8 Mountain Wedding Planning Tips from a Colorado Wedding Planner
Elevate Photography captured this bride and groom lakeside at Vail Golf & Nordic Club. Boutonniere by Fairytale Floral.
As Colorado wedding planners, we have been a part of many mountain weddings. It's one of the most beautiful places in the country to celebrate the beginning of your lives together as a married couple. We have put together eight tips you should know before planning your Colorado mountain wedding. Number eight is the tip that will be the most helpful!
Book in advance - a minimum of 9 to 12 months - as soon as you decide on the perfect venue for your wedding, start working with them (or your wedding planner, who will do the legwork for you) to choose a date. Mountain wedding venues are often booked out over a year.
Hire a local photographer who is familiar with the landscape, climate, and venues. This will help ensure you get the most magical images to capture your day. Spend time looking at photographers' portfolios because they tell the truth about their photography skills.
Plan for the altitude to avoid altitude sickness, especially if you aren't from the Denver area. Drink plenty of water to hydrate in the days leading up to your wedding. Another thing to keep in mind is alcohol will affect you more at a higher elevation.
Plan for the weather regardless of the season you get married. Temperatures in the mountains are generally 30 to 40 degrees cooler than in the city. Guests will appreciate it if you have light blankets on hand for cool summer days or offer hot tea or hot chocolate on chilly fall days.
Provide guests with helpful tips to ensure your wedding day is enjoyable for them. Tips on avoiding altitude sickness, a visitor guide or local map, suggested things to do, and a couple bottles of water to stay hydrated.
Plan some events for out-of-town guests. No one likes sitting around with nothing to do in an unfamiliar area. A welcome party is a great way for guests to relax and unwind after traveling. A group restorative yoga class or low-key hike are great ways to energize guests. Don't forget a send-off brunch or BBQ.
Build in some downtime for your guests to relax. It's equally as important that your guests have some time to themselves. An overly scheduled itinerary isn't for everyone.
Use a wedding planner! Probably the most important tip we can give for planning a mountain wedding. An experienced Colorado wedding planner will be able to take care of each one of these tips to take the stress of planning a wedding off your shoulders, and you can focus on the important things like each other.
You won't regret using a wedding planner to help create the Rocky Mountain wedding of your dreams. Hiring a full-service wedding planner may seem like a large expense, but it can end up saving you money and time (and sanity) in the end. An experienced, knowledgeable wedding planner will make the whole process a lot more enjoyable for you and your partner.