Winding River Ranch

I have been thinking for a while how to write a review that captures HOW INCREDIBLE our wedding was, all in thanks to Winding River Ranch - but this comes with great difficulty, in that, no amount of words can ever express how TRULY AMAZING this venue and the ranch team is. From day one, we were treated like family. Kristin, Travis, Granny, Craig and all of the other ranch help are the hardest working, biggest hearted, deeply loving, down to earth group of individuals out there, and what they have created for couples who truly have a vision to create their own wedding in the exact way they want to is OUT OF THIS WORLD. The ranch itself is the most beautiful piece of property, arguably, in the state of Colorado! It simply feels like home as you stand in the heart of the mountains. From the abundance of moose, to the ranch animals, the towering trees, the CO river, and the wildflowers surrounding, it simply cannot be beat. When it came down to the logistics of the wedding, Kristin's response was always "YES. We can do that for you." And they did. The barns are pristine in their wonderfully rustic and homey feel. The ceremony cite is breathtaking. There was room for everyone to play, explore, take photos, and soak in all of the joy the ranch helped us create. All of our guests raved about how they have never been to a more gorgeous wedding. The venue has no 10:00pm curfew like so many venues do, they allow you to bring in your own outside vending, they give you the time and space you truly need to bring your wedding visions to life, and they are so supportive in truly unimaginable ways throughout your whole wedding experience. The team at the ranch, while being very hardworking and accommodating, are also very laid back. Sometimes you find venues with really rude or inconsiderate management when you are trying to bring your wedding visions to life, and the ranch team really challenges this sometimes unfortunate experience by being so openminded, real, and supportive of your big day! On the day of, the whole team was there right away in the morning asking us what we needed and making it all happen. Travis and the team kept the venue clean by taking out trash and were in constant communication with my family about anything we needed and how things were flowing. And now.... I MUST put Kristin on blast. We had an unfortunate situation with the hairstylist and makeup artist the day of, in that, the hair that was done was all falling out/looked truly awful, and the makeup artist simply did not show up. Day ruiner? One would think. But I said to one of my bridesmaids, "go find Kristin and tell her I need her help." Within seconds, Kristin and Mackenzie were in the bridal cabin doing hair, redoing hair, and doing makeup and THEY SAVED THE DAY. If you are looking to hire out for hair and make-up, you should absolutely consider asking Kristin what she would charge you - hindsight is 20/20 and had I known how truly talented Kristin was with hair - I would have paid her triple what I paid for the "professionals" I hired! No kidding. I could go on forever, but, I will say one final thing. If you are wanting an amazing mountain wedding with a down to earth feel, look no further. THE WINDING RIVER RANCH IS THE BEST VENUE IN COLORADO! Hands down. If you get the opportunity to experience the ranch and meet the ranch staff, you are beyond words lucky. We have gained a forever family and could not feel more blessed. Thank you, WRR! WE LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

Winding River Ranch is hands down the best wedding venue. I got married there on June 30th and had an unbelievable experience. Kristin was amazing the whole year leading up to my wedding, helping me with whatever I needed and great communication. The venue and their staff went above and beyond the weekend of my wedding. They helped with absolutely anything and everything, anytime of the day, nothing was too big of a task for them. They provided us with a babysitter, a driver for guests, brought table cloths and vases when I forgot them, and even went into town and picked up the pizzas for our rehearsal dinner just to make it easier on us. Kristin, Travis and the whole staff of the ranch are some of the most genuine, kind, hard working people I have ever met. They genuinely just wanted us to have a great weekend and wedding and do whatever they could to make that happen. Not to mention the ranch itself is absolutely beautiful and so much fun. An amazing experience from start to finish, I cannot recommend this venue enough.

Winding River Ranch is totally awesome and I can't recommend it enough. The ranch is a spectacular place for a wedding and the scenery is amazing. Kristin and Travis go above and beyond to help and make sure everything goes smoothly. My daughter got married there this past weekend and all the guests just raved about what an awesome wedding it was and how beautiful the ranch is. Thanks Kristin and Travis for everything you did to make it a fabulous weekend!!!

