A wedding at Beyul Retreat can be as small as you want it to be. We can host up to 150 guests on our 32 acres along the Frying Pan River, 45 minutes from Basalt and an hour from Aspen, Colorado, and we are just as happy hosting a party of 14. Under about 25 guests, the day changes shape: everyone fits in one room, nobody needs a microphone, and you spend the afternoon talking to people instead of managing them.
Whatever the size, a Beyul wedding is a destination wedding experience, usually three nights, with exclusive use of all 32 acres. Your people stay onsite with you the whole time rather than arriving for one evening. Winter weddings are possible too. Here is what a very small wedding actually looks like at 8,200 feet.
What changes when a wedding is under 25 people?
The logistics get simple. A ceremony that size does not always need rows of chairs or a sound system, because everyone standing in a loose half circle can hear you fine. You can seat the whole group at one long table.
The timeline loosens too. Large weddings run on a clock because moving a hundred people takes time. Twenty people move quickly. That means a ceremony at three, games and snacks at four, dinner at 6 for as long as you need, and nobody chasing a schedule.
The other thing that changes is who is in the room. At 20 guests, everyone present has a real claim on the day. That tends to make the toasts better and the conversation less polite.
Where can you hold a small ceremony?
We hold ceremonies on the river banks, by the pond, in the forest and in the aspens. In winter in the throne circle is dramatic, or inside the main lodge to be cozy. All work for a small group, and small groups have an advantage: you can stand somewhere a hundred people could not, closer to the water or deeper into the trees.
In winter, plan for a short ceremony, ten or fifteen minutes, and plan for everyone to walk straight back into the warmth afterward.
Is the lodge a good reception room for 25 people?
The lodge has a fire, and the fire tends to become the center of the property. For a group this size that is most of the reception design: a room, a fire, a table, lamplight, and dark outside the windows. The main lodge great room can become an after-party on request.
We also hold large receptions in the Gathering Tent, which is heated and has a stage, sound and lighting, or at a long-table dinner in the Aspen Grove in high season. A small group can move indoors after the ceremony and stay there, drifting between dinner, the fire and the bar until people go to bed. The sauna, spring-fed cold plunge and hot tub are on the property. Tell guests to pack a swimsuit alongside the wedding clothes. If you want more built into the weekend, there are optional activities: yoga, guided meditation, a guided herbalism and natural medicine land tour, guided hikes, breathwork with the cold plunge, bonfires and s'mores.
Can you arrange meals or cook your own food?
Beyul is the venue, the lodging, the meals and the bar in one place. From June 1 to November 1, groups staying onsite have farm-to-table meals provided by our team, purchased for every guest staying onsite. Our chefs cook with organic, local, sustainable and seasonal ingredients, accommodate every food allergy and preference, and use the best animal proteins available. Bars are not required, and the onsite bodega sells wine and beer.
From November 2 through May 31, groups of 6 or more can arrange meals through Beyul or cook their own, which at 20 people is genuinely possible. This winter our chef is staying nearby and offers meal packages to suit different group styles, so ask about them when you book. Every cabin has a kitchenette or full kitchen, and the lodge rooms and the Snug cabins share a communal kitchen in the main lodge. Each cabin's setup is shown when you book.
On money: the couple covers the venue fee, the welcome dinner, the reception dinner and any bars they choose. Guests book and pay for their own accommodation and breakfasts directly with us through a booking page we set up, so you are never chasing anyone for payment, and we collect their dietary requirements and requests when they book. Weddings do require a day-of coordinator and event insurance, both arranged by you.
Where does everyone sleep?
We have 13 cabins and 6 lodge rooms, and the property comfortably sleeps 60 to 70 people onsite, so a party of 25 fits easily.
One thing to tell people in advance: there is no wifi in the cabins. There is wifi in the main lodge, the gathering spaces and the 6 lodge rooms upstairs. For a wedding weekend that usually works in your favor, though anyone who needs to stay reachable should be in the lodge.
Our team has run events every week for six years. We work closely with you and your planner, with clear check-in points for every decision and payment, and we look after your guests all weekend.
What should guests know about getting here and packing?
We are 45 minutes from Basalt and an hour from Aspen, up the Frying Pan River Valley. The Aspen airport is closed from June to November 2027, so guests should fly into Eagle (Vail), about an hour and 45 minutes away, or Grand Junction, about two and a half hours away. Anyone not staying onsite can stay in Basalt and shuttle up.
For packing: layers, shoes you can actually walk in, and a swimsuit for the sauna and cold plunge. At 8,200 feet, layers matter more than any single warm item.
FAQ
How many guests can Beyul host for a wedding? Up to 150 guests. For overnight stays we have 13 cabins and 6 lodge rooms, and the property comfortably sleeps 60 to 70 people onsite.
Can we cook our own food? From November 2 through May 31, groups of 6 or more can cook their own meals or arrange meals through Beyul. From June 1 to November 1, meals are provided by our team.
How far is Beyul from Aspen and Basalt? We are one hour from Aspen and 45 minutes from Basalt, in the Frying Pan River Valley at 8,200 feet.
Beyul turns 6 this month, and November 2026 stays are 50% off with code BEYULTURNS6, two-night minimum. If you're planning a small wedding here, check available dates and we'd be glad to talk.
Photo: @kmm__photography / KMM Photography
