Quick Answer: Gone are the days when Colorado wedding catering meant chicken or beef in a hotel banquet room.
Gone are the days when Colorado wedding catering meant chicken or beef in a hotel banquet room. Today's Colorado couples have access to caterers who source from local farms, smoke