About this vendor
We can accommodate groups of up to 50ish from mid-June through mid-October.
The Alta Lakes Observatory is a unique wedding venue located just outside of Telluride, CO. It can host up to around 50 guests for your outdoor celebration or up to 12 for an indoor one. The Observatory, set on an alpine lake, soars at 11,306 feet with views of Mt. Wilson and Palmyra Peak. This is one of the most picturesque backdrops for your mountain wedding, and there is ample space for outdoor tenting, tables and dance floors.
This extraordinary cabin was constructed in the early 1970s with local timber and stone. It features stained glass windows, a vast fireplace, ironwork, and several outdoor decks that present stunning views. There are three bedrooms and a sleeping loft as well as four bathrooms which comfortably accommodate up to 12 overnight guests. The kitchen is culinary delight for both the professional caterer and the home chef. The Observatory is pet friendly and includes wifi.
The Observatory, which was named for its spectacular stargazing, is in a remote location, providing you with privacy as well as abundant natural beauty. It sits at the end of a 5-mile mountain road that winds through a charming, abandoned mining town and more aspens than you can count. Weddings of up to 12 guests may be held at any time of year; weddings of 13 or more guests may only be booked for mid-June through mid-October as the road is only open to snowmobiles once the snow falls. Transportation via snowmobile is arranged by The Observatory at an additional cost, and it will be a highlight of your winter wedding.
A list of curated vendors, who know The Observatory well, will be provided upon booking to make your dream wedding a reality.
For winter weddings/snowmobile transportation:The Alta Lakes Observatory, LLC operates on the Grand Mesa, Umcompahgre and Gunnison National Forests under special use permit from the USDA Forest Service. The Observatory at Alta Lakes, LLC is an equal opportunity service provider.
What You'll Love About Alta Lakes Observatory
If you've always dreamed of hosting your wedding in the most scenic and enchanting location, Alta Lakes Observatory is perfect for you. Brimming with a cozy ambiance, extraordinary views, and countless photo opportunities, you will cherish the memories of your big day for years to come. Check out their photo gallery to get a glimpse of what you can expect from a fairytale wedding at this magnificent venue.
Amenities + details
Ceremony Area
Dressing Room
On-Site Accommodations
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Covered Outdoors Space
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Liability Insurance
Ceremony Types
- Civil Union
- Commitment Ceremony
- Elopement
- Interfaith Ceremony
- Non-Religious Ceremony
- Religious Ceremony
Settings
- Backyard
- Barn
- Farm & Ranch
- Mountain
- Park
- Trees
Venue Service Offerings
- Destination Weddings
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Reviews
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4.3
out of 5.03 reviews
Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 7
We stayed at The Observatory this August for our wedding, and I cannot recommend this place enough. My husband and our 7 friends stayed in the cabin with plenty of room, and it was...
the most magical place we could’ve asked for to get married.
Mattie and Nicole made the entire process smooth and easy from booking to check out. We made a lot of changes before we get there, and they accommodated them all so easily and were able to add people to our reservation with no issue. Nicole was communicative, friendly, and helpful throughout all of our communications! Mattie helped us out once we arrived, and he is awesome and such a cool dude! He showed us around, made sure we were comfortable, and was within reach throughout the weekend. He made us feel totally at home.
The cabin and lake itself are unreal. I can’t even put into words how breathtaking the whole thing is. The landscape changes every minute with the different lighting and we could’ve spent forever there; it’s so peaceful, removed, and serene. You really have to experience it.
The road is a hot topic, and it really doesn’t need to be. It’s an unpaved mountain road, and it’s bumpy and narrow and a little bit steep, but it’s really not bad at all. We got ourselves up with no issue, and our out of state friends in rental cars also had no problems. The first 1,000 feet LOOK scary because the mountain drops off to the side of it, but after that it’s truly smooth sailing. Just go slow and watch where you’re going (there’s a few rouge rocks that would actually would hurt your differentials), but as long as you pay attention you will be just fine.
TLDR: The Observatory is the best! It was a surreal place to get married, and an amazing place to just get away. The photos are stunning, but The Observatory itself is just a special and unforgettable place. We will be back! And don’t worry about the road!
The place is STUNNING and Nicole is very kind and professional. Alta lakes observatory is also not a venue, it’s an Airbnb that is stunning so people choose to get married there. I...
really hate to leave a subpar review. This place is truly special but I feel obligated to be honest in my experience to help other brides in their wedding panning.
If you or your guests are not used to driving on narrow, highly exposed dirt roads with shear cliffs this might not be the place for you. I am used to driving on roads like this but when inviting parents, grandparents and other family to a wedding, potentially out of state, this is just something to consider.
I felt a little mislead about the road by the host. She did mentioned that it was a bumpy county road and they recommend 4WD which I was totally prepared for. She said it would easily be driven with a 2wd car too but this is not your average county dirt road! I have been on hundreds of county roads and this was one of the most narrow and exposed dirt roads I have been on. I read other reviews online that many people see the road and just turnaround because they are too afraid to drive on it.
My entire wedding party had to leave right after the ceremony because they were all too afraid to drive on the road at night so we did not get to spend any time with them which was really a bummer.
Again, this would not have been an issue if this was communicated to me so I could prepare myself and my guests better. Partly my fault for not doing more research, I just went off of how the road was explained to me and assumed it was like most dirt mountain roads.
Lastly, we eloped with just 8 people, and the cabin holds 12. Because we mentioned the word wedding they charged us an extra fee of $1500 a night. This was explained to me as weddings use more resources, I can understand and very well may be true but if you only have a few people and don’t have vendors and all that stuff there is no reason to pay an extra $1500.
They do not provide anything extra for weddings. You still have to bring tables, chairs, dishware, decor, and really anything you need or want. The dish washer didn't even work when we were there.
I understand paying extra at times, but if you want to charge extra it should be for larger parties and they should provide some other resources. Even if you just had 2-3 people, you would still get charged extra just by mouthing the words “wedding” and that just feels wrong to me.
My take is, if you hire a shuttle service and think your guests would be okay with the road, DO IT! But it’s not relaxing and could be quite stressful for guests and for you worrying about their safety and enjoying themselves.
We first visited Alta Lakes Observatory in the winter. The stunning landscape took our breath away. Other venues paled in comparison. If you’re big on adventure, check out this pl...
ace. Keep in mind, Alta Lakes isn’t for everyone. You may want to find another option if you’re a perfectionist who would crumble with unpredictable weather. We had rain, snow, sleet and sun all in the matter of hours during our September wedding. Our guests rolled with it all because we prepared them for everything. We had an amazing time. So glad we kicked off our marriage at this beautiful place.
Contact
4665 Alta Lakes Road, Telluride, CO
Alta Lakes Observatory