[venue] the Keystone Ranch Restaurant in Keystone, Colorado.

If you've been skiing or snowboarding at the Keystone Resort, you've seen the River Run Village and all the action that happens at the main base area where the gondola is located.  Unless you've been golfing here, chances are that you haven't visited the Keystone Ranch Restaurant yet.  

We've collected quite a few images here and decided to show you a few different style used in the tent, inside the restaurant, and what the ceremony space on the lawn looks like.  And now, for some design tips and inspiration from the Flower Maven of Petal and Bean, Dina Sanchez, my wife.  

Hi everyone!  It's Dina and I love this venue!  It feels like coming home when we work here, as the same faces have stuck around the mountains for as long as I have, and the staff is so accommodating even to the vendors, if we need something they are right there to help.      

the first thing you should know is that we have lots of experience working at the Keystone Ranch.  I have been working at the Ranch for the last 19 years. What I love about weddings at the ranch is that the venue is really cozy and romantic. The term that comes to mind is "rustic elegance."  So, my suggestion is when you start to think about decorating the venue for your wedding is to compliment the space. The ceilings are low and the chairs and charger plates have a strong pattern, so keep your arrangements low and try to pick up a color that is present in the room to make everything blend well. 

This arch was made with hops because Marco the groom makes his own beer.  When I heard it was available though my supplier, I knew that it would be a really nice personal touch. The hops was great to work with, as it added a lot of texture and a great base for all the flowers. 

The tent is a great space for your cocktail's and for dancing after dinner. Here you can decorate to what ever degree you want.  This is where your personality can come out. 

I can't say that I have one favorite wedding over any of the others. They are all beautiful as they take on a different personality each wedding. One wedding we did do was a 50's theme. It was very original and was a very large crowd so they weren't even in the building. 

These large twig balls were suspended and are illuminated with little white lights from within. It looks really beautiful at night adding a warm glow to the tent.

This bridal bouquet was for a Keystone Ranch bride and was  made of orange Mokara Orchids, green Cymbidium Orchids, hot pink Gypsy Dianthus, cream Stock, finished off with bear grass loops.  

These flower girls were named Una and Usha, and  talked to me about how they felt like princesses wearing their beautiful sari's. They were so cute!

The image above and below here show elements of an Indian-themed wedding.  

The stairs are to the right in the image above.  This is the upper lounge area, where the hallway leads to rooms used by the bride and her bridal party before the wedding.  

Inside the main dining room.  Low ceilings create a cozy, intimate space for dining on exquisite dinners prepared on site.  The mantle below can be used to hold vases, garland, and even lanterns or candles.  It's up to each bride to decorate the venue in her own style.

The space above is a smaller room connecting the main dining room and the fireplace room.  The fireplace room and tent tends to be where the dancing and after-dinner hanging out happens.  

Pinecone place cards were ued to help seat guests, while the golf course is out the back door, helping create that laid back feeling.  In the image below, the valley stretches into the distance behind the groom and his friend posing for photos before the ceremony.

The bar adjacent to the main dining room has an outdoor patio to take in the views.  And in the image below, the dog-of-honor poses patiently for the photographer.  She really did a good job!  To see more pets in weddings, click here.

This tent provides a space that can be used for many different reasons. Number one, it's a rain back up for your ceremony.  Sometimes the grass can be super wet and soggy and if it's super dark and windy out, you won't want to have your ceremony outside.  This allows a nice space to have the ceremony in case of inclement weather.  

Plus, you can then dress up this area to your liking.  In the image above the tent ceiling was lined and had lights strung behind the fabric.  You can see the bare option in the image below.  We also showed two different style of lanterns in this blog, one being a twine and another being a collection of multi-colored paper lanterns.  Both have their own look and feel, and there's only personal preference and budget considerations to work out along the way.  

Several old barns and cabins line the property near the restaurant and further away.  Time it right and spend time taking photos near these rustic features for unforgettable images from your wedding day.  

In the image above you see the tent action a few hours before the ceremony.  Tables are being set up, DJ's and musicians are setting up audio equipment, testing mics and speakers.  

While the bride creates the traditional drama of not being seen, the groom is usually the life of the party, as this one was, saying hi to all the friends and family, checking in with staff and planning help, but overall, having a good time, laughing and enjoying.  Most likely with beverage in hand.  Just have plenty of water and a small plate of food nearby to help everyone stay focused.

The staff at the Keystone Ranch monitors the weather prior to the event, and at some point, may have to make the call to dress up the tent for the ceremony.  If that happens, just roll with it, have fun and party on.  Just plan on taking more outdoor photos if the weather allows after the ceremony, or even the next day.  Just be flexible and it'll all work out.

Well, that's it.  I hope that these photos show you a few different ideas for the Ranch and Restaurant and what kind of space that this venue provides and how you can then start to imagine your own look and feel inside.  Please share this post with anyone you know planning a wedding at the Keystone Ranch.  Thanks for reading!