How-to Guide: Planning the Perfect Winter Park Wedding

Home to one of the top ski resorts in North America, Winter Park is an alpine dream come true. With untouched forests and sprawling meadows surrounded by the soaring peaks of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, this city offers stunning backdrops no matter where you choose to exchange your vows.

As a local Colorado elopement photographer, I can honestly say Winter Park lives up to the hype. It’s perfect for couples who want to have a wedding that feels both romantic and intimate, so here are my top tips on how to plan your own!

Frequently asked questions about getting married in Winter Park:

What makes Winter Park a great place to get married? 

I’ve photographed hundreds of elopements around Colorado and I can tell you that Winter Park is one of my favorite places to recommend for couples who want that classic Colorado mountain scenery.

Its sweeping views of the Rocky Mountains are unparalleled and the entire area looks gorgeous whether it’s covered in winter snow or summer wildflowers. While Winter Park is known for having some of the best skiing/snowboarding in Colorado, it also offers tons of options for mountain biking and hiking, making this place a true haven for explorers no matter the season.

Honestly, it’s the perfect place for a mountain wedding that feels both magical and adventurous!

How do you get to Winter Park?

You can find Winter Park on most navigation apps, but here are the coordinates for the town center just in case: 39°53’29.8″N 105°45’47.7″W. It’s located just off of US-40, about an hour and a half’s drive west of Boulder and an hour and 20 minutes north of Breckenridge.

If you’re flying in from out-of-state, I suggest landing at the Denver International Airport and renting a car. The drive to Winter Park should take just under 2 hours if you head west on I-70 for about 53 miles, then exit onto US-40 W which will take you right by the town! 

Pro Tip: If you plan on visiting between mid-December and late-March, you can actually save some money on the rental car and instead take the Winter Park Express from Denver Union Station (which you can reach with the A-line directly from the airport!). The trip takes about 2.5 hours, with the train departing from Denver Union Station at 7:00 am Fridays through Sundays, with an additional train added on Thursday mornings from January to March.

When’s the best time to visit Winter Park?

Winter Park is named as such for good reason—between December and April (though dates vary based on snowfall each year) this charming mountain town becomes an alpine dream come true. Known for its world-class skiing and snowboarding, Winter Park is perfect for couples seeking adventure amongst the snow-covered peaks and a quiet place to wind down afterwards. Summers are also gorgeous though, with vibrant wildflowers covering mountains where the slopes become frequented by mountain bikers instead of skiers and the hiking trails are more accessible thanks to the lack of snow.

If you choose to visit during the winter, just keep in mind that you’ll likely have to drive through the Berthoud Pass to reach Winter Park, which can be pretty windy and may even close depending on weather. If you want to check conditions ahead of your trip, the CO Trip website (linked here for your convenience) is usually pretty good at providing real-time updates!

Best places to elope in Winter Park:

Surrounded by the soaring peaks of the Rocky Mountains, Winter Park offers gorgeous views year-round. The best places to elope here are mostly out in the mountains and forests where you’ll find trees dusted with snow in the winter or meadows filled with wildflowers in the summer. All you have to do is decide what vibe you’re looking for and you’ll have plenty of options to choose from no matter what!

Here are just some of those options:

• Berthoud Pass
  • Cost: $30 (just the marriage license!)
    • Marriage License: $30
  • Permit: You typically won’t need a Special Use Permit if your elopement is smaller than 75 people, but you can always double check with the USDA Forest Service (contact: SM.FS.ARPRecSpUses@usda.gov) just to be sure!
• Lake Granby
  • Cost: $35
    • Day-Use Pass (1 vehicle): $5
    • Marriage License: $30
  • Permit: While you typically don’t need a Special Use Permit if your elopement is smaller than 75 people, Lake Granby is located in the Arapaho National Recreation Area which is Congressionally designated, meaning you’ll need to contact the USDA Forest Service at SM.FS.ARPRecSpUses@usda.gov to determine whether or not you need a permit regardless of event size.
• Fantasy Meadow
  • Cost: $35
    • Gondola Day Pass (per person): $20-29 depending on peak season
    • Marriage License: $30
  • Permit: You shouldn’t need a Special Use Permit if your elopement is smaller than 75 people, but I recommend checking with the USDA Forest Service (contact: SM.FS.ARPRecSpUses@usda.gov) to be sure!
• Columbine Lake
  • Cost: $35
    • Day-Use Pass (1 vehicle): $5
    • Marriage License: $30
  • Permit: While the access point to the Junco Lake Trailhead that leads to Columbine Lake is located in the Arapaho National Recreation Area, the lake itself is not, so you likely won’t need a Special Use Permit to elope there, especially if your group is smaller than 75 people. I do suggest contacting the USDA Forest Service at SM.FS.ARPRecSpUses@usda.gov though just to be sure.

Best wedding venues in Winter Park:  

There are plenty of gorgeous venues in Winter Park you can book for either an intimate ceremony or a more extravagant wedding—whatever feels right for you! If you’re expecting more than 15 guests or so, a venue can be a great way to give everyone an accessible place to gather, while making it easier on you to manage all the logistics in the process. 

