Compared to our first weekend of venue shopping, this past weekend was a breeze.  We now understand what we’re looking for in terms of a space, but, more importantly, we actually fell in love with some of these locations.  Some of these venues will definitely make it to our final list of options.  Can’t wait to hear what you all think!

Vail Wedding Deck

Some of the venues that we looked at this week were a bit different, in that they were either a purely ceremony or purely a reception space, but both within close proximity of one another.

Ceremony space –

Ceremony view –

Pros: But, I mean, come one.  Look at that view!  It’s a beautiful space that perfectly captures the “Colorado” feel that we’re going for.  That, plus the fact that it easily fits the number of guests on our list, means that it’s almost perfect for our group.

Cons: The tough thing with this one is that you have to book a 90 minute time slot for set-up, ceremony, and tear-down.  That’s a pretty tight slot when you include pictures in there, too!  And if it rains for your ceremony time slot, you’re out of luck when it comes to this location.

Verdict: Keep, with that view, and the fact that it’s in very close proximity to some of our favorite reception locations, there is no reason why we shouldn’t keep it on our list!

Arrabelle

Reception location –

That’s right.  We’d just pop a tent where those little bros and chicas are dancing in circles in the middle of Vail Square.

Pros: First of all, the flexibility in terms of space is wonderful.  We can make the tent whatever size we’re wanting, and they have a great late night space available next door so that we can hang with our friends to our hearts’ content!  Plus, having a wedding in the middle of Vail Square is kinda’ cool.

Cons: It definitely doesn’t have the view of some of the other locations, because it’s in the middle of town, and we don’t love that the public will be meandering around the tent, as we’d prefer a more private party.

Verdict: Keep, the flexibility of the space and the proximity to every activity we’re hoping to include in the weekend are enough reasons to keep this option around.  Add in that it’s an incredibly beautiful space, and it’s a perfect option to keep on our list.

The 10th

Reception space –

Reception view –

Pros: The view alone was wonderful, but the fact that it was incredibly well set up for an open concept dinner and dance floor, fantastic cocktail space, and outdoor patio meant that it was perfectly lined up for a well-rounded wedding.

Cons: We would have to cut our guest list fairly significantly to fit the space well.  Also, this facility is on the other side of the mountain from the wedding deck, so you’d have to take a different gondola up for the reception.

Verdict: Keep, this was, by far, the most ready for a wedding space we’ve seen.  Though cutting our guest list as much as we’d need to may be too much for us to handle.  (We reeeeally like our family and friends. 🙂 )

Four Seasons Vail

Ceremony space –

Reception space –

Pros: This facility is absolutely stunning!  But our favorite part was that everyone could stay within walking distance of the events, while also having easy access to all of the fun Vail has to offer.

Cons: Both spaces had limited view of the mountains, meaning that it felt more like the city weddings Ray and I are used to.

Verdict: Cut, we both really struggled with cutting this one, because there really wasn’t a reason to cut it.  but truthfully, it just didn’t feel like us.  While everything was perfect, we just weren’t as excited about this space as the others we had visited.  And that’s reason enough for us to cut it off our list.

Ritz-Carlton Bachelor-Gulch

Ceremony space –

Cocktail Hour/Lobby (we had an abbreviated view of the reception space, as there was an event being set up) –

Pros: Everything in this space was perfect.  It was rustic, but not on a farm rustic.  It had a fantastic view.  And, what I loved most, is that the second we walked in here, we felt incredibly relaxed.  All of our guests would feel like they were on a true vacation, getting away from it all.

Cons: There aren’t many other hotels nearby, so everyone would have to stay at the Ritz or use a rental home in the nearby vicinity.

Verdict: KEEP, this option was too good to cut.  However, as we don’t want our wedding to be a burden on our guests, we do have a question out to our wedding planner regarding guest room prices and nearby hotels they might consider partnering with for our event.

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What are your favorites thus far?  Are there other elements you’d recommend considering that we haven’t taken to heart?

Create a great life!