By Beth Buehler
Colorado’s capital city, Denver, and nearby towns along the Front Range offer couples an amazing array of wedding reception venue choices along with 300 days of beautiful sunshine annually.
Truly Unique
In Loveland, brides and grooms can get “Married in the Sweetheart City, Loveland, Colorado” stamped on their marriage license and celebrate nuptials with a Western-themed reception at a ranch, an elegant ballroom gathering or an outdoor fête in the park at Benson Sculpture Garden.
Want something on the wild side and with built-in entertainment? The Wild Game Entertainment Experience in Evergreen is 24,000 square feet of endless fun such as bowling, pool and arcade games along with private event space for up to 500.
The Wild Game clubhouse with bocce court can keep reception guests entertained for hours.
In Longmont, there are a variety of unique options from the Longmont Museum & Cultural Center’s new $4 million expansion that includes a glass-walled atrium and the Callahan House, a charming Victorian home with picturesque gardens in the heart of downtown. Shupe Homestead and Lone Hawk Farm are two other great Longmont options.
Longmont Museum & Cultural Center recently underwent a $4 million expansion.
Longmeadow Game Resort And Event Center in Wiggins offers the unique combination of wedding, event and hunting destination complete with lodging. There is an outdoor wedding venue, and the event center has 11,500 square feet of space. In Lyons at Peaceful Valley Resort, chose from an outdoor amphitheater, the Alpine Chapel and a meadow for the nuptials and an outdoor tented area, riverside patio and barn for receptions with capacity for up to 150. Three lodges and 10 cabins allow guests the convenience of staying on-site.
Longmeadows Game Resort and Event Center in Wiggins.
At Church Ranch Event Center in Westminster, there are countless opens with 7 acres of walking gardens, water features, a grassy knoll for outdoor ceremonies and a Reception Hall that can be casual or sophisticated.
College Campus Charm
It is hard to beat the upbeat atmosphere of a college campus. Centrally located in a quiet residential neighborhood, University of Denver features historic landmarks such as the beloved Evans Memorial Chapel for a wedding ceremony and beautiful outdoor areas like the Harper Humanities Garden, and spacious event rooms like the Craig Hall Community Room for receptions.
University of Denver has beautiful lawns for ceremonies and indoor spaces for receptions.
Full-Service Celebrating – Hotels & Inns
Denver offers a huge range of options including the city’s AAA Five-Diamond hotel, The Ritz-Carlton, Denver with more than 13,000 square feet of luxurious, indoor event space including two opulent ballrooms and an outdoor plaza terrace for an urban wedding backdrop. The Inverness Hotel & Conference Center in Englewood has everything from a tent bordering the golf course, gardens and a ballroom to host up to 400.
Nearby in Golden, Table Mountain Inn is a 74-room boutique hotel with cozy ambiance and three event spaces in addition to Kokopelli Patio. Table Mountain Inn hosts ceremonies, receptions and rehearsal dinners for 10 to 150 guests.
Between Denver and Boulder, Omni Interlocken Hotel and Resort in Bloomfield is a true resort-style experience for newlyweds and their guests with an outdoor covered pavilion and indoor ballrooms for receptions and three nine-hole golf courses, two outdoor swimming pools, three restaurants, a spa and more for free time.
Omni Interlocken Resort’s pavilion is the perfect backdrop for wedding receptions.
Known as the home to University of Colorado and for downtown’s bustling Pearl Street, Boulder also is a great place to get married surrounded by the Flatiron mountains. St Julien Hotel & Spa has more than 16,500 square feet of elegant indoor and outdoor event, including multiple terraces and garden areas. Also downtown, the historic Hotel Boulderado offers 10,000 square feet of event space, including the mezzanine overlooking the lobby and with a stunning stained glass ceiling overhead and the newly remodeled Event Center with a patio. Another great option is Millennium Harvest House Boulder with an ideal location on Boulder Creek and with blooming gardens, outside courtyard and romantic pavilion along with indoor options for up to 300 guests.
Reception guests will love being outdoors on St Julien Hotel and Spa’s back terrace.
This is just a sampling of many outstanding wedding reception venues along Colorado’s energetic Front Range with the majestic Rocky Mountains as a backdrop. These and other Destination Colorado members are ready to assist couples to make sure their days are extra special.
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.
