North Star Gatherings: A Mountain Wedding Venue
A Colorado wedding venue with the best mountain views
The Venue:
Situated in Colorado, North Star Gatherings is one of the best wedding venues with mountain views – especially on the front range. I photographed my first North Star wedding in 2021. Somehow. I was a very fresh baby wedding photographer. Most Colorado photographers keep this venue pretty high on their venue bucket list. A super sweet couple found me through referral and I will never forget that – and how thankful I still am to this day that that exchange happened. Since then, I’ve had the pleasure and honor of visiting this venue every year to photograph special wedding days for extraordinary couples.
North Star Gatherings is nestled at about 9,000 ft. in Idaho Springs, Colorado. The venue is fairly young – it opened in 2020. There are two ways to get to the venue – you can take the long route through Evergreen – this is the safest option, especially if you’re towing a trailer (vendors) or have a longer wheelbase. The other option is 13 switchbacks on a gravel road up the Idaho Springs side from I-70. They keep the road well-maintained, and I have no issues making it up there in my hybrid SUV.
One of the biggest redeeming factors and why I’d choose this venue again and again is the fact that this venue is self-sustainable and runs completely on solar power. That itself sets North Star miles apart from other venues in Colorado. The North Star Gatherings staff is equally as lovely – I’ve always had such pleasant interactions with everyone who works there. The wedding days I’ve worked there always go so smoothly, and I feel like a lot of that has to do with the rules and guidelines they’ve put in place for vendors.
The Great Hall:
What makes North Star one of the best Colorado mountain wedding venues is the layout. North Star has an open-concept layout with plenty of natural lighting. Upon entering the front doors, guests are greeted with a simple entry way that leads into a large great hall. The built-in bar boasts stunning tile detail on the back wall and a live-edge countertop.
The great hall is LARGE and accommodates up to 170 humans – though this wedding only had 35 guests and still filled the space quite nicely. It’s all about the table layout, my friends! Your planner or venue coordinator can suggest the best layouts for your guest count. The great hall feels so cozy – even with all of the windows and natural light. During the day it feels beautiful and elegant. Warm and welcoming. As soon as the sun sets, it feels cozy and safe.
The Ceremony Deck:
After taking in the great hall, you arrive at the ceremony deck. This deck gives you THE BEST MOUNTAIN VIEWS on your wedding day. It’s cool being in the mountains for your wedding, but not all venues can say they have views like these. And to say your vows in such a memorable spot??! Yes, plz. After your ceremony, the deck space transforms to your cocktail hour while your planner puts the finishing touches on your place settings in the great hall. I also love this spot for family photos…because views. And lighting! Guests can access the bar via a garage door, making it super easy for them to enjoy cocktail hour in the sunshine.
To top it all off, North Star gatherings offers two of the best getting ready spaces that I’ve ever seen. Plenty of natural light, room for your wedding party and commodities you might need in the loft – large mirrors, bar stools, a rack to hang your dresses so they don’t wrinkle, etc. The partner’s space looks just as cool – AN IGLOO. Yes, you read that right. Half of your wedding party will get ready in an igloo on property. The igloo provides great natural light, a small AC unit, mirrors, comfortable seating and a rack to hang your wedding day wardrobe.
Okay, I think I’ve gushed enough about this venue. You can see for yourself with their virtual tour – or better yet, schedule a real one. You’ll love the staff just as much as I do.
Our *Star* Couple
Emily and Ryan were a dream couple. So easy going, fun to work with, and downright kind humans. Being from Michigan, they decided on a destination intimate wedding in Colorado, a place they both love. After touring North Star Gatherings last summer, they knew they were meant to get married here. They invited 24 of their closest friends – all in the wedding party – and the remaining 11 guests were family members. You might be thinking this venue is too large for such an intimate gathering. It’s actually perfect! Planners have a way of really filling the space they’re given to make it feel intentional and fitting.
Emily and Ryan got ready for their wedding day at The Eddy, a boutique hotel and taproom in Golden, Colorado. The commute time to the venue is about 45 minutes, but Golden is typically the closest area for guests and wedding parties to stay, so it’s pretty common. I must say… this hotel is swanky. And I loved every second of it. I would recommend this hotel to any couple getting married at North Star Gatherings.
First Look
Following getting ready with their parties, Emily and Ryan’s first look took place on the rooftop patio at the hotel. I witnessed everything sweet and wholesome. Ryan guessed what Emily’s dress was going to look like, and boy was he off. I didn’t even expect Emily’s dress! She chose a strapless sweetheart neckline corset dress. I’ve never seen any real life bride like her – I need more of this in my life! Emily had a few tricks up her sleeves – pun intended because she added sleeves right before the ceremony and I daresay they *made* this look. I’m really loving the wedding day wardrobe additions where you can add or subtract one thing and it makes your wedding day “look” incredibly different. Such a fun way to surprise your groom – and guests!
The Ceremony:
Following the ceremony, Emily and Ryan chose to have a little moment alone to sign their marriage license and just take in *finally* being married. We finished up family photos, did some couples portraits and then they were able to spend the rest of cocktail hour with their close friends and family.
The Reception:
The reception started with a grand entrance down the loft staircase and transitioned right into the first dance, which I always love. It’s a great way to dive right into reception traditions and not have to awkwardly get back up after dinner to dance.
And finally, the part Emily and her girls waited for all day – DANCING! The dance floor was poppin’ all night long. The crew even had to move the party outside because it got a little too toasty inside. I was able to play with some shutter drag techniques and I think it made for some really fun reception photos!
In all, this was one of my favorite weddings at my favorite venue. Such a memorable night with great people. If you want to see Emily + Ryan’s wedding portraits, I’d highly encourage you to look through their wedding gallery link below. If you’re getting married at North Star, and you love these images, please reach out to me to see if we’d be a good fit to work together on your wedding day!
xo, taylor
Emily + Ryan’s Wedding Gallery | Inquire About Wedding Photography
