Donovan Pavilion Reviews

This was the most beautiful venue and the team at Donovan was so easy to work with.

This venue has all the bones to make anyone's wedding vision come to life. They have very aesthetic chairs, a variety of table sizes, and an amazing catering kitchen. Our vendors had a very easy time setting up their respective items. While you have to assemble the vendors and any decorations yourself, my selected vendors and coordinator were able to get it all done within our time slot. The back patio was perfect for our fall wedding and the inside space made all our photos turn out so well. The management team was so kind and accommodating too. I can't recommend this space enough!

My wife and I are so incredibly grateful to have worked with the Donovan Pavilion for the reception venue for our July wedding. All ~150 of our guests had ample space and room for activities.

The recent renovations including the tasteful repainting, as well as the addition of the bridal suite came out very well - we were more than pleased. The amenities including the large patio area with fire pit, accessibility, and restrooms are all kept immaculate and made for the reception of a lifetime! We would definitely recommend the Donovan Pavilion to future friends, family, and strangers alike.

To the Donovan Team:
Thank you for being so accommodating, supportive, and fun! as we planned for this big day. We hope to return for future experiences to your beautiful venue.

Best,
H&M

We hosted a 135 person wedding at the Donovan Pavilion and we were so pleased with the space. We used the back patio for our ceremony, the Core Creek in the back made for an incredible setting. Our guests loved the spaced and were refreshed to attend a wedding that was outside of a typical hotel setting. As the bride, the venue made sense economically. We were able to hire fabulous caterers (Red Maple), customize our table linens, decor, and flatware, etc. From a price perspective, had we hosted the wedding at a hotel, we wouldn't have had as much money to use on decor but by working with an event space, it allowed us to go heavy on decor. It was more work to coordinate the vendors but completely worth it.

I don't have enough amazing things to say about the Donovan Pavilion. Mindy is amazing and so incredible to work with. The views were amazing, the fall colors were perfect for our day, and the Pavilion is hard to beat! I would absolutely recommend it to all of our friends!

We loved Donovan Pavilion! It is such a beautiful venue and was the perfect place for our wedding reception. The outdoor patio was perfect for cocktail hour and the inside was even more beautiful. The staff were super friendly and easy to work with in planning our wedding. One of our favorite parts about Donovan Pavilion was that we could choose our own caterer and bring in our own alcohol which saved on money. The staff at Donovan had great suggestions on caterers and alcohol providers which was nice too.

We fell in love with Donovan Pavilion right away, in large part because of the gorgeous windows all around. Which was a good thing too since we had to move our ceremony and cocktail hour inside due to rain. Even with the last minute rearranging everything was beautiful and the space was great. We used their chairs and tables and didn't do any rentals but had to find all of our vendors which really allowed us to get what we wanted and control price, but it's a lot more work! The venue is gorgeous and right off Gore Creek and the staff is great.

The donovan pavilion was the most amazing place to have our wedding! The staff was more than helpful, Mindy was always available to chat with me and answer all of my questions. The venue itself is timeless and barely needs any decorations because it's so beautiful all on it's own. I'm so glad we chose the donovan pavilion for our wedding

Donovan Pavilion was the perfect venue for our August 2017 wedding. The space is absolutely beautiful and perfect to be able to make of it what you want. Mindy and the rest of the staff were extremely helpful in answering our questions, allowing us to tour the venue a few times and ensuring all the details of the day of were covered. We had 160 people at our wedding and had more than enough space. I would recommend the venue to anyone looking for a rustic wedding (at a good value) in Vail.

The Donovan Pavilion was a fairytale venue to celebrate our wedding day in. The staff that we were able to work with throughout the process were very attentive at answering any questions we had and giving us advice for the wedding day as well based on weddings they had seen previously in the space. Every time we wanted to get in the space (whether it be to tour it for the first time, meet there with our caterers, or select a time for the rehearsal the night before) we were always able to get the day and time we needed as well. Since you bring all outside vendors into the space (which we loved because we were able to hand pick everyone ourselves) the only other service the Donovan provided was someone to be there during the wedding to make sure that the venue was well taken care of. This person turned into a security man about half way through the night and they were both very helpful! The venue is an incredible space and I couldn’t imagine getting married anywhere else!

We loved having our wedding at the Donovan Pavilion! It is a gorgeous venue. The staff was easy to work with and responsive when we needed to get in touch with them.

Mindy is great to work with! Just ask if you need something, she will let you know how she can help. Even let me use an easel!

We were planning our wedding under a pretty tight timeline and feel so lucky that we managed to find a Friday availability 6 months out. Mindy and her entire staff were always extremely responsive and efficient. The contract was clear and concise and I feel we got an amazing value for the money. We were able to get an in-county discount as well, which was nice that they offered that to locals. One great thing about it being a government-owned facility is that you have free-reign to choose your vendors and are even able to purchase your own alcohol from any source (as long as a TIPS certified bartender serves it).

What an incredible venue! Donovan is a true blank slate which allowed for us to completely transform the interior into our dream reception. Mindy is so kind and was a joy to work with.

