How to Balance Planning your Colorado Destination Wedding and Your Full Time Job (Without Losing Your Mind!)
Planning a wedding is exciting—but let’s be honest—it can feel like a second full-time job! If you’re balancing wedding planning with a 40+ hour workweek, the stress can get overwhelming quickly! Add in the complexity of a destination wedding in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, and your sanity may abruptly exit stage left.
Photo Credit: Caitlin Steuben Photography
At La Joya Dulce, nestled in the heart of Colorado’s breathtaking Rockies and a short drive from Denver, we work with couples from all over the country who are trying to balance packed schedules and are still dreaming of a magical, stress-free wedding day. That’s why we’re sharing our top tips to help you stay on track—and even enjoy the process. We have brilliantly hosted over 100 weddings and consider ourselves experts in our wedding industry. Who better to hold your hand through one of the most important experiences in your life!?
Photo Credit: Two One Photography
Planning your dream wedding is exciting, but it can also feel like a second full-time job—especially if you're already working 40+ hours a week. When you add the complexity of planning a destination wedding in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, your joyful planning experience can deteriorate with worry and stress….. that is the LAST thing you want! We see it all the time here at La Joya Dulce, a premier mountain wedding venue that hosts couples from across the country seeking a one-of-a-kind experience.
But here’s the good news: with a bit of planning, some smart strategies, and the right team behind you (ahem… if you were wondering… our team is absolutely the right one!), it is possible to plan the wedding of your dreams without burning out. In this blog post, we're sharing our top tips on how to balance wedding planning with a full-time job—all with a focus on making your destination wedding in Colorado as smooth and magical as possible.
Photo Credit: Kristin Hennke Photography
1. Set Priorities and Build a Roadmap
Before you dive into details, start with a clear roadmap. Sit down with your partner and identify your top three wedding priorities. These could be:
A scenic mountaintop ceremony
Amazing food, Some of our personal favorites are Catering by Design and Biscuits and Berries!
Music that will keep your guests on the dance floor. You have got to check out Constant Change or Diamond Empire!
Knowing your top goals will guide every other decision. Once that’s settled, create a high-level timeline. If your wedding is 12-18 months out, space out big decisions to avoid overload. Google Sheets, Trello, or wedding planning apps can help you map everything out visually. Additionally? All La Joya Dulce couples have access to an interactive client portal, complete with this checklist so you don’t have to DIY - eliminating your stress of “did I get everything?” If printed, our checklist is over 10 pages long!
💡Pro Tip: If you’re planning a Colorado destination wedding, book your venue first—many venues in the mountains book up well in advance due to peak seasons.
Photo Credit: Kate Ivy Photography
2. Use Your PTO Strategically
Planning a destination wedding means you'll likely need to travel for venue visits, tastings, and other logistics. But you also want to save time off for the actual wedding and honeymoon.
Here are some ways to make your PTO work for you:
Schedule weekday trips to Colorado for vendor meetings. Venues like ours offer virtual tours too, which can reduce travel.
Plan a long weekend to handle multiple tasks in one go (e.g., venue tour, food tasting, florist meetings).
Take mental health days when planning gets overwhelming. Rest matters too.
Do not forget to plan date nights together! Some of our local date spots are The Laundry and of course the Strawberry Hot Springs.
Venue Highlight: At La Joya Dulce, we offer custom planning options that reduce the need for multiple site visits —saving you both time and PTO.
Photo Credit: Lyndsey Leach Photography
3. Lean on Local Experts
One of the biggest challenges for destination wedding couples? Coordinating vendors from afar. That’s why working with trusted, local professionals is a game changer.
Why local vendors help:
They know how to navigate mountain roads and weather.
They understand altitude-related challenges for guests.
They can help with permits, local sourcing, and backup plans.
At La Joya Dulce, we maintain a handpicked list of Colorado-based photographers, florists, caterers, and musicians who are familiar with our venue and terrain. When everyone knows the lay of the land, things tend to run much smoother.
💡Bonus Tip: Hire a local day-of or full-service wedding planner to be your eyes and ears on the ground. They’ll communicate with vendors and solve problems before they reach you.
Photo Credit: Danielle Zimmerer
4. Batch Your Wedding Tasks
Just like at work, context-switching burns energy. Instead of trying to handle wedding to-dos during random spare moments, schedule dedicated time blocks during your week. This improves focus and efficiency.
Try this schedule:
Sundays: Planning session with your partner (budgeting, reviewing to-dos)
Tuesdays: Quick calls or emails with vendors
Thursdays: Creative decisions (Pinterest inspo, color palette, DIY projects)
Having designated days helps you avoid wedding tasks bleeding into every evening.
Photo Credit: Caitlin Steuben Photography
5. Simplify Where You Can
You don’t have to DIY every detail. Streamline your wedding in ways that keep the magic but reduce the workload:
Choose Vendors that have inclusions: Venues that include rentals and decor, and planning services (like ours!) cut your vendor list down and leave you with a more focused vendor list.
