Deer Valley Hot Springs

5 Stars! Best Weekend Ever! Amazing Venue for a Wedding! I had my wedding weekend at Deer Valley Ranch, and I cannot recommend this place enough if you're looking for a rustic, mountain wedding! The backdrop for the ceremony is breathtaking and is set against the chalk mountains. We used the Lodge for our Welcome Party/Rehearsal Dinner, and it worked out perfectly. We had a live band on the Lodge deck with plenty of room for dancing and high-top tables, while the bar and cornhole were set up on the lower deck level. It was such a fun layout for guests to spread out and mingle. We used Centennial Hall for our reception, and the space turned out absolutely beautiful. We had our dining tables inside and moved the dancing outside, which was a brilliant call by Cammie, the site coordinator; it kept everyone cool and comfortable while they danced the night away. Cammie and Lindsey were an absolute pleasure to work with. Cammie was available to answer every single question from me and my mom, and she probably got sick of talking to us 😊 but she never once made us feel that way! Deer Valley Ranch is a rustic ranch, so it does have its quirks: there's limited wifi (which ended up being a huge plus! All our guests were present and engaged instead of being on their phones!), and the cabins aren't updated. But that's all part of the charm of a beautiful, rustic ranch. All of our guests are still talking about our wedding weekend, and it's easy to see why. Deer Valley Ranch is 100% worth the drive out, and I would highly, highly recommend this venue to anyone dreaming of a mountain wedding. Guest count: 60

This place is connected to the Loft Orpheum Theatre in Buena Vista, so you can choose to have your wedding ceremony here in one of 2 outdoor spaces and then have the reception either here or at the theatre (I recommend the theatre, myself, it's gorgeous, but this place's reception areas also have charm). For the ceremonies, there are two sites. One is past all the cabins (this is a working bed and breakfast-type location with LOTS of cabins) and higher on a hill, meaning that if you have guests staying at the cabins then it is literally a hop skip and jump. They are very willing to work with you on booking the cabins for the guests, so a wild west wedding is super easy here. The other site is a bit further away but the backdrop is even more amazing (did I mention mountain views? And CHALK mountains, too, so they're a gorgeous white). It's in a meadow inside the national forest and only this ranch has access, so it's private and yet magically within 30 minutes of Buena Vista, which is a small town with basically all you could ever need, including lodging if your guests don't want the cabin route (but why wouldn't they?). Honestly, I recommend the meadow. It's another 10 minutes into the winding roads, but the ranch offers a ferrying service. If you have your reception here, there are two indoor spaces. Neither are very large, though you could fit a small 100-person wedding in either. They are set among the cabins (one even is connected to some of the cabin rooms), so guests can literally walk to the reception and walk back. Both places look very "rustic," a mix of old west and classic charm. There's antlers on walls and a HUGE fireplace. Aside from them, the ranch also offers a pool, cafe, axe throwing, game room, and more amenities so it's impossible for guests to become bored. Speaking of service, they're very accommodating. They will get you to the proper site even if they have to use their own cars! They can improvise when things go wrong (including, I was told, one outdoor winter ceremony which was almost snowed out--thankfully, that did not happen to me). Everyone is flexible and friendly--and the wedding coordinator is super attentive and really knows her stuff. You don't feel like just a "job" to her or them, even as they treat you like a queen. I really recommend this place for those who want the mountain vista wedding photo--it's like nature herself is dressed in white to honor your big day!