If you’ve ever dreamed of an outdoor Colorado wedding ceremony with an alpine lake and soaring mountains in the background of all your wedding photos, you’ve probably pictured something very close to the Maroon Bells in the heart of the Rocky Mountains.
And you wouldn’t be alone. Of the several outdoor amphitheaters scattered throughout Colorado, Maroon Bells is one of the most sought-after wedding venues in the entire state, with permits often selling out as fast as they become available.
It’s beautiful, and pretty accessible being just a few minutes outside of Aspen, but it does require some planning and forethought to hold your ceremony there.
I’m a wedding photographer, and when one of my couples said they wanted to downsize their wedding to a micro wedding, I suggested they consider a simple wedding in the mountains. And I had another couple who already had a permit for the Maroon Bells but had changed their date and had an extra permit they would be willing to sell.
My couple loved the idea, so they bought the permit, and we set about planning their Maroon Bells wedding. Our first thought: “We have a date, a permit, a dress, a suit, a bouquet…let’s do a wedding!”
Not so much.
First, The Basics
To hold your ceremony at the amphitheater, you need to secure the permit. The permit is sold online by the US Forest Service here:
https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/233123?tab=campsites.
Permits go on sale at 8am (MST) a year in advance, so if you have a specific date that you want you have to plan ahead, be fast, and be a bit lucky. It might help to be a little flexible or have several date options that work for you.
Something else to keep in mind is that permits for weekend dates are not issued for July through August, or for Fridays through Sundays in September and October. Both of my couples opted for Monday dates in August, so there was less issue for them. But, If you are hoping for a weekend date you’ll have to go outside those months.
But, in addition to the permit to use the amphitheater, you and your guests will also have to have parking permits to actually get into the Maroon Bells amphitheater, and here is where you might have your biggest challenge, because the parking permits are controlled and issued by the Aspen Chamber of Commerce.
Your wedding permit also comes with five parking permits, which you can only pick up at the entry gate to the Maroon Bells the day before your wedding. You can (as we did) buy additional parking passes online from the Chamber, but the staff at the guard shack will not let you use these parking permits to enter the park after 8am.
That means that if you are doing an afternoon ceremony, you have to limit your guest count to a number you can fit in five vehicles. Buying extra passes won’t help unless you have guests who are willing to enter before 8am and then wait around for your afternoon ceremony. Ugh!
There are two other options. One is that you can hire one of the local shuttle companies who have permits to enter the park at any time, however, they quoted us $1000 for a round trip of forty guests. The other choice is that you can have your guests ride in on the public shuttle that runs in and out of the Bells every fifteen minutes, but they (or you) have to buy their reservations in advance for a shuttle that would get them in the Bells by the time you need. If this works for you, you can make those reservations here:
https://www.visitmaroonbells.com/maroon-bells-shuttle-reservations/
This was kind of a frustrating thing for us because I had called both the Aspen-Sopris Ranger station and the Chamber and both had told me that they make exceptions for weddings. However, when we went in to preview the location the day before the wedding of my first wedding the guard at the shack nearly wouldn’t let us enter on my pre-purchased pass, and he informed us that in no way would he let us enter after 8am the day of the wedding unless we were using one of the five passes issued with the wedding permit.
Oh, and evidently the guard shack has no phone or way to communicate with the Chamber or Ranger district, so he is kind of the god of the moment.
At the first wedding we were able to rearrange some things and fit all of the guests into five cars. But I knew my next wedding had 40+ guests. So, I alerted the couple and then made a call to the Chamber. Luckily, I got someone on the phone that could help me, and for my next wedding they emailed me permission for use of five extra passes and said they would communicate with the gods of the gate.
Whew!
If you want to go to that work and try your luck using extra passes, here is the link for parking permits at the Maroon Bells:
https://www.visitmaroonbells.com/
It’s a Micro Wedding. It’s Less Expensive, Right?
Well, sort of. Maybe.
A micro wedding might be your choice because you’ve opted for a smaller budget and less traditional trappings, but there will be some expenses you might not know about or consider in advance if you choose Maroon Bells.
For starters, it’s Aspen, Colorado. Just about everything in Aspen is more expensive. Sorry Aspen folks, but you probably already know this anyway.