Stick to one location: Hosting your ceremony and reception at the same place eliminates transportation headaches. La Joya Dulce also has wedding party prep areas where you and your besties can get ready together without having to stress about moving to another location!
Choose pre-curated packages: These include design templates, vendor options, and menus—saving hours of research.
Remember: simplicity is elegant. The goal is a joyful celebration, not an exhausting project.
Photo Credit: Mark Creery Photography
6. Delegate Without Guilt
This is your time to lean on your support system. Assign tasks based on strengths:
Let a trusted friend handle RSVPs or vendor follow-ups.
Ask your sibling to curate a wedding playlist.
Let your future in-laws coordinate a welcome brunch.
You’ll be surprised how many people are happy to help—especially for a Colorado getaway….. Don’t be surprised if your guests use your wedding weekend as an excuse for an extended mountain vacation.
And if you’re booking a venue like La Joya Dulce, we help coordinate logistics, rentals, timelines, and even recommend travel tips for your guests.
Photo Credit: Epic Photography
7. Make Time for Self-Care
Wedding planning on top of a full-time job is a lot. Protect your well-being:
Get enough sleep (no late-night Pinterest rabbit holes!)
Set boundaries around when you’ll respond to wedding emails
Take a day off from wedding talk every week
Schedule regular date nights - and continue this habit into your married life
You’ll make better decisions when you’re well-rested and grounded.
💡Bonus: Consider a weekend trip to your wedding venue just for fun—enjoy a romantic getaway and remember why you chose this place. La Joya Dulce’s team has excellent recommendations for places to eat and things to do.
Photo Credit: Callie Riesling Photography
8. Host a Wedding Weekend to Maximize the Experience
When guests travel for a destination wedding, they’re looking for more than just a one-day event—they want an unforgettable experience.
That’s why wedding weekends are so popular at our Colorado venue:
Friday: Welcome BBQ or bonfire, tubing down the Yampa, rodeo
Saturday: Ceremony & reception
Sunday: Brunch & scenic hike or activity
This format gives you more time with your guests and makes the travel feel truly worthwhile.
Our venue only does one wedding per weekend for groups over 60 so you can enjoy a relaxed, immersive celebration without rushing through your big day.
Photo Credit: Elevate Photography
9. Embrace the Magic of the Mountains
Let nature do some of the heavy lifting. Colorado’s Rocky Mountains provide a stunning, built-in backdrop that requires minimal decor.
Imagine exchanging vows:
Surrounded by mountain peaks on a private ranch
At Golden hour with a breeze blowing in the meadow
Under a canopy of aspen trees in full fall color
When the location itself is breathtaking, you don’t need elaborate details. This saves time, money, and effort—while still delivering the wow factor.
Photo Credit: Epic Photography
10. Trust the Process (and Your People)
You don’t have to do this alone. The most successful (and least stressed) couples we work with have one thing in common: they trust their team and we know you can trust ours!
Trust your vendors’ experience.
Trust your venue’s expertise.
Trust yourself and your partner to make decisions that feel right.
Wedding planning doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful. When you focus on the experience instead of the pressure, everything starts to flow. We will always recommend hiring a professional wedding planner, manager or at the very least a day of coordinator. You can read more about the differences between the three here:
10 Tips for Hiring a Wedding Planner, Wedding Manager, or Day of Coordinator in the Rocky Mountains
Photo Credit: Jeffery Grounds Photography
Ready to Start Planning Your Colorado Destination Wedding?
Balancing wedding planning and a full-time job is challenging, but with the right mindset and a supportive venue, it can also be joyful. At La Joya Dulce we specialize in helping busy couples create stress-free wedding weekends surrounded by the beauty of the Rocky Mountains.
Here’s what we offer:
Weekend-long options
Planning and management options to suit your needs
Whether you’re envisioning a rustic ranch setting, an outdoor ceremony with panoramic views and al fresco dining, an elegantly draped dance floor or a cozy celebration by a crackling fireplace, we’re here to make it happen.
Let’s make your dream destination wedding a reality—without sacrificing your sanity.
about la joya dulce
At la joya dulce, we are proud in being an independently owned and operated, local wedding venue. When you choose la joya dulce in Steamboat Springs, you're not just booking a venue—you're working directly with the owners, who are dedicated to making your day perfect. You are not just a transaction to us - you become a member of our ranch family. We’re committed to creating memories and intentional moments for you and your family. We believe in supporting our community, which is why we collaborate with other independently-owned venues and businesses.
We also believe in being the “real deal.” Our photos that are shared by our wonderful photographers are the real deal - there is no AI involved in their creation. Come take a look for yourself - the reality is often better than the photos!
We hope to use our platform to create awareness for the value of supporting locally owned wedding venues. You can help support amazing locally owned wedding venues across the country by writing a Google review, following their social media accounts and referring locally owned wedding venues whenever you have the opportunity. We sincerely appreciate your support and want to share a shout out to some of our wedding venue owner colleagues around the country. Please consider a locally owned venue, you can find locally owned wedding venues featured on this wedding venue map.
Lizton Lodge, Homestead 32, The Postmark, Hightower Falls and The Venue at Springfield Estates