Colorado Wedding Budget Guide: What $10,000 to $45,000 Can Really Cover
If you are trying to plan a wedding in Colorado and your total budget is $10,000 to $45,000, you are in very good company. Most couples are not planning a six-figure wedding, even if that is what the internet loves to show.
Also, “average wedding cost” articles can make this feel worse. The Knot’s latest Real Weddings Study reports an overall U.S. average of $34,200, but that average blends everything from tiny courthouse ceremonies to ultra-luxury, high-end weekends.
Zola also points out that some couples spend $10,000, while others spend $100,000+, which is exactly why a single number doesn't help you plan.
So instead of chasing an “average,” this post gives you something more useful: realistic, copy-and-paste budgeting examples for $10K, $20K, $30K, and $45K.
These examples are written for our venue, Vista View Events in Rifle, Colorado, in Garfield County, about 25 minutes from Glenwood Springs and just off I-70.
If you’re not a VVE Couple, that’s okay! This budget guide can still help you; you can just input your own venue’s price point.
Vista View Events pricing options (so you can anchor your math)
Weekday dates
Monday to Thursday: $4,625
Half day weekday: $4,000
Prime dates
Friday or Saturday: $7,125
Sunday: $5,575
Half day Friday or Saturday: $5,379
Half day Sunday: $4,875
Elopement ceremony
Sunday to Thursday: $1,725
Friday or Saturday: $1,975
The 45% rule we use for budgets that include food and bar
For weddings with a reception, hosted bar, and catering, here is the guideline:
Try to keep Venue + Food + Bar at 45% or less of your total wedding budget.
That protects the other 55% for everything else that makes the day actually work: coordination, photography, music, florals, transportation, tips, and the surprise costs nobody posts on Pinterest.
One key note about bar numbers in the examples
We use a simple starting point for bar math. A hosted full bar for 100 guests (including Colorado’s 3.9% Sales tax) costs $5,402.80, or about $54.03 per guest. In the budget examples below, we use that same per-person estimate to scale the bar cost up or down based on your guest count. If your bar package or guest list looks different, just swap in your real numbers.
Copy and paste budgets (Vista View Events examples):
Under $10,000 total budget example (Elopement ceremony with 20 Guests)
What this level often looks like: A true elopement ceremony with up to 20 people. It is ceremony-focused, photo-forward, and simple on purpose.
Elopement notes at Vista View Events:
A small cutting cake is permitted. Champagne toast is included and provided by the venue. No coordinator required. Food Service (dinner & appetizers) through a caterer is not permitted in this package due to the shorter venue access window.
Venue (Elopement Sunday to Thursday): $1,725.00
Catering: $0.00
Bar: $0.00
Month of Coordinator: $0.00
Tips: $300.00
Extra money for surprise fees: $475.00
Table linens: $0.00
Florals: $750.00 (Arbor Swag and Bridal Bouquet Only)
Photography: $2,900.00
Videography: $0.00
DJ/Music: $0.00
Hair + Makeup: $550.00 (Bride Only)
Guest transportation: $0.00
Additional decor: $200.00
Stationery: $150.00
Cake/Dessert (small cutting cake): $250.00
Total: $7,300
If you want a Friday or Saturday elopement, the venue rate is $1,975, and those dates can be booked within 5 months of the wedding date.
$20,000 total budget example (Micro wedding, weekday half day)
Assumption for this example: about 40 guests
Venue choice: Half day weekday ($4,000)
45% target for Venue + Food + Bar: $9,000.00
Estimated bar: $54.03 per guest × 40 = $2,161.12 for a Hosted House Full Bar
Catering target (to keep 45%): $3,300 (about $82.50 per guest)
What this level often looks like: A weekday micro wedding that prioritizes photography and a comfortable guest experience, with a simpler meal and fewer “extras.”
Catering: $3,300 ($82.50 per person for 40 guests)
Venue: $4,000.00
Bar: $2,800.00 (our $2,800 minimum applies here)
Month of Coordinator (exclusive VVE planner): $1,950.00
Tips: $500.00
Extra money for surprise fees: $500
Table linens: $350.00
Florals: $1,200.00
Photography: $3,000.00
Videography: $0.00
DJ/Music: $900.00
Hair + Makeup: $550.00 (bride only)
Guest transportation: $0.00
Additional decor: $300.00
Stationery: $250.00
Cake/Dessert: $400.00
Total: $20,000.00
$30,000 total budget example (Sunday wedding)
Assumption for this example: about 60 guests
Venue choice: Sunday ($5,575)
45% target for Venue + Food + Bar: $13,500.00
Estimated bar: $54.03 per guest × 60 = $3,241.68
Catering target (to keep 45%): $4,683.32 (about $78.06 per guest)
What this level often looks like: A fuller wedding day with a stronger vendor team, a more polished design, and enough buffer to avoid feeling stressed by every small add-on.
Catering: $4,683.32
Venue: $5,575.00
Bar: $3,241.68
Month of Coordinator (exclusive planner): $1,950.00
Tips: $800.00
Extra money for surprise fees: $1,450.00
Table linens: $800.00
Florals: $2,000.00
Photography: $4,500.00
Videography: $0.00
DJ/Music: $1,200.00
Hair + Makeup: $1,100.00
Guest transportation: $900.00
Additional decor: $900.00
Stationery: $350.00
Cake/Dessert: $550.00
Total: $30,000.00
$45,000 total budget example (Friday or Saturday wedding)
Assumption for this example: about 80 guests
Venue choice: Friday or Saturday ($7,125)
45% target for Venue + Food + Bar: $20,250.00
Estimated bar: $54.03 per guest × 80 = $4,322.24
Catering target (to keep 45%): $8,802.76 (about $110.03 per guest)
What this level often looks like: A prime-date wedding with more room for food, photo, and a few elevated details, while still staying grounded in a real-world budget.
Catering: $8,802.76
Venue: $7,125.00
Bar: $4,322.24
Month of Coordinator (exclusive planner): $1,950.00
Tips: $1,200.00
Extra money for surprise fees: $1,950.00
Table linens: $1,200.00
Florals: $3,500.00
Photography: $5,000.00
Videography: $2,500.00
DJ/Music: $1,600.00
Hair + Makeup: $1,400.00
Guest transportation: $1,500.00
Additional decor: $1,500.00
Stationery: $750.00
Cake/Dessert: $700.00
Total: $45,000.00
Coordinator note: $1,950 is a strong baseline for month-of support, but if your day has heavier logistics (multiple locations, complex installs, tight transportation windows), coordination can increase.
The kindest reality check
If your budget is $10,000 to $45,000, you can still host a meaningful, beautiful wedding in Colorado. The planning gets dramatically easier when you match three things early:
Your guest count
Your date type (weekday, Sunday, Saturday, elopement)
Your hosting style (especially food and bar)