Kristin, Travis and the crew were amazing! The ranch itself is beautiful and could not have been a better location for a rustic mountain wedding. We had the entire ranch to ourselves for the 2 nights. We did our rehearsal dinner onsite in the commercial kitchen and ceremony and reception the next day on site. The WRR team was there to help with anything we needed including moving 4 tables out of the barn for the dance floor after dinner. Kristin was so helpful making sure we had everything we needed and recommended our caterer to us as well who were great. We toured many other places in Grand County and there was no contest. Winding River Ranch is the best in the area!

We were married at the ranch mid-September and could not have asked for a better experience. There were a few minor hiccups during our planning stage as there had been changes with the staff; However, once we were informed of who we needed to contact, our planning was smooth sailing. We had the entire ranch from Friday at noon to Sunday at noon and I had allotted the cabins to certain guests prior to arrival and given Kristin names and phone numbers of each for ease of communication. Each cabin was clean and ready for guests as they arrived. We utilized their kitchen for our rehearsal dinner, wedding day lunches, and day-after brunch. The kitchen is fully stocked with needed pans/pots/cooking utensils. I requested tables last minute for our rehearsal dinner and the WRR staff took care of it immediately. They were always available (even at 10 o'clock at night when we requested heaters at our reception). Our guests were marveled by the ranch and it's beauty as well as the accommodations. They've recently updated their kitchen and bathrooms and continue to update. Travis and Kristin were easy to communicate with and very helpful in every way. I ordered flowers from an online store which were delivered to the ranch. There was a mistake in the address I inputted and I was very concerned with how they would turn out. The staff went out of their way to assist me in the entire situation and the flowers were saved. The entire staff knows the history of the ranch and are wildlife-minded. We loved working with them and planning our wedding. Overall a wonderful experience.

It is quite unfortunate that such a beautiful place is so poorly managed. I was victim of the change from Melissa to Kristin, and my wedding weekend could have easily been a disaster due to an abundance of over promising and under delivering by Kristin. She said all of the right things until it came down to take action to make my wedding weekend flawless. Thankfully I had a great support system of 12-15 family and friends that were willing to work hard for three days straight to make the best of the situation Winding River Ranch put us in. Leading up to wedding weekend, I attempted to communicate via email with no response and had to call on multiple occasions to have questions answered. Guests had trouble booking cabins and getting confirmations from Kristin as well. We showed up Friday as discussed with the Ranch and the reception space was a mess from a wedding earlier in the week and reeked of stagnant beer. My friends, family, groom and myself had to sweep and clean for over an hour before we could even begin setting up for my own wedding. Craig was fantastic and super helpful but Kristin never once acknowledged our presence or offered assistance. That continued into the next day (my wedding day) when rain began and we were never asked where the ceremony would be held. She failed to offer help relocating the ceremony indoors and the outdoor benches were not covered. The ceremony ended up being outside, and we (the wedding party) had to request that guests were given towels or trash bags to sit on. Kristin gave us attitude over this request, which is something that should have been done without asking. We were assured numerous times (including on Friday) that the ice machine was in working order, yet it was not making ice Saturday and a wedding guest had to go out and buy some. Throughout the cold, rainy/snowy weekend, Kristin never had heaters up and running for the comfort of us and guests and was not responsive to messages to do so. People were rushing through dinner in order to get out of the tent. We had reserved the Loveland cabin from day one (although Kristin dropped the ball on taking note of that information) and no heat was working in there either so we slept in a 47* room - happy wedding night to us! In summary, many empty promises were made leading up to the event but once wedding weekend arrived, Kristin was completely absent and difficult to work with. The Ranch touts its five star rating (notice that most all reviews are based on Melissa's service and she's no longer there); however, in my mind "five star" service does not include walking all over the bride, groom, and their families for the ENTIRE weekend without speaking. It does not include the inability to respond to emails and answer questions as brides prepare for their big, stressful day. Nor does it include a lack of proactive behavior to make your paying guests feel comfortable and cared for. I hear prices have nearly doubled for bookings now; however, service and attention to detail is severely lacking. Wedding days are a once in a lifetime thing, and you only have one chance to get it right. Winding River Ranch proved that they were not capable of doing so.

