Colorado Mountain Wedding Venues: Larkspur

Sheer mountain elegance is what comes to mind when we think about our next venue pick. Larkspur is a family-owned and operated restaurant turned high-end event space whose culinary expertise and gold standard customer service has cemented its reputation as a premier Vail Valley wedding venue.

Photo: Nate and Jenny Weddings

Who and where is Larkspur?

Originally a fine dining restaurant, Larkspur opened its doors in 1999. It has since transformed its indoor and outdoor space into a high-end event venue that is centrally located at the base of the Vail ski resort and alongside the Vail bike path; just a short walk or drive away from many Vail lodging accommodations. 

What makes Larkspur a great wedding venue?

This 5,500 square foot establishment boasts eight on-site spaces that can accommodate parties from 20 to 200:

The Lawn:

Isabel, Larkspur’s Director of Sales & Marketing, is in agreement that the lawn is the crown jewel of this location. This space often serves double duty as both the ceremony and reception space. The designated ceremony spot sits in perfect alignment with background views of the Gore Range Mountains. Here, a seated ceremony of 200+ guests can be accommodated. 

Photo: Nate and Jenny Weddings

Across the bike path, is a separate green space that is most commonly used for tented wedding receptions. As your tent experts, we recommend a max tent size of a 40 x 100. Depending on each of our clients’ desired layouts, this tent size can typically accommodate wedding parties from 175-200. Pro tip: tent flooring is required due to the natural slope of the ground. This is a big budget item to take into consideration when planning an outdoor reception at this location. 

Photo: Nate and Jenny Weddings

Photo: Tamara Gruner Photography

The Bar:

“Airy” and “elegant,” the bar is one of the six indoor spaces that clients can rent. It sits adjacent to the facility’s outdoor patio and the larger indoor dining areas. Perfect for cocktail hour, the bar can accommodate standing room of up to 100 or a more cozy seated area for up to 60.

Photo: Courtesy of Larkspur website 

The Patio:

Cocktail hour, a lounge space, or a dessert station. The possibilities are endless when it comes to Larkspur’s mountainside patio. With panoramic views of the Vail ski resort, clients have the ability to get creative with this sizable concrete terrace.

Photo: Courtesy of Larkspur website 

The Dining Rooms:

Larkspur’s culinary roots can be found in their three, stunning and modern dining areas: the Wine Dining Room, the Chef’s Dining Room, and the Private Dining Room. Individually, each dining room is perfectly equipped for more intimate gatherings with the Wine Dining Room being the largest of the three with a top seated capacity of 120. For guests with smaller guest counts, the dining rooms allow for clients to choose their own ambiance. The Wine Dining room is aptly named for its expansive view of the venue’s impressive wine cellar. The Chef’s Dining Room invites its guests to take part in an immersive experience with front row seats to the chef’s kitchen. And, the Private Dining Room, the smallest of the three spaces, provides the most intimacy, cutting out the hustle and bustle. For clients with larger guest counts seeking inside reception dining, however, these three spaces can be combined to create what the staff calls the Full Dining Room. In total the combined dining area can seat up to 200. 

Photo: Tamara Gruner Photography

Photo: Tamara Gruner Photography

The Great Room:

The Great Room is the last yet most versatile of the indoor spaces. Large but cozy, clients most often transform this space into their full-service reception area or the “afterparty” space. A perfect hub for your DJ or band, the Great Room has been witness to many wedding dance parties and comes outfitted with a gray, barn wood style dance floor. In this space, clients most often come to us for staging and draping. 

Photo: Tamara Gruner Photography

So, obviously, Larkspur is stunning… but what else is important to know? 

In speaking with Isabel, the venue strongly encourages that their clients work with wedding planners. With so many moving parts when it comes to wedding planning, having a dedicated coordinator is key to a stress free day of. 

This venue does implement a rental and food/beverage minimum. This minimum, as common practice with most venues, is dependent on the day of the week and time of year desired. Outside food and beverage is not allowed, but don’t forget Larkspur started as a fine dining establishment, so culinary excellence is part of the package deal. Clients can negotiate an outside wedding cake vendor, but additional fees apply.

The standard rental block is 6 hours but additional time is available for purchase. The bar, dining rooms, ceremony space, and patio are included in the standard rental package. The reception lawn space and Great Room can be added at an additional cost. For indoor receptions, tables, chairs, linens, placemats, flatware, glassware, and printed menus are included. The venue’s tables and chairs are not allowed outside. 

Photo: Tamara Gruner Photography

When to have your Larkspur wedding?

With the variety of indoor and outdoor space available, this is a year-round venue. Due to its sought after location, pricing is seasonal and the tent space is only accessible during peak Summer season. 

Why do we recommend Larkspur as a Colorado wedding venue?

1. Culinary excellence
2. Gold standard customer service
3. High-end, versatile facility

Photo: Nate and Jenny Weddings

Planning a Larkspur wedding?

Our team of event experts is here to help answer any questions. Contact us today or request a quote online. Browse our catalog to view products from these specific weddings. At Colorado Tents & Events, we are your local experts for Vail weddings – let’s start planning today!