You’re planning your dream wedding in fall. Here’s the good news: Vail, Colorado, offers a kaleidoscope of golden colors perfect for your big day. Our rugged mountains are an ideal backdrop for celebrating your love with a myriad of indoor and outdoor venues to choose from. We have everything you could ask for — and more.
So, it’s time to invite your family and friends and head to Vail for a trip to remember. See our recommendations for your wedding in fall below:
Flowers & Wedding Cake
Look no further than Stephanie Fleck, the owner of Vail-based Party Girl Events, to plan and execute all the little details of your perfect mountain wedding — from wedding stationery and place settings to helping you choose your ideal Vail venue. Whether you want pressed florals on your buttercream, fondant frosting or sugar flowers on your decadent dessert, she also knows the best local bakeries that can help.
Party Girl Events also works closely with A Secret Garden, an award-winning florist located in Vail Village that’s been making destination brides happy for more than two decades. According to Stephanie, who frequently teams up with the florist, one recent trend in wedding flowers is white roses, orchids and baby’s breath — a beautiful combination for the bridal bouquet. If white flowers are not your style, A Secret Garden can deliver whatever you need for a fall wedding — from rustic to elegant, all in a warm color palette for the season.
Rehearsal-Dinner Venues
Consider a traditional rehearsal dinner at one of several outstanding Vail restaurants.
For breathtaking Gore Range mountain views, a spacious dining area and a flavorful fall menu, host your event at the Vail Golf & Nordic Clubhouse. Framed with stunning aspen trees and the gorgeous colors of the fall, your rehearsal dinner (or wedding, if you choose) will be an event to remember.
Rather host your rehearsal dinner slopeside? Try the Vail Chophouse in Lionshead Village, featuring peak-strewn views and delicious food for your wedding’s eve. Known for their decadent steaks and oh-so-fresh seafood — think tender bone-in rib and lobster tail — the Chophouse is a favorite restaurant for many Vail aficionados.
Other restaurant options in Vail Village include La Tour Restaurant & Bar for an elegant and French-forward lunch or dinner, and Ludwig’s Restaurant‘s glass-enclosed Terrace in the Sonnenalp with cascading creekside views.
Indoor & Outdoor Wedding Venues in Vail
You hired a meticulous and passionate wedding planner for the big day. You selected exquisite flowers and ordered your wedding cake. So, the next big decision is where are you going to host your fantasy wedding in fall? There are so many spectacular choices!
Donovan Pavilion is a stunning Vail venue option, an architectural achievement adorned in timber and stone with metal botanical accents. This 5,200-square-foot pavilion was built exclusively for meetings and events and is exceptionally popular for weddings. The facility, which can accommodate up to 200 guests, features mountain-modern decor replete with an upgraded, sophisticated dressing room for the bride — spacious enough for your beautiful wedding dress, you, your bridesmaids, a hair stylist and makeup artist to gather before the big moment. Located near West Vail, the pavilion is situated on 50 acres of park and open space that’s a true alpine paradise.
For a more rustic, Western-style wedding, consider either 4 Eagle Ranch in Wolcott or Piney River Ranch north of Vail. Both venues offer views, views and more views. With natural beauty abounding, glamping options for the wedding party and closest friends, and unforgettable outdoor ceremony sites, either of these options will make a fall mountain wedding come to life. We bet that the photo proofs will be hard to choose from when selecting your favorite pics!
Prefer an elegant indoor venue? Consider the Vail Interfaith Chapel in Vail Village for your ceremony. The natural beauty of the altar window in the chapel is perfect for sharing vows. It’s located on the banks of the rushing Gore Creek — and during fall backlit by shimmering gold aspen leaves that surround the area. Steps away are numerous indoor wedding-reception venues and a plethora of luxury hotels, like the Four Seasons Resort and Residences Vail. Add a dance floor into the mix, your closest friends, and a view of the mountains, and you have the perfect wedding-reception spot.
The natural beauty of Vail extends to Camp Hale Weddings, where a mountain of wedding opportunities are on offer with Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument as the backdrop. With expansive panoramas, rustic architecture and groves of quaking aspen trees, an autumn wedding at Camp Hale is hard to top. Need a heated tent? Dance floor or ceremony island? Benches, an arbor or a wireless PA system? They have thought of every detail. This private property, run by Nova Guides, can also add on to your fall wedding menu with overnight cabins, transportation, bonfires, a s’mores package, a fly-fishing guide, a cocktail hour, a Jeep photography package and more. They even allow you to bring your own caterer if that’s your preference.
On top of Vail Mountain sits Eagle’s Nest, just steps away from Lionshead’s high-speed Eagle Bahn Gondola. Nearby, Vail Mountain’s Holy Cross event deck overlooks the famous Colorado fourteener of the same name in the Holy Cross Wilderness, of course. Looking out beyond the wedding deck, you’ll see a vast vista of peaks unfolding surrounded by brilliant yellows and golds. Wedding guests will remember this outdoor venue’s magnificent backdrop forevermore.
Plan Only-in-Vail Activities
With all your wedding-venue details in place, it’s time to move on to the wedding invitation. We hope it’s adorned with an aspen-leaf motif and a fall color palette to get everyone in the mood to celebrate. Fine-tune your guest list and be prepared for a huge turnout because — who doesn’t want an excuse to visit Vail?
Planning a whole week of wedding fun? Curate a list of outdoor activities and excursions to entertain your guests leading up to the main event, including hiking, golfing, mountain biking, fly fishing, events like Oktoberfest, Vail Farmers’ Market & Art Show, leaf peeping and scenic autumn drives. Enjoying Vail ahead of time is also a great way to get acclimated to our higher elevation (8,150 feet up!) before the wedding day.
Don’t Forget to Book a Vail Photographer
For years to come, your wedding portrait featuring all our fall beauty will remind you what a wonderful choice you made. And Vail will always be here for you to return for your anniversary!