Evergreen Lake House is one of my favorite wedding venues in the foothills west of Denver, with a lakeside ceremony site and log cabin feel at a much more affordable price tag than comparable venues in the mountains. Read on for a photographer’s guide to what makes the Evergreen Lake House a beautiful place to get married!
Wedding ceremonies at Evergreen Lake House
First things first: the ceremony site is beautiful. The octagon dock, as it’s called, can fit up to 100 chairs, but I think it looks best with 60-80 chairs. It’s located right outside the main house, and guests can enter through the side patio that’s usually used for cocktail hour. There are multiple exits from the house and out to the dock too, so it’s easy for a couple to enter separately for the ceremony if you’re not seeing each other beforehand.
Because the ceremony site faces directly to the east, the light here is much better for photos in the morning than in the afternoon. With a morning ceremony, you’ll have soft backlight — but your guests will also be facing into the sun. With an afternoon ceremony, the sun will be directly on the couple at the front, which creates harsher light for photos but feels better for your guests.
Wedding receptions at Evergreen Lake House
The Great Room can fit up to 200 guests, but since the ceremony dock only seats 100 people, most weddings here stay around that size. The space is big enough that you likely won’t need to move tables around after dinner to make space for the dance floor. As a photographer, I love the dramatic tall ceilings, wood beams, and of course the abundant natural light coming in from the huge windows on both the east and south sides of the house.
There’s also a smaller space called the Octagon Room that can be rented on its own, which is perfect for weekday micro-weddings. Weekend weddings tend to buy out the whole lake house, to avoid having anyone else sharing the space. For full buyouts, the Octagon room can be used for the buffet or as a lounge room.
Portraits at Evergreen Lake House
As a photographer, I love venues with portrait locations nearby, so we don’t have to waste time driving to and from different spots for photos, and Evergreen Lake House delivers. I love doing photos on the boardwalks surrounding the lake — the leading lines make for beautiful photos no matter what time of day, and it’s super easy to sneak outside for some quick portraits during golden hour since all the best spots are close to the house.
Evergreen Lake House is also a popular place for engagement sessions and family photos, so it’s not uncommon to see other sessions happening around the lake at sunset. But if you book the lake house, you of course have the house, dock, and patios to yourselves.
The only negative I can think of is that drones are not allowed anywhere on Evergreen Parks & Recreation lands, including the lake and the area around it. It would make for such epic photos on the board walk, or even renting/bringing a canoe for a couple that wants to get out on the water.
Quick Details & Contact
Venue website: Evergreen Recreation
Address: 29612 Upper Bear Creek Rd, Evergreen, CO 80439
Guest capacity: 200 total, 100 seated for ceremony
Pricing: Ranges from $1750 for off-season weekday micro-weddings to $9500 for the full property on Saturdays during peak season. All current pricing is available on the venue’s website!
Evergreen is a small town, and there aren’t many lodging options close to the venue. I’d recommend looking into Origin Hotel Red Rocks or The Eddy Hotel in Golden, or hotels in downtown Denver, and providing bus/shuttle transportation for your guests if you have a lot of people traveling into the area for your wedding.
If you’re interested in learning more about the Evergreen Lake House, scheduling a tour, or booking them for your wedding, please contact the venue directly. While I’ve photographed weddings there, I am not directly affiliated with the venue. But if you’re looking for a photographer, get in touch and let’s chat!