I cannot recommend this venue enough! It was literally the venue of our dreams, and everyone on staff there is so helpful and accommodating! We loved it! We looked at so many venues in the mountains, and this one definitely stuck out to us for several reasons! For one, you get the ranch for 3 whole days and for a reasonable price!! We were able to come set up whenever on the day of, and even on the day before! Kristin always was so quick to respond whenever I had questions and she was very available to help on the day of as well! She never minded if we came up to the ranch just to look around, or even just to say hi. They are very welcoming. The venue itself is absolutely gorgeous! Every single person at our wedding still talks about how amazing the scenery was at our wedding. There are multiple options for the reception and you can't go wrong! We actually ended up using the historical barn for our rehearsal dinner and the bible barn for our reception because we loved them both! Kristin and Travis have a whole storage unit full of decorations that they let you use, free of charge! The entire venue is perfectly rustic, and they even set up a petting zoo if you want (that was a huge hit)! They also have several cabins on site that guests can stay at, which was very helpful for it being in a smaller town. Our entire bridal party, me and my husband, and several family members were able to stay on site. Not to mention there are camping sites and RV spots available as well I could go on and on about this place! I am so happy with our choice and we will definitely be back just to visit!

Such a disappointing experience!! There were so many promises made and not kept. The first of which was the promise to have servers lined up for our dinners for both nights. This did not happen and we were left scrambling at the last Minute to line some up. The barn was not cleaned and ready when we were told it would be for us to start our set up. Kristen was totally unavailable the entire weekend. She never spoke to us - even when it was raining the afternoon of the wedding and we were struggling to decide where to hold the ceremony. Not once did she reach out to offer chair set up in the barn as an alternate or any other option to deal with what is every sweet bride's nightmare. They had a detailed timeline of our events, but could not even have the heaters set up and on in order for our guests to be comfortable. The bride and groom confirmed and reconfirmed their cabin for the wedding night, but when the celebration was over, they found that the cabin was unprepared without even any heat!!! Apparently all the good reviews were from a time that it was under different management. Kristen is unable or unwilling to take care of the venues guests!!!

Besides actually marrying my husband, Winding River Ranch was by far the best decision we made in our wedding planning. Melissa and Travis are the ultimate dream team in making your vision come true. Melissa is helpful and so sweet and Travis is the wedding magic McGyver. They work WITH you to make everything how you would want it and have the best attitude around. But even besides the amazing people, the place just cannot be beat. All of our guests were blown away by how beautiful the location was - stunning views everywhere you turn. AND the facilities are top notch - still giving the rustic ranch vibe, but classy, sophisticated and polished in every detail. I cannot say enough positive things about this place. If you are considering it know that it will be one of the best decisions that you can make.

The Winding River Ranch was simply a perfect spot for our wedding. The scenery is out of this world, and made for some amazing wedding pics. We were looking for an adventurous, but still comfortable wedding location, and this was it. All of our family and friends from out of town were very impressed. Melissa was extremely helpful and accessible to us, and addressed any needs we had promptly. The other staff on the ranch were also great,and even made sure to have a horse ready for us for pictures! We had our reception in the bible barn, which was such a cool and unique location that can be customized to your style preferences. We had the bridesmaids and the groomsmen stay at the cabins on the ranch, and everyone had an amazing time. We can not recommend the Winding River Ranch enough.

My husband and I knew we wanted to get married in Grand Lake, CO because it was special to both of us. After visiting all the venues in the area, we decided on Winding River Ranch. The ranch has a great atmosphere with its rustic barns and cabins and charming ceremony area. We didn't even have to try to amaze our wedding guests with the beauty of the area and the fun and relaxed attitudes of Melissa and Travis. They were a blessing to our special day! We were engaged for a year and throughout that whole year they answered all my silly little questions right away and helped with the different vendors. We filled the cabins on site with our closest family and friends, who had nothing but praise for their hosts and their accommodations. We held our rehearsal dinner on the ranch, a fun family BBQ followed by relaxing around a fire pit listening to the wildlife. The separate Bride and Grooms cabins were perfect for getting ready the morning of our big day. Our photographer was in awe of the spectacular views and the stunning details at the ranch. At the end of the night, many of our guests commented that our wedding was the best one they'd been to all summer, and I know my husband and I can't take credit for that. I would recommend the Ranch to any couple who wants a no-stress, fun, beautiful mountain wedding.