Beautiful venue! We were so glad to have this space and the flexibility as a back-up for our ceremony in case of bad weather. Our guests just LOVED the back patio and the fire pit. The dance floor did get pretty hot throughout the night so some air or fans would have been great but, really, overall, we had an awesome experience here!

Mindy at the Donovan was so easy to work with. The Donovan and the property was just beautiful! The icing on the cake was you could hear the river running on the back patio where we had our ceremony!

What a beautiful setting we had for our daughter's weekend wedding and thanks to Mindy and the staff for having such a great place to host a wonderful celebration! It was beyond our imagination of how wonderful it was to have an outdoor ceremony and a wonderful indoor dinner and reception! Thanks! So wonderful!

We worked with Mindy at the Donovan Pavilion for our February wedding. She was incredible! The venue is gorgeous, but the fact that Mindy was so helpful and wonderful was what really sealed the deal for us. So many venues aren't overly welcoming or helpful - but Mindy was. She answered emails immediately, she worked with our schedule for visits and walk throughs, she is a very friendly person to work with and I would highly recommend working with her. On top of that, you get a beautiful venue with a patio and fire pit - all of our guests raved about the perfect mountain atmosphere. all in all, a winning combination!

Mindy and the team at the Donovan Pavilion were fantastic to work with over the past year. We had a lot of things come up (change of date, change of time, etc) and they were quick to help us and were very flexible. This venue is a true reflection of the mountain beauty that we were looking for on our wedding day AND we were able to use our choice of vendors (a money saver).

The Donovan is a beautiful facility, and Mindy is a gem to work with!

As a wedding photographer myself i have been to a lot of weddings. Over 200-
and we choose Donovan pavilion for our own wedding, and we were not disappointed. Beautiful large space. Great kitchen for caterers. And you can supply your own liquor. an all around great value.
–www.bryangrantphoto.com

The Donovan Pavilion is amazing. Mindy was extremely helpful and very pleasant. If you are looking for a Colorado mountain wedding, this is the perfect place!

The Donovan was a great location for our ceremony and reception. We had many out of town guests and they all enjoyed the surrounding area and all that Vail had to offer.

The Donovan was the PERFECT location for our outdoor December wedding and our indoor reception venue! Our guests loved having everything within one location! They were so kind in letting us come in a little early to set up, and they were fabulous in helping us to envision our entire day! I highly recommend the Donovan Pavilion for both a very special wedding and a wonderful reception! The only thing that was hard was the cost! It really is expensive to rent out for your event, so make the most of your time there! By the way, Mindy is PHENOMENAL! She handled all of our music for the wedding and the reception! You will NOT be disappointed!

They respond in a timely manner. They are very helpful when it comes to finding other vendors. They help make sure your day is special and the way you want it.

I had my winter wedding reception for 100 people at the Donovan and I could not have asked for a more beautiful wedding venue. Everyone was commenting on how perfect it was and taking pictures. While it isn't the most inexpensive to rent you do get quite a bit out of it being able to bring in your own caterer, bartenders, and alcohol. We even also just hooked up our iPhone to play cocktail hour music. People absolutely loved the fire pit - we had people out there all night long. The service was incredible - Mindy was so responsive and helpful before, during, and after the event - we really couldn't have pulled everything off so smoothly without her! Thank you so much!

My husband and I choose the Donovan Pavilion after looking at several places in Eagle and Summit county. We used the space for both the ceremony (on the patio) and reception. It worked great for us because it was accessible and easy to find for our guests that were all from out of state. Also, we had several grandparents that wouldn't have done well with lots of stairs and the Pavilion was perfect for that as well.

The views up the mountain are wonderful, the firepit seating area was a big hit, and the adjoining park was great for guests with younger kids that wanted to run off some energy between the ceremony and reception. It's a beautiful space and looks great during the day and evening.

I worked a lot with Mindy at the Donovan Pavilion and she was wonderful, answering my email with a day or two and providing pictures of available equipment. Everyone there was very professional and made it a really great experience.

I always thought that the Donovan would be a beautiful place to get married, and after getting engaged and researching venues, I found that it was the perfect place for us. First of all, while it's not exactly inexpensive, you get your bang for your buck. The staff (Mindy & Laurie) were amazingly helpful and responsive. Second, it's gorgeous. But third, and most important to us, was that it helped us stay on budget because we could hire the vendors we wanted and were able to bring our own alcohol and provide bartenders. Our costs were lower than expected when all was said and done! And we used every square inch of space there and it was all worth the money.

We loved having our wedding at Donovan Pavilion. It was the perfect venue for a mountain wedding because you weren't stuck in a basement ballroom. The room is so elegant little had to be done to make it special and the service is incredible. The other greatnthingnis you can bring in all outside vendors and select people you want to use, including alcohol! This saved us quite a bit of money to bring in liquor. The only down side was that we had a very large group and had to tent the back for cocktails because there are no other rooms, but it was worth it.

