Top 3 Reasons to get married in Durango, Colorado:

It is the Wild Wild West!

To really be in the wild wild west you have to get married in Durango with the true cowboys and wild mountains!

2.Cliff Dwellings

Experience Pueblo Heritage as you explore the cliff dwellings and learn out the mystery of their disappearance. To explore the cliff dwelling you have to join a tour, the one that looks like a blast to me is the Balcony House because of the tall latter you have to climb to get to it! Oh, and the park is really beautiful!

3.Farm to Table

If you love real food then you came to the right place for your wedding or elopement! With tons of farm-to-table food options, you will be eating local!

About Durango, Colorado

Durango History:

The Ancestral Puebloans were the first known people to live in Durango about 2,500 years ago and you can visit their dwellings they built in Mesa Verde National Park. After they mysteriously disappeared the Ute Tribe used their abandoned cities. The true rush came with the gold then the railroad after the war. Now people love exploring Durango for all the outdoor activity opportunities! As well as a perfect spot to make movies!

Durango’s Best Wedding Month For:

Want to know when you're more likely to have the wedding of your dreams in the season that you're craving?!?! Well, the weather can be pretty unpredictable in Colorado! I'm here to give you the best possible chance for having a Granby skiing wedding or Granby summer wildflower wedding or a Granby fall wedding. These months are based on years of what I've witnessed but as you know, every year is different based on the amount of snowfall we get.

Durango’s Powder Day Skiing Wedding or Elopement - February
Durango’s Summer Wildflower Wedding or Elopement - July
Durango’s Fall Leave Hiking Wedding or Elopement - September

Movies Photographed in Durango:

Tons of movies were filmed in Durango for a real wild wild west and big mountain feel! Get inspired to get married in Durango by watching a few of these movies! Here’s the complete list of movies shot in Durango from the 1920s till the 2020s!

The Limited Mall (1925)
A Ticket to Tomahawk (1950)
Across the Wide Missouri (1951)
Colorado Territory (1949)
Ticket to Tomahawk (1950)
Denver and Rio Grande (1952)
Viva Zapata (1952)
Lone Hand (1953)
The Naked Spur (1953)
Three Young Texans (1954)
Run for Cover (1955)
Maverick Queen (1956)
Around the World in 80 Days (1956)
The Maverick Queen (1956)
Night Passage (1957)
How the West Was Won (1963)
The Sons of Katie Elder (1965)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
Downhill Racer (1969)
Support Your Local Gunfighter (1970)
When Legends Die (1972)
Avalanche (1978)
National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)
Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (1984)
The Tracker (1987)
City Slickers (1991)
Rebirth of a Locomotive (1992)
Cliffhanger (1993)
Durango Kid (1999)
The Claim (2000)
Nurse Betty (2000)
The Prestige (2004)
The Connecticut Kid (2006)
The Lone Ranger (2012)

Durango’s Wedding Venues and Elopement Ceremony Locations

Durango’s Wedding Venues:

Blue Lake Ranch - Host your intimate wedding at the ranch. Say your vows on the lawn and host your reception at this adorable pink River house.
Ridgewood Event Center - Mountain view outdoor wedding ceremony with an authentic wooden barn. The property is right on the La Plata River with plenty of property to host your wedding.
Dante’s at Purgatory Ski Resort - It’s all about the views at 10,800 feet, and the adventure to get there! The only way to get there is up a mountain road on the shuttle. It’s a little bumpy but totally worth it cause everything is up there once on top of the mountain. The ceremony site, happy hour, and reception are all located in one spot with all the views!
Cascade Village - The aspen grove in the meadow is streaming for a fall ceremony! It would just pop in the peak! You can also stay on property at the two homes or multiple condos and townhomes to choose from. It’s a little ways from downtown so it would be perfect to stay with everyone in such a beautiful spot!

Durango’s Ceremony Locations:

Paradise Ceremony Site - This overlook is paradise at Purgatory Ski Resort. You and your guests ride up the chairlift to this beautiful ceremony site to say your vows
Mountain Lake - There are a ton of mountain lakes around Durango. There’s adorable little lakes and lakes big enough to get married on a little sailboat.
Waterfall - Oooo there are some great hidden waterfalls around Durango! With leave no trace standards I’m choosing not to share the exact locations but can’t wait to bring my clients to them. One of my favorites is best in winter when it’s all iced up!
Mesa Verde National Park - Get married at one of the beautiful overlooks, geological features or in a vast meadow. There are 5,000 archeological sites and 600 cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde National Park that were built by the ancestral Puebloan people between 550-1300 A.D. There is tons of history being preserved and cared for at the park.

