As elopements and intimate weddings keep gaining popularity, more couples are looking for alternatives to traditional small venues, and an Airbnb wedding is the perfect “in between.” Whether you’re eloping without any guests, and want to stay in a well styled home rather than a generic hotel room, or you’re inviting your closest friends and family and want to celebrate without going to a restaurant, an Airbnb wedding might be the solution you’re looking for.
Many of my couples travel to Colorado from out-of-state to elope in the mountains. And to really get the local experience, I always recommend staying in a vacation rental rather than a hotel (unless we’re talking hotels like Devil’s Thumb Ranch and Dunton Hot Springs, of course). These days, you can use Airbnb to rent anything from a private island to a house boat to tiny homes and yurts, so your imagination is the only limit here. (And while I refer to short term rentals as Airbnbs, there are of course other platforms that offer the same thing, like Vrbo—more on that later!)
With an Airbnb wedding, you’ll have separate rooms to get ready without seeing each other—or a cute space to get ready together, if you’re going the less traditional route. And instead of going out to a restaurant surrounded by other diners, you can have a private chef prepare a meal for you to enjoy without anyone else around.
Airbnb Wedding Checklist and Planning Tips
Suitable for Events
In general, most properties only allow events for as many guests as their max occupancy limit. This is because the short-term vacation rental permits set a hard limit on how many guests are allowed, and hosts do not want to risk losing their permit because a neighbor reported a large event to the county. Try to figure out your exact guest count before searching for properties, and remember that any vendors like a photographer or chef also need to be included in the total number.
When you’re searching for Airbnb wedding venues, you used to be able to search for properties that were listed as “suitable for events.” But Airbnb actually removed this search filter in early 2020, and now there’s no direct way to sort by this on their site. Airbnb as a platform does not allow events, and while some hosts are still happy to make exceptions for small events, it’s become much harder to find suitable properties. It’s still a great platform for finding cute places to stay if you’re eloping without guests though!
VRBO still has an “events allowed” search filter, so I recommend that you use their website to search if you are planning to host any part of your wedding celebrations at the property. Whether you’re interested in having the ceremony, a dinner reception, or the whole day at your vacation rental, these properties are the most likely to allow it. But make sure you read the fine print of the listing before booking anything. Many properties will have the “events allowed” search filter, but specify in the listing that you need to contact the property management for approval before booking, or pay an extra event fee on top of the nightly booking rate.
If you’re eloping somewhere in nature and just want a space where you can stay with your families and hang out after having dinner at a restaurant, you’re much more free in your search, and generally don’t need to disclose that you’re having an event—because the event parts of the day are not taking place at the property. But if you want to have a photographer, hair and makeup artist, or any other vendors over to the property, it’s still a good idea to message the host before booking and explain what you’re planning. Some home owners will see it as a breach of your rental agreement if you have anyone over who was not listed on your reservation, so even having a photographer or hair and makeup artist there in the morning could cost you your security deposit.
But if you fall in love with a listing that’s not listed as “suitable for events,” that doesn’t have to mean you should give up. Both Airbnb and Vrbo listings will let you message the owner before requesting to book. Use this to explain exactly what you’re looking for, whether it’s hosting a private dinner for ten people in the dining room, having a small ceremony on the lawn outside, or just having a photographer capture you getting ready before you do your elopement somewhere else.
It’s better to ask for permission—and get it in writing—than to lose your security deposit after your Airbnb wedding!
Location
If you are hoping to get ready at your AirBnB before heading somewhere else for a hike or portraits, I recommend waiting to book a property until after you’ve chosen the perfect ceremony or portrait location in collaboration with your photographer. If you book your lodging first, you risk choosing one that’s a long drive away from any of the locations you’re interested in, and having to spend much of your wedding day in the car. And your photographer can help recommend properties that fit the aesthetic you’re going for in your photos!
Neighborhood, noise ordinances, and parking
Look at any outdoor photos of the property to see if there are neighboring houses close by. Read the listing carefully to see if there are any rules about noise. I once stayed in an Airbnb that had a rule about no conversation outdoors after 7pm, which would have been a serious bummer for an elopement where you wanted to sit around the fire pit with your families well into the evening.
If the listing doesn’t specifically mention the number of designated parking spaces, ask the owner before booking. I once photographed a bride getting ready at an airbnb that only had a single designated parking spot outside—and the closest parking for me was a whole neighborhood over. Make sure there’s parking for yourselves, vendors, and guests on property or very close by.
Find a space that fits your aesthetic
When searching for the perfect Airbnb wedding venue, the options can feel overwhelming. Try filtering by Airbnb Plus to see the best styled properties, or Airbnb Luxe if you’re feeling fancy. Many cabins in mountain towns are dark and lean heavily on bear and moose themed decorations, which will of course influence the way your photos look.
A plain patio can be dressed up with rented furniture for a small dinner reception, and florals can brighten up any space, so it’s better to book something a bit simple and minimalistic that you can make your own, than a cluttered or busy property where you don’t like the decor and find yourselves wanting to take art down from the walls before your getting ready photos.
Also make sure that the home has lots of natural lighting—if the listing photos look very dark, chances are your wedding photos will, too!
Rent tableware and furniture
If you are having a dinner reception at your Airbnb wedding, even if it’s just for you and your partner, consider renting tableware. Many properties will only have basic plates and glasses, so having something a little more special for dinner can make a world of difference, both in your photos and in how special the dining experience feels.