Everyone raved what a beautiful site it was and Mindy really just took charge of the rehearsal and everything and it was perfect... If anyone wants a mountain wedding check this place out!!!! It is breathtaking and if you are having kids at the wedding the parents will love you (or at least ours did) because there is a playground right next to it and in order to keep the kids under control and able to handle they took them over there and played for a while. We even went and played for quite a bit :D.

This place is soooo beautiful. All the wood and high ceilings and glass windows. It is so magical. Mindy who works there is super sweet and helpful with advice and recommendations and she even let my husband come early to setup an altar he had built for our ceremony. But be prepared for a lot of renting because this venue does not come with any silverware or china or tablcloths. Also, there is no bridal or groom rooms so you have to hang out in random areas before the ceremony starts. But it was all worth it because it is so perfect at the Donovan!

What a beautiful and affordable place to hold a Colorado wedding. The Donavon Pavilion was naturally beautiful. You do not get very many options as far as chairs and using different equipment, but it was still wonderful. The location is easy for people to get to and if you have a Spring/Summer wedding you are able to use the outdoor fire pit and even the park!

My (now) husband and I fell in love with the Donovan Pavilion the moment we stepped inside. The architecture provides décor in and of itself, and truly reminds you that you are in the mountains. We decided to have our ceremony on the patio (in Mid July with 125 guests) and the Aspen trees are a beautiful ceremony backdrop. The first Donovan employee who toured us through the space wasn’t terribly kind or helpful, but we then dealt with Mindy for the rest of our planning and she is INCREDIBLE. I truly can’t say enough great things about Mindy. Between vendor recommendations, or constant questions via phone and email, she was patient and gracious and excellent to work with. We were able to use their wooden chairs for the ceremony and then round/ rectangle/ cocktail tables for the reception, but had to rent everything else. Planning a wedding here is not easy because you really do have to bring so many vendors in- rentals, flowers, cake, alcohol, bartenders, caterer. It was a lot to manage. We also purchased additional hours at the venue (you aren't contracted for the full day). I certainly recommend using the local liquor store for some of the alcohol, if you are having it at the wedding. Their pickup/ delivery is truly helpful. Overall, it is a beautiful structure in an exceptional town. While it certainly was more difficult than a “full-service” venue, if you want full control of all aspects, I definitely recommend the Donovan.

Wonderful staff! Mindy was awesome throughout the whole planning process! BEAUTIFUL venue.

I spent a long time looking for a venue and so finding the Donovan was a godsend. It was beautiful inside and out, no weirdly patterned carpet and huge windows to enjoy the view. The only downside was that you had to pay for that great view, this place is pricey. Compared to other mountain locations it is not so bad, but all the fees for extra time and if you serve alcohol really add up. Also, it is very popular so we had to settle for a weekday. Mindy was great to work with and always answered my emails promptly. There are lots of great places for photos nearby. Overall a great location.

This is the perfect venue. A gorgeous room inside and great patio out back. The staff is wonderful to work with and they were very accommodating to the vendors on the day of set-up. It is the perfect place to host your reception if you wish to bring in your own catering.

What a gorgeous facility! It took our breath away! Although quite pricey, it was worth it! We loved it because it was a blank slate, were we could bring in all of our own decorations and food, etc. Mindy was a gem to work with - So kind, responsive and helpful!!

The Donovan Pavilions venue is absolutely breathtaking! We received so many compliments about our wedding that it was overwhelming. The staff at the Donovan Pavilions were very accommodating and quickly responded to any emails/phone calls that we had. While the price tag is a little hefty you can save some money by being able to bring in your own alcohol. The venue is so pretty and well maintained that you do not even need to bring in any extra decor (besides centerpieces) Thanks Donovan!

-Harmony and Dan

Beautiful location! Loved having our ceremony out back!

Here is what happened to us. Were seated at a table close to the dance floor. When the time came to begin the dance music they cleared off our table and took it. There were many places it could have been moved to. The buffet tables took up quite a bit of space. They told us to go steal someone else's seat while they were dancing. This is at the table that seated the father of the bride who was paying for this. It seems very hard to believe but is true and that is what they did to us and that is what they told us to do. Unreal. Plus the "cocktail hour" was just a bunch of standing around with no tall tables to set your drink on and there was some food on a tablecloth but no plates. Crazy and disorganized and really just a terrible experience. They do not care because it is a lovely place,but it is very small.

Our son had his wedding here a month ago. It was a beautiful venue and setting. We left the place Immaculate before we left that evening at 11pm. The reason for the 1 star is they did not return his $500 deposit claiming damage to the floor and a small dirt stain on a raggedy entry carpet that we offered to vacuum up ourselves if necessary. We don't even know if this dirt was from our party!!! And As if the $5500 rent for the place for 5 hours wasn't enough! We took photos and got the run around. They finally conceded and said he would receive the full deposit. After emailing again after a month of not receiving it they finally sent a check for less! I DO NOT recommend doing business with them!!!! Very sad way of doing business especially for two newlyweds!