Blackstone Rivers Ranch in Idaho Springs is one of my favorite wedding venues to work at as a local photographer. Whether you’re a couple considering this venue for your wedding, or a photographer doing research before working there for the first time, I’ve written this post to share everything I know and love about this beautiful venue in Clear Creek County.
While Blackstone first opened as a wedding venue in 2016, it has a charming historic feel, and you can tell the owners were inspired by Idaho Springs’ rich mining history when they designed this place. The 22-acre property is located right outside of Idaho Springs, a quick 35-minute drive from Denver, which makes it super convenient for weddings where you want to be in the mountains without making your out-of-state guests drive far from the metro after flying into DIA.
Blackstone Rivers Ranch has ceremony and reception spaces, as well as rooms for getting ready. They only host one event a day, so you never have to worry about sharing the property with other groups. They also include tables, chairs, ceremony benches, and more, so you won’t have to bring in a bunch of rentals. (And their reception furniture is cute too—not plastic folding chairs in sight!)
As a photographer, I love how the venue feels completely private even if it sits right off Chicago Creek Road—the road that you can drive all the way up to 14,000ft on the top of Mount Blue Sky (formerly Mount Evans). There are so many photogenic spots around the property, from the covered wooden bridge over Chicago Creek to a small trail through the aspen trees, that you really don’t need to leave the venue for portraits.
While the venue itself doesn’t have mountain views because it sits at the base of the mountains and in the forest, there are plenty of locations nearby where you can get those big sweeping vistas. Just set aside at least two hours in your timeline for portraits if you’re leaving the venue, because all the best photo locations nearby are at least a 20-30 minute away. Great for a first look and taking your time with it, not so much for quickly sneaking away after the ceremony for sunset photos.
One of my favorite parts of photographing weddings at Blackstone is that the forest location gives the whole venue the softest dappled light throughout the day. You might think you want a venue with wide open views in every direction, but you might reconsider that when it’s hot in summer and your guests are sitting outside for the ceremony, or you’re trying to do your first look and portraits in the early afternoon while the sun is directly overhead.
The creekside ceremony site, the reception tent, and the main building that includes the getting ready rooms, are all close together, so I love the flow of events here—everything organically moves from one part of the day to the next. And there’s a huge deck and lawn in the middle of everything that’s perfect for cocktail hour and games.
There’s also the super cute Claimjumper Creekside Cabin, a vacation rental for two that’s on the same property (but separate from the venue.) Rent it for your wedding night or weekend, if you don’t want to think about driving anywhere. You can see more photos of the cabin on vrbo. There’s also a beautiful set of cabins and condos nearby called Water & Stone Retreat that the venue recommends. And of course you can always rent shuttles or buses to take your guests back down to the Denver area. The Origin Hotel Red Rocks and The Eddy Hotel in Golden are both great options!
Practical info about weddings at Blackstone Rivers Ranch
Address: 3673 Chicago Creek Rd. Idaho Springs, Colorado 80452
Guest capacity: 250
Rating: 4.9 out of 234 google reviews
Price range: Wedding packages at Blackstone Rivers Ranch range from $6,000-14,000, while elopements start at $1,800.
Is Blackstone dog-friendly? Dogs are unfortunately not allowed on the property, but you can always include your dog in a first look or portraits in the mountains nearby.
What’s the best time to get married here? While the venue’s open year-round, late May through October are the best months for weddings here, when it’s warm enough to use the outdoor reception tent. And because the venue’s located at an elevation of 8,000ft, it can get cold in the evenings even in summer.
If you’re looking for a wedding photographer at Blackstone Rivers Ranch (and like what you’ve seen here), I’d love to see if we’re a good fit. You can see my starting prices here, then contact me to schedule a video consultation to talk more about what you’re planning and how I can help you capture it all.