For outdoor ceremonies on the property, you might want to rent chairs, rather than bringing furniture from the Airbnb outside. If the property allows it, you could even rent a party tent and space heaters, and have your whole wedding reception outdoors without any worry about the weather.
Afternoon thunderstorms are really common in Colorado during the summer, so it’s hard to guarantee you’ll be able to have dinner outside. It’s always best to have a backup plan ready to go in case you have to move everything inside!
Hire a food truck or private chef
One of the biggest draws of having your intimate wedding at an Airbnb is that you have lots of options for dinner, beyond going out to a restaurant where you’re seated among other diners. If you’re having guests, you could book a food truck or caterer to feed everyone, or you could have a private chef prepare a meal for just the two of you. If you want to book a private chef, make sure that the Airbnb’s kitchen has all the amenities you need to prepare a meal, and share the property listing with your chef so that they can get a feel for the space.
Consider a wedding coordinator
If you’d like to adventure outside of the property on your elopement day, then come back to a well-styled reception setup with dinner waiting, I highly recommend working with a wedding planner or day-of coordinator. They can handle all the styling and setup, bring and return any furniture or tableware rentals, and coordinate the arrival of your chef, all without you worrying about a thing. Many wedding planners offer affordable options for small elopements, and especially if you’re eloping on a weekday.
Stay with friends and family
Many couples choose an intimate wedding experience as a way to spend more time with their very closest friends and family, instead of having to entertain a hundred people at a traditional wedding. If spending time with your loved ones is important to you, consider renting a big Airbnb wedding venue with enough rooms for everyone to stay together. It’ll be more expensive than a smaller home, but you can always ask people to chip in, or treat them to the stay as a thanks for traveling to your wedding.
Arrive early
When you’ve found the perfect Airbnb wedding venue, make sure that you book the trip to arrive at least a full day before your elopement. You’ll want enough time to get settled in and get familiar with the whole property. Some of my couples have used this time to rearrange some furniture and hide any decorations that they didn’t want in their photos (stuffed animals and deer heads, I’m looking at you). Just take photos of what the space looks like when you arrive, so that you can put everything back the way it was before you leave.
Best Vacation Rentals in Colorado
Some of these links are affiliate links, which means that if you book a property from my links I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Looking for the best vacation rentals in Colorado? I’ve spent hours and hours scrolling through listings to find the most beautiful and scenic properties, so that you can skip all the generic and boring listings and skip straight to the good stuff. My post on the best vacation rentals that allow events only includes properties that I would be excited about photographing, and that clearly allow events both through their search filters and fine print.
If you’re still open to where in Colorado you want to get married, I have a big post on the best places to elope here with info about each area and lots of photos to help you narrow it down. And even if you know the general area you’re interested in, I always recommend finding and booking a photographer you love first, and asking for their input on the location or property.
Best vacation rentals by area
- Boulder
- Estes Park
- Breckenridge
- Crested Butte
- More areas coming soon!
When should we book a small venue instead of a vacation rental?
While the idea of booking a vacation rental for your whole micro wedding is appealing, there are times when it’s more work—and just as expensive—as booking a small wedding venue. Very few properties allow more than 20 guests, and the ones that do are often $2500/night or more with 3-4 night minimum bookings. (In some mountain towns like Telluride and Aspen, you’ll have a hard time finding large homes for less than $5000/night.)
Most vacation rentals do not have the furniture and tableware needed to host larger events, so you’ll have to plan on rental fees, as well as picking up and returning rentals. (One of my couples was quoted $1500 to deliver two dining tables to their vacation rental in Grand County, so they built their own tables instead for a fraction of the cost.) With a small venue, that’s usually included, and the venue will also generally include a venue coordinator who’s responsible for setting everything up and getting the space ready for you.
And while a vacation rental might say that it sleeps 18 people, 6 of those bed spots might be in a single bunk room. Look closely at the sleeping accommodations if you’re planning on having everyone stay together. When you do the math, especially for larger events, it can be more cost effective to book a small venue and have your guests book their own lodging.
If you’re planning a micro wedding in Colorado, I have a big guide to all my favorite small venues here.
And there you have it; my best tips for having an Airbnb wedding—in Colorado or anywhere else! Scrolling through Airbnb listings is kind of a hobby of mine, and I love helping couples find the perfect combination of epic locations and cozy properties to create a unique intimate wedding experience.
Hi Nina,
I love your website! I’m thrilled about all the info you’ve gathered for people looking into how to plan a micro wedding or elopement. I tried to click your AirbnB links to your FAVE properties as I LOVE the idea of having our small wedding in the yard of a beautiful place rather than spending a fortune on a venue…but none of the links work!! Is there another way to get to your lists? We love the Aspen area but are open to other areas in Colorado…Breck, Beaver Creek, etc.. We are looking to have a small group of about 12-16 people (just our immediate family) and want to do a short ceremony, cocktails and dinner…open to all your amazing intel and suggestions!! Ideally we’d love to plan this for next Sept 14-25 or Oct 9-13…. Thanks SO much for your help!
Katie
Hi Katie! Sorry about the broken links; Airbnb closed their affiliate program a while back, and I haven’t made the time to update my links and this post yet. I unfortunately don’t have the time to do venue/lodging searches for couples I’m not also working with as a photographer, but I highly recommend using vrbo.com with the “events allowed” filter and searching based on your dates and budget. I’ll be in Norway for all of October next year, but I do have the September dates open if you want to chat more!