Mountain Weddings: What You Need to Know
A&J’s Wedding by Mikayla Renee Photo
While it's exciting to plan a mountain wedding, it can be daunting, especially if you aren’t familiar with the mountain region where you’re planning your wedding. We’ve compiled our list of the top five tips to help you make informed wedding decisions for the perfect mountain wedding!
Tip 1: Dates for Your Mountain Wedding
Reserve your date early! This is especially important if you want your wedding during the peak season (pun intended). This tends to be the summer months when the mountains are warm and easily accessible, but don’t discount the popularity of a winter wedding. Venues and vendors for mountain weddings can be busy year round.
Tip 2: Mountain Wedding Guests
Make sure your guests are prepared for all the components that come along with a wedding in the mountains: weather, altitude, and travel to your mountain location. Consider who your guests are to plan effectively. If your wedding is only for close friends and family who are comfortable navigating the mountains or taking a short hike to your venue, a location that is a bit more remote may be an option. But if your invite list is wider, you will likely need a venue that is more accessible. While the most remote option might get you closer to the high peak wedding you’ve been dreaming of, you may also want Grandma Margaret who is in a wheelchair to enjoy your big day, too!
In addition to the actual event, consider planning the excursion details for your guests. You may want to create an info sheet that includes getting there (nearby airports, car rentals, and hotel information), fun things to do, and interesting facts about your mountain destination.
Tip 3: Weather Considerations for Mountain Weddings
Whichever season you want your mountain wedding to take place in, you may want to align your aesthetic vision with the season’s colors and weather patterns. A winter wedding is a beautiful time of year to pair darker bouquet colors with the bright snow and have the makeup and hair to match.
While aesthetics, photos, and colors are big components in the visual display of your wedding, in the case of mountain weddings you should plan for weather that may be more extreme than you’re used to. Plan accordingly so the experience behind the photos is also enjoyable. Think faux-furs, chunky-knit wraps, or colorful scarves and mittens.
Even if you have a wedding in the summer months with less extreme weather, it’s always wise to make sure your guests are ready for the drama of mountain weather patterns. Planning a wedding in the Rockies can feel like it all revolves around the weather. Remind guests to bring layers so they can stay comfortable throughout your ceremony and reception. Also, be sure to encourage guests to wear sunscreen or you have some readily available. Remember you are closer to the sun on a mountain, no matter how cold it may be!
Tip 4: How Altitude Affects Mountain Weddings
If your wedding is on a mountain top rather than lower in the mountains or you have guests coming from sea level areas, you may want to make sure that they are drinking plenty of water, less alcohol, and that you have emergency numbers and local clinic information readily available. Altitude sickness can be hard to catch until it turns into a much bigger problem so encourage your guests (and yourself!) to follow preventative measures so your wedding goes off without a hitch.
Tip 5: Planning Your Mountain Wedding
Plan a special trip out to the location to scope out your wedding spot, even if you are from the area. You want to see the locale with your wedding in mind. Take pictures to capture certain spots or lighting to use when you’re planning. If you are from out of town, working with a wedding planner can help you feel close to your mountainside spot even from afar. Here at Blue Linden we have years of experience planning mountain weddings, and we can help keep your dream wedding stress-free so you can truly enjoy family, friends, and your beautiful mountainside location! Contact us to get started bringing your dream mountain wedding to life!