All the best for your wedding in or near Vail

Weather & Planning

The altitude in the Vail Valley ranges from 7900 ft. on the far west end to 8500 ft. on the east end. At this altitude, the sun feels more intense and golf balls fly further. Water boils at a lower temperature here and, with less water vapor in the air makes for a very dry climate. That's also why the sky really is bluer in Colorado!

Many couples ride up the gondola for their ceremony, photos or even their entire wedding reception at one of the ski stations. In Colorado, it is expected that you will see rain showers in the afternoon throughout the summer and especially in July. Sometimes that can mean hail, lightning and strong winds. If you are planning an outdoor ceremony, whether at the top or not, you will need to provide protection for your musicians and their instruments. If it gets bad enough, you will need to protect all of your guests as well! You should also have a backup plan and know that, if you get stuck in a lightning storm, your entire schedule may change! The staff at Vail will not allow you to endanger yourself by riding the lift and you could be stuck trying to get up or down for hours. Just something to keep in mind when making your plans!

To ensure a pleasant experience for you and all of your wedding guests, we offer these tips for your trip!

There is approximately 25 percent less protection from the sun at this altitude so sunscreen and sunglasses are a must.

Drinking plenty of water is the number one way to help your body adjust to our higher altitude. The low humidity in Colorado keeps the air dry like the desert, so you need about twice as much water here as you would drink at home. Green tip: bring a water bottle!

You may want to go easy on the alcohol since its effects will feel stronger here while drinking and afterwards.

The effects of exercise are more intense here as well. As an example: if you normally run 10 miles a day at home, the equivalent here would be about 6 miles.

The temperature drops at night and we have the occasional afternoon thundershowers so you'll want a jacket or windbreaker even if you're coming in the middle of the Summer. You'll need a heavy jacket, hat and gloves during the Spring, Fall or Winter.

If you have elderly folks joining you, consider transportation around the area. The valley itself is fairly flat but getting around can be a chore for those who have mobility issues.

Hats are nice to keep the sun out of your eyes.

Bring a swimming suit to wear to the pool and hot tub or, if you're coming in the winter, bring your ice skates so you can skate at the Vail ice rink.

And of course if you plan to ski, bring as much of your own gear as you have or gear up at any of the shops along the way.

Above all, plan to have a wonderful time!