TACAW

We were fortunate to be one of the first couples married at TACAW, a unique venue that matched our desires for our wedding - an outdoor ceremony, great food and drink and one heck of a dance party.

The space is stunning on its own - which led to amazing photos for both the ceremony and reception. We are minimalists, so we let the space shine with small touches, however a maximalist could completely transform it. We had access to the green room typically used by artists, which was perfect for before/after the ceremony (it was just the two of us, no wedding party), and for an escape during the reception. We had an indoor rainy day back-up plan that would have been easy to execute, but thankfully was not needed.

The staff was incredibly helpful, and Chase in particular helped to make our vision a reality, allowing us to enjoy our big day. She was incredibly responsive and ensured all of the venue details were taken care of. We had also hired a month of coordinator to handle the other moving parts of the wedding. Chase worked well with all of our vendors.

The location is great, convenient to two area hotels, where we had room blocks. There is public transportation nearby (RFTA), which was helpful for local friends and others staying further away. There is one late night bar in the area which became the unofficial after party location. We live in the area, so it was nice to have a place near home, and made logistics much easier.

The culinary partner - Aspen Epicure - works with TACAW regularly, and created a delicious menu for the buffet dinner. As a nontraditional venue, there wasn't a tasting available, however we did try their food by attending one of TACAW's events that had a pre-show dinner offering. (It is worth noting that this caterer does many top Aspen events, and the quality lives up to those expectations).

Our wedding was small (65 including us), however it could easily accommodate more, especially with an outdoor setup. As a performing arts nonprofit, TACAW hosts its own annual gala, which provided inspiration of what is possible with the space.

We worked with a rental company for ceremony chairs and tables for the reception, but leveraged the in-house chairs for the reception to keep things simple, which worked out fine.

At the end of the night, Chase sent us home with some leftovers, which came in handy at about midnight. We ate during dinner, but managed to miss the tasty cocktail hour food that our guests loved. We appreciated TACAW staff working with us to showcase the area (CO spirits and local beers!) as well as seasonal items for the menu (there was a nod to fall favorites). TACAW's bartenders helped to create a signature batch cocktail base that could be mixed with several spirit types, which was a hit. They have a full service bar, which made it easy to offer a variety of drinks, however we pared the menu down a bit to try to stay on budget.

Our DJ worked with the AV team to ensure great sound quality outside and in the main stage area. The lighting team are rockstars. I love that there are speakers in the bathroom, so you don't miss a song. And get the giant disco ball!

The wedding was truly an expression of our personalities and our home, which we really wanted to showcase to our out-of-town guests, and TACAW made that possible.

This is the perfect venue for a couple looking for a creative, nontraditional option, especially if they appreciate the arts and want to help support a nonprofit's mission.