If you are only having a ceremony in Aspen and you are forgoing a reception, then yes, you are going to have a lot less expense. However, if you are going to have even a simple dinner (no DJ, dancing, venue, etc.), then…buckle up.
The first wedding I was helping plan there had started out with a guest list of forty. After getting quotes from nearly every place I could find that would host even that small number of guests, the smallest figure I got was $12,000, for a plated dinner.
It was only by luck that I came across one restaurant that didn’t break the bank, and it worked for my couple because they really preferred a less formal setting for dinner. Otherwise, the cost of dinner alone just about had one of my couples ready to pull the plug.
The accommodations were the same story. They generally start at $300 a night in Aspen or Snowmass Village. With a little work you will find something for less, but you might want to consider that even if this cost is okay with you for a couple of nights, some of your family and guests might grumble about it or even opt out of your wedding because of it.
So, it’s worth considering the expense, for you and for your family and guests. What you are saving in some of your other wedding costs might very well get eaten up with other costs associated with a Maroon Bells wedding, depending on your choices. And it might impact your guest count.
When the Time is Right
Earlier in this blog post I talked a lot about some of the transportation issues involved with planning an afternoon ceremony at the Maroon Bells. But there is also another way around this problem.
Some couples opt for a morning ceremony, which has a couple of advantages. For one, you can buy the extra parking permits and use them if you and your guests are arriving prior to, or right at, 8am. That gives you the workaround of having more than five carloads of guests.
The other advantage of this: the morning sun. When the sun first hits the east-facing Maroon Bells peaks in the morning it is nothing short of gorgeous. They are reflected in the calm waters of Maroon Lake as well, and it makes for some amazing wedding day photos. Just remember though, that the ceremony amphitheater is above, distant, and tucked away from lake, so the look and feel of the ceremony photos will be a little different. To get the reflections of the peaks in the lake you will need to get closer to the lake. Or at least as close as the ropes protecting the shoreline will let you.
A morning ceremony kind of upends the usual order of a wedding day, but you’re opting for the less than traditional anyway. Go for it! Do your own hair and makeup. Celebrate with lunch instead of dinner.
The Other Stuff
Most of what I have talked about here is what I have learned in planning two micro weddings there. Some of these things, and some of what I am going to mention here, won’t really apply if you are just planning an elopement, or a very small micro wedding. But, for what it is worth:
Water – There are no water facilities anywhere at the Maroon Bells. This was one oversight we had with one of the weddings, and the day ended up being 80 degrees and sunny. At altitude that feels pretty warm in the direct sun. Plan to provide water for your guests or make sure they know they should bring their own.
By the way, we still had champagne to drink, so…we made do.
Glass – If you choose to do champagne toasts or other beverages at your ceremony you should be aware that glass is not permitted.
Sound – No amplified sound is allowed. Your officiant should be prepared to project their voice well, possibly even over a stiff wind.
Restrooms – Your guests should know ahead of time that the only restrooms on site are the typical trailhead pit toilets.
Décor – Not much is allowed, and anything you do use has to be cleared out with you. Think of it as a Leave No Trace wedding. Plus, the natural beauty of the site really doesn’t require any “dressing up” anyway.
The Amphitheater – The location of the amphitheater itself is above and distant to the lake, and not many people approach it or go up to it unless they are curious or are part of a wedding. Most visitors get off the shuttle buses and go directly to the lakeshore or meander the several trails around it. You really won’t have crowds to contend with.
Weather – The amphitheater is fully exposed to the elements. There is no overhead for shade or for rain protection. That is part of its beauty, but it can be a bit of a problem if weather doesn’t cooperate. There is no option for another plan if there is persistent rain on your reserved date. Bear in mind that there is a monsoon season in Colorado where storms often roll in throughout the mountains every afternoon. This might determine the date you choose, or whether you opt for a morning or afternoon ceremony time.
But It’s Worth It
Every bit of it. Your ceremony will be beautiful, and your wedding photography will be amazing. The Maroon Bells is the quintessential Colorado mountain wedding ceremony venue and you’ll look back on your day with incredible memories. It just takes a little consideration and planning to execute it with the elements you want to include.
If you’re considering Maroon Bells for your wedding, you don’t have to figure it all out alone—reach out and I’ll help you plan (and photograph) a day you’ll never forget. See the options here, or send me a note here.
