Donovan Pavilion Wedding in Vail, CO | Laura + Josh

Donovan Pavilion Real Wedding | Laura and Josh

Laura and Josh hosted a Donovan Pavilion wedding in West Vail, Colorado with all of their friends and family in attendance! They are such a down to earth couple, and this venue was absolutely perfect for them! Beautiful, natural, and just real. I loved hearing their proposal story. A group of their friends rented a house in Breckenridge for the week to celebrate Laura’s birthday along with another friend’s birthday. In the morning, Josh told Laura he was making breakfast for the house. When Laura got up and walked into the kitchen, there was a private chef cooking a feast and Josh was sitting on the porch looking over the mountains. Laura saw there was champagne set up in front of him, but still being clueless thought it was for her and the other birthday girl. Laura went outside, and as her and Josh were talking he got down on one knee and popped the question! Laura was SO shocked, although everyone in the house had known this was going to be happening.

If you’d like to see more from their wedding day, make sure to scroll to the bottom to see more images!

Vendors

Photography: Shelly Anderson Photography Coordination: Events by Bee Florals: A Florae Catering: Occasions Catering Entertainment: Elite Entertainment Beauty: Beauty on Location

About Donovan Pavilion Wedding Venue

Built in 2003, the Donovan Pavilion is a 5,200 square foot pavilion made of stone and timber. It is reminiscent of a mountain ski lodge, but its purpose is for events such as weddings or community gatherings. It can host up to 200 people, and is positioned right next to a large park in West Vail. It is cozy and quaint, with outdoor fire pits and BBQs. It also has a full catering kitchen as well!

Location

Located in West Vail, the Donovan Pavilion is right off of I-70. It took less than 10 minutes to get to the venue from the hotels in Vail where Laura and Josh were getting ready. It is located in a small park, with lots of parking right at the front door of the pavilion. It sits just next to the river, where there is a walking and biking path amongst the woods. It is a cute spot!

Occupancy

The Donovan Pavilion can host large and small weddings. They have a seated reception occupancy of 200 guests! The indoor are is so large with its tall ceilings that it can feel extra spacious! I will admit that the outdoor area for the ceremony will feel a little tight for 200 people, but is definitely doable!

Ceremony Space

The venue does have an outdoor patio in the back around the far side of the venue for ceremonies. As noted above, it might be tight for a full capacity of 200 guests, but can be done. This space is usually shaded, and also serves as a great area for cocktail hour.

In case of a rainy day, events can be moved inside, but this will make “transitioning” form ceremony to cocktail hour to reception, a bit tight.

Reception Space

Arguably the most notable feature of the Donovan Pavilion is the large ceiling indoor reception space in the building! When I was photographing Laura and Josh’s reception, I kept noting how it sort of gave off Harry Potter’s Hogwarts dining hall vibes! It was incredibly beautiful with the tall glass walls that look out into the forest and river behind it. There was plenty enough room for mingling, dinner, and a dance floor.

What’s Included at Donovan Pavilion Wedding Venue

Donovan Pavilion will provide the essentials for your wedding, including the tables, chairs, and sound system. The entire outdoor space and kitchen are available for you as well! The venue is not an all-inclusive venue with vendors such as florists and planners pre-determined for you. It is really a ‘build-it-yourself’ type of venue, which is my personal favorite! Bring in your favorite photographer, caterer, and florist!

Donovan Pavilion Wedding Venue Pricing

Renting the Donovan Pavilion for an 8 hour event will cost around $87,00. For additional information on event pricing at the Donovan Pavilion, please reach out to their team!

Other Colorado Wedding Venues to browse

If you loved this Donovan Pavilion wedding in Vail, Colorado, then I think you’d also like this Ten Mile Station wedding in Breckenridge, Colorado, or this Villa Parker wedding too!