When we got engaged we agreed we didn't care so much about the dress, the food, the flowers... we really just wanted all our loved ones in our favorite CO town to make some lifelong memories. Melissa, Travis & everything they've created at the Winding River Ranch made that plus so much more happen for us. It is now one of our favorite spots in the entire world. We had the time of our lives and made memories we'll cherish forever. Melissa and Travis are truly good people, with good hearts in all the right places. Getting married on their ranch was all my dreams come true and we couldn't be more grateful. Our guests had a wonderful time and we are still talking about it weeks later. Thank you so much, Melissa & Travis! Thank you for sharing your slice of heaven with us, we'll remember it forever.

There is no better venue to have your wedding at! Melissa and Travis are so kind and accommodating! They were so insanely helpful and patient as we set up our event the DAY BEFORE! Our guests couldn't stop gushing about how gorgeous the venue was and it didn't even take very many decorations because it is so naturally gorgeous! I hope we can go back soon!! Both my husband and I can't speak highly enough of the venue!!

After driving all over the Colorado mountains looking for the perfect mountain venue and becoming incredibly frustrated, my mom found WRR. From the moment we stepped foot on the property and met Melissa we knew this place was different. Relaxed, laid back, comfortable, naturally beautiful and accommodating. One of our most important requirements was on-site lodging as we did not want anyone driving drunk from the wedding. The ranch did not fit all of our guests, but Melissa connected us with First Transit for a shuttle that transported our remaining guests to their lodging. My husband and I stayed in the Loveland cabin the night of the wedding. Not a honeymoon suite, but really perfect for us to just walk to from the barn after we'd danced our faces off! EVERYONE was in awe of the venue and said over and over "you could not have picked a more beautiful location for your wedding". We were so happy with the wedding - it even rained on our ceremony and we didn't care :). Melissa, Travis and our wedding coordinator Kandice were prepared to move the ceremony at the last second if that's what we wanted! We did not use the bridesmaid/groomsman cabins. We each had 9 in our wedding party and they are small and without bathrooms, but we rented houses on Columbine Lake and got ready at our respective houses. We used their kitchen/dining area for our rehearsal dinner - small too, and it was thankfully a beautiful day so that people could be inside and outside! We had the entire ranch to ourselves basically from Friday - Sunday. And coming from other venues where we had to load in and clean up within a 10-hour window or something crazy, we were so SO thankful for the luxury of taking our time and not worrying! My parents had the Fairplay cabin, and that's where my dad and I waited before coming out to walk down the aisle. I just can't say enough wonderful things about the venue - Melissa and Travis, the natural beauty of the ranch, it all came together to create such a beautiful weekend for our guests and everyone was thrilled. THANK YOU!!

We could not have asked for a better venue for our wedding. Not only is the venue and scenery absolutely beautiful, Melissa and Travis are amazing to work with. They were so flexible and helpful every step of the way. The setup make it perfect for us to have all of our bridal party stay on site with us. Since we had many out of town guests and we wanted to spend time with them before and after, the ability for everyone to stay on-site and have access to the large kitchen/dining area was a wonderful plus. The commercial kitchen made it so easy to prepare meals for all our guests and accommodate everyone in a communal way aside from the actual wedding day. We are so happy we picked Winding River Ranch. We will definitely be visiting the ranch for years to come!!

My fiancé and I had a long engagement. We searched and searched for the perfect place where we could use a caterer we likes, have a band and photographer we wanted and make our day as unique as we are. The Winding River Ranch was it! What a fabulous setting with owners that keep YOU in mind. Melissa, Travis and Granny were so accommodating and such a pleasure to work with. Our guests loved it, and we were able to create our vision and work on our schedule. I cannot say enough about Winding River. It is full of heart and we have no regrets! We would have it here again if we had to do it all over again. Very special place!

Everything we could have asked for and more. We booked Winding River Ranch over a year before our wedding in July and were blown away then, but holy cow - Travis and Melissa have done so much to make this every bride's dream mountain wedding venue and then some. Not to mention they are the nicest most accommodating couple you will ever meet. We loved every minute of our wedding and would book Winding River Ranch again in a heart beat