2022 Colorado Wedding Trends at Spruce Mountain Ranch

After witnessing thousands of weddings over the past 11 years, we have seen trends come and go.  But one over-all trend that seems to be constant over the past decade is the desire for  couples to place an emphasis not only on their unique love story, but also on maximizing their guests’ experience, and doing things just a little bit different than the next.  

What are some of the fun upcoming trends and surprises we have seen at Spruce Mountain?  We have listed them for you here!

1.         Flower Girls and Ring Bearers aren’t just for kids anymore!  We love the sweet little grandma’s throwing flower petals before the bride makes her grand entrance down the aisle.  Grandfather’s carrying the wedding rings on the traditional satin pillow, the couple’s dog with a ring box tied around his/her neck, or if you are looking to add a little humor, adolescent young men tiptoeing down the aisle with flower crowns and baskets of roses.  Anyone special in your life can now proudly carry the title of Flower Girl and Ring Bearer.

2.         Thursday and weekday weddings, not just a pandemic trend.  They are here to stay!  Before the pandemic hit, we already began seeing an increase of Thursday and weekday weddings.  We attribute this to the new 4-day work week, a 2022 trend announced by Linked In and the fact that  Colorado IS one of the biggest destination wedding locations in the nation.  Colorado is a central location for couples coming from the far east or west, the weather is spectacular year-round with our 300 days of sunshine and continues to be a vacationer’s paradise.  When guests get an invitation to a Colorado wedding, they most likely won’t be flying in for a quick 24- hour trip, they will turn it into a vacation!   

3.         Colorado Winter Weddings.  Unique, Romantic, and with a lower price tag.  Colorado is a winter wonderland.  Laced with breathtaking landscapes, world renown ski resorts, and plenty to-do, Spruce Mountain has seen more off-season winter weddings than ever before!  That is why Spruce Mountain has invested in catering to couples wanting to celebrate in the snow!  We have onsite snow removal, magnificent indoor and outdoor fireplaces, indoor and outdoor ceremony locations with panoramic views, and not to mention, December – February we install thousands of dollars of additional clear twinkle lights! Winter weddings are also a great way to save some big money along the way!

4.         Live Streaming!  Technology has reached the wedding industry.  It is without saying that the pandemic pushed the wedding industry into innovating ways to make sure guests are not left out of the party.  Spruce Mountain jumped on this right out of the gate!  All of Spruce Mountain’s outdoor ceremony sites and indoor venues have fantastic Wi-Fi capability for live streaming.  We have also implemented 360 virtual tours, so you can experience all our indoor and outdoor spaces from anywhere in the world.  Furthermore, we have created a Spruce Mountain App to assist our couples in planning and answering guest’s questions!

5.         CHEERS!  Distinctive bars, pre-ceremony cocktails and a toast after the I-Dos!  Quarantined for too long, we are ready to celebrate!  From the moment guests arrive couples are putting a celebratory drink in their hands.  Signature drinks, champagne, and Colorado micro brews are common kick-offs to the big event.  Once the officiant announces the union of the couple crowds are toasting with passed champagne while still in their ceremony seats!  Couples are also getting creative with how drinks are served at cocktail hour.    Some of our favorites…. Sugar Moon Mobile Bars; for a vintage look and feel and Rocky Mountain Beverage Burros delivering cold brews.

 

6.         Interactive Entertainment.  Fun ideas to WOW your guests that we have seen at Spruce Mountain are, Cirque de Solei performances, hand rolled cigar stations, whiskey and micro-brew tastings, interactive cultural food stations, hot air balloon rides, horse drawn carriage rides, fly fishing demonstrations, video photo booths, and caricature drawings! 

7.         Romantic and Industrial.   Two Common wedding themes we don’t see going away in 2022 at Spruce Mountain are: Romantic/Intimate and Industrial/Chic.  Two very different styles yet both perfectly suited at Spruce Mountain!  Our Lower Ranch gushes romance.  Secluded on 225 acres that sits right beneath Spruce Mountain, this location could not be more perfect for a fairytale romantic setting.  Imagine…  A soft pastel color palette, candlelight, delicate florals, and greenery, all highlighting the naturally beautiful elements of the outdoors.  The simplest décor is all you need.  The Lower Ranch already comes equipped with 3- stone fireplaces, a garden with running stream, dew pond, 100-year-old trees, and a perfectly manicured lawn. 

 On the other extreme, look no further than our Upper Ranch to create the perfect Industrial chic vibe.  The Ponderosa Room, Spruce Room, and Aspen Room are all housed inside a large metal building that sits on a 225-acre working cattle ranch.  Metal handcrafted details are throughout, cement floors, exposed wood, geometric fixtures, indoor bistro lights, soaring ceilings, window-lined industrial roll-up doors, which face out under a perfectly aligned lighted courtyard.  To highlight this space, think of adding metal signs, long tables draped with greenery and votives, suspended florals.  A monochromatic color palette with brass, copper, or pewter table décor, and cross-back chairs (included with the venue fee) adding to the final touches in creating a modern yet timeless and sophisticated look.

Kendra & Garrett || Spruce Mountain Ranch Wedding Highlight Video from Shutter and Sound

In addition to including some of these trends, our favorite weddings are the ones where we can see the couple’s personalities coming through.  For us, it is the thoughtful intricate details, the warm and caring welcoming and genuine hospitality throughout the wedding day that makes a wedding most special for anyone.   

Check out some of our previous blogs!  4 Reasons We Love Weekday Weddings  |  The Wedding Bar of Your Dreams