These are just some of the venues available in Winter Park:

• Headwaters River Journey
  • Cost: $1,200–$1,500 (this cost is for the ceremony only—you’ll need to contact the venue at INFO@HEADWATERSCENTER.COM to get a quote that also includes the reception)
    • Monday–Thursday: $1,200
    • Friday–Saturday: $1,500
  • Guest Count: 11–200 (capacity depends on the specific space you book—you can find a more detailed breakdown of those parameters on the venue’s official website!) 
• Devil’s Thumb Ranch Resort & Spa
  • Cost: $5,000–$40,000 (you can find a more detailed cost breakdown on the venue’s official website!
    • January–May: Starting at $5,000 
    • June–October (Peak Season): Starting at $40,000
    • November–December: Starting at $5,000
  • Guest Count: 250 max
• Lunch Rock
  • Cost: $6,500–$8,500
    • Sunday–Thursday: $6,500
    • Friday: $7,500
    • Saturday: $8,500
  • Guest Count: 140 max
• Sunspot
  • Cost: Starting at $7,000 (you’ll need to reach out to the Winter Park Resort events team for a direct quote—you can submit an inquiry on their official website here!)
  • Guest Count: 200 max

This information is accurate as of the writing of this guide in 2026, but I recommend double checking with the venue for confirmation before booking. I’m also happy to share more recommendations and help you find the perfect place for you when we work together!

How much does it cost to get married in Winter Park? 

The best thing about getting married in Winter Park is that there are stunning options no matter what your budget looks like. Whether you choose to get married in a gorgeous venue for thousands of dollars or on a beautifully secluded overlook for as little as $30 (which is just the cost of a marriage license), you are guaranteed epic views that will take your breath away.

Other than the venue cost, or lack thereof, your budget can be whatever you want it to be! It will likely depend on your guest count, selected vendors, any travel costs you may have, etc., but the couples who hire me typically prioritize having an incredible adventure in a stunning location, which is why they invest a lot of their budget in photography to document every magical moment.

If you want to know more, you can take a look at my full cost of eloping guide here!

Activities to do during Winter Park weddings:

Doing an activity with your partner on your wedding day can make the entire experience even more memorable and Winter Park is full of options to do just that!

Here are just some of the activities available to you in the Winter Park area: 

• Taking the Scenic Gondola
• Mountain biking in Trestle Bike Park
• Tubing on the Coca-Cola© Tube Hill
• Taking a snowcat tour
• Night skiing
• Snowshoeing
• Nordic skiing at Snow Mountain Ranch
• Skiing/snowboarding at Winter Park Resort
• Ice Skating

Whether you’re looking for an adrenaline-filled adventure or something more intimate, Winter Park is the perfect mountain getaway with plenty of activities to choose from. All you have to do is decide which one feels more meaningful to you and we’ll work it into your timeline!

Are dogs allowed in Winter Park? 

Yes, dogs are allowed in and around Winter Park. There are tons of pet-friendly hotels and restaurants—your pup can even ride in the gondola with you during the summers and get a souvenir Winter Park branded Pet Pass! Most of the trails are also dog-friendly, as long as they’re leashed, but you’ll want to double check the rules for your trail of choice before heading out just to be safe. 

Winter Park Elopement & Wedding Photos

Dona & Malisa’s Winter Park Spring Wedding 

Dona & Malisa’s Rocky Mountain wedding is a great encapsulation of what makes late spring in Colorado so special. There are signs of spring everywhere at lower elevations, but as you move up, you’ll find pockets of snow still clinging to the mountains and animals just beginning to stick their heads out of their dens. 

Colorado is one of the only places it feels super possible to capture multiple seasons at once in one elopement. Looking at Dona & Malisa’s photos, they range from winter to summer and back again. Making every moment of it feel really out-of-this-world and super special. 

They decided to get ready on top of the mountain so that they could do a first look in an epic location, which required them to bring their dresses and hair accessories up with them. This is a GREAT way to still surprise each other when you have to travel to your elopement location with your spouse-to-be right beside you and you don’t want to get into your clothing somewhere else. 

I helped them time their hike so that it was right as alpenglow was settling into the mountains. Alpenglow is something really difficult to time and you have to time it exactly right when you’re changing into your attire on the mountain. Changing too early means being super cold in the dark and changing too late means missing it entirely. I watch the pink rise up the sky and know exactly when to tell my couples to go from years of experience! 

Dona & Malisa exchanged vows and rings as the sun rose, and then Dona revealed she’d been holding a super sweet surprise for Malisa—she had collected letters secretly from Malisa’s family for them to read after the ceremony. 

These two were so sweet and I still think about their elopement years later. A mountaintop ceremony at sunrise will just never get old. 

In their words

“Even before receiving our photos from our intimate elopement in Colorado, we were telling EVERYONE about our amazing photographer, who just so happens to be the wickedly talented Maddie Mae. During our planning process Maddie took the time to send us info and ideas regarding even the smallest details of our ceremony. She is remarkably familiar with the wedding industry and was extremely gracious with her knowledge and connections with businesses in the Colorado area. When we ran into some issues with location due to unexpected weather less than two weeks before our date, Maddie was flexible and immediately on the hunt to find a similar location that had the same seclusion, accessibility, and landscape we were after.

 The day of, Maddie took so many incredible images of the two of us feeling comfortable, natural and in a state of pure post-nuptial bliss. We are so grateful to have had Maddie work her magic and capture those moments that we can look back at treasure for a lifetime. We wouldn’t have had our elopement any other way. The experience of having Maddie facilitate and photograph one of the most significant events in our lives was out of this world. If you’re looking for adventure and phenomenal photo documentation of said adventure, Maddie is your go-to gal.”