Durango’s Eats and Stays

Durango’s Rehearsal Dinner or Telluride Reception Sites:

If you are interested in farm-to-table, Durango is where it’s at! They have the agriculture and ranch community to make your whole meal local! Talk about yummy food you know where and who grew it with love.

Grass Burger - Delish burgers that you know we’re happy cows just taste better. I’m certainly always up for a burger and beer!
Dandelion Cafe - This Mediterranean mountain menu is perfect for small groups on their outdoor patio.
El Moro Spirits and Tavern - This tavern has a bunch of history as the town saloon with “Durango’s Strangest Shootout.” It’s a great spot for fancy cocktails and steak dinner.
James Ranch - This is the perfect farm to outdoor table with great views you can get! They offer casual food and even have a spot for a band!
Seasons of Durango - This is perfect for a fancy intimate meal for your reception in the wine cellar or tasting room. With everything cooked over an oak fire, it’s gotta be yummy!

Durango’s Places to Stay:

For such a variety of places to choose from to rest your head after an adventurous day in Durango. whether you want to be with your friends and family all day get a huge house or condo or if you're looking for something on the more intimate side there's plenty of hotels lodges and intimate Airbnb for you to choose from. Below you'll find a few of my favorite hotels, lodges, and Airbnb.

Fairfield Inn - Using your Marriot points in an amazing place for the weekend is well worth all the work trips!
Historic Strater Hotel - When you want to feel like you have gone back in time. There’s also a Diamond Belle Saloon you gotta visit and listen to some music.
Antlers on the Creek - Charming and beautiful bed and breakfast right on the creek about ten minutes from Durango. While your there you have got to get a couple’s massage and be pampered!
Apple Orchard Inn - Stay in an adorable cottage at this bed and breakfast location full of charm and trout.
Private Cabin - This adorable little cabin is perfect for a honeymoon getaway! It’s close to Purgatory Resort and has a sauna and a hot tub to fix all those sore muscles after skiing or hiking all day for your wedding.
A-Frame Cabin - Stay with your family or friends in this A-Frame on Columbine Lake. This one is really close to Purgatory so it’s perfect if you're having your vows on the slopes!
Blue Lake Ranch - Great spot if you getting married at Ridgewood, it’s only a mile away and can sleep about fifty people. I am digging the cute fireplaces!

Durango Activities and Festivals

Durango Activities:

The very best thing about being in a cute little mountain town is that you have full access to everything outdoors. The main problem is going to be wanting more days in the mountains to do all the fun activities.

Horseback Riding -
- Really feel like your in the wild wild west with a trail ride in Durango.
Hiking -
- One of the best ways to see the mountains all year round! There’s great trails from your doorway to some wonderful mountaintops and waterfalls!
Mountain Biking -
- There’s plenty of trails to access around Durango. There’s tons of technical trails from town to test your skills!
Skiing & Boarding -
- So many tracks to make at Purgatory Ski Resort that’s only 30 minutes from town!
Fly Fishing -
- The Animas River runs right through town and offers so many great places to fly fish.
Ice Fishing -
- Drill through the ice and take your chances getting a fish on the frozen lake.
Snowshoeing -
- If you want to slow down in the snow, it's great to take in the views and not post hole.
Rock Climbing -
- There’s a little more sport climbing than trad climbing available really close to Durango to try out.
Ice Climbing -
- Get ready to climb up a waterfall, it’s a great place to get into it.
Paddle Boarding -
- Take a tour of a flatwater lake if you want a scenic drive or do an adventurous SUP river trip.
White water rafting -
- Great group activity to do with your friends and family with a little adrenaline mixed in.
Off-Roading -
- Explore the mountains on the dirt 4x4 roads and get to some amazing spots in the mountains.
Dog Sledding -
- Love puppies and wintertime? Then you should go dog sledding!

Durango Festivals:

While festivals are a fantastic town celebration, sometimes they can make wedding and elopement planning a bit difficult because of lodging, parking, and day of transportation. It's always best to know what festivals or celebrations are happening in the town that you choose to have your wedding so you can plan accordingly. Part of the planning accordingly may be that your guests partake in the festivals! I mean how cool would it be to have your wedding day and then go to a beer fest with all your guests the next day!

Iron Horse Bicycle Classic - May - Race the train to Silverton! I just might be on the train, see you in Silverton!
Durango Autumn Arts Festival - September - Check out the region’s fine artists and take some home with you!
Snowdown - February - To celebrate the town in the snow with fun parades!