounge.
Guestrooms sleep up to 30 guests, and it’s located in Downtown Ouray, a charming mountain town in the San Juan Mountains, so it’s an amazing location for a fun wedding with loved ones.
Juniper Mountain House, Evergreen, CO
Max guest count: 50
Cost: Weddings start at $2,350, including overnight stay and ceremony coordination
Availability: Year-round
Juniper Mountain House is a boutique hotel and stunning, intimate wedding venue. Immerse yourself in nature with gorgeous outdoor and indoor spaces for a dreamy ceremony and reception. A charming room at Juniper Mountain House is the perfect place to spend your wedding night, with additional rooms for guests too.
There are various wedding packages suitable for various guest counts and lodging. All packages include at least one night of accommodation and ceremony coordination.
Colorado Micro Weddings: Helpful Planning Tips
Use the planning tips below to have a stress-free and enjoyable wedding experience.
Decide on a Budget
To start planning your wedding, you’ll need to decide on your budget. This will help you choose your location, vendors, guest count, etc. Colorado offers many wedding day options, making it easy to plan an affordable wedding or splurge for your big day.
A micro wedding in Colorado usually costs at least $7,000, including a photographer and your ceremony location. Of course, other possible expenses include a reception, vendors, and traveling if you’re having a destination wedding.
Create Your Guest List
A micro wedding is typically 50 people or fewer. For a more intimate wedding that offers more flexibility to plan your dream day, 30 guests or fewer is ideal.
If you’re having more than 15 guests, I recommend booking a reservable ceremony site or venue. This helps ensure there’s ample space and accessibility.
Many couples have trouble creating a small guest list, which I totally understand! To keep your wedding small, only invite your closest loved ones. Then, you can include all of your friends and family with a celebration afterward. You might even share your wedding video so others can watch it remotely, which my husband and I did after our elopement.
Choose Your Location and Time of Year
Now that you know your budget and guest list, you can explore Colorado micro wedding locations.
You’ll also want to consider the scenery you’re looking for and the time of year you want to get married. While Colorado is beautiful year-round, all seasons offer a unique experience.
Here’s what you can expect during different seasons:
- Winter: It’s very cold, and snows in most places. It’s also Colorado’s busy season and the perfect time for a winter wonderland wedding. Some outdoor venues are closed during this time.
- Spring: It’s still chilly but warming up. It’s a slower time of year, so costs might be lower.
- Summer: This is the best time of year for a warm weather wedding, especially if you want to get married outdoors.
- Fall: The scenery is beautiful in many locations, with beautiful fall colors. The weather is also really nice this time of year in Colorado.
Work with an Intimate Wedding Photographer
A wedding photographer captures all the special moments of your big day and can help you plan the perfect intimate wedding.
I love working with couples on choosing their dream wedding location, planning the logistics, and being there to support them and take pictures on the wedding day.
All of my packages include:
- A phone consultation
- Location scouting
- Timeline planning
- Vendor recommendations
- Wedding planning resources
- Sneak peek photos
- Custom online gallery with all edited high-resolution images
- Rights to printing
- My travel expenses to anywhere in Colorado (and throughout the US!)
Let’s Plan Your Colorado Micro Wedding
Are you ready to plan the most amazing wedding day? I’d love to help you!
Not only can I support you during the planning process, but I’ll also carry the train of your dress, get to know your family members, and be there to ease your anxiety on your wedding day. Best of all, I’ll capture the authentic and special moments throughout your wedding day to help you remember the best day ever, forever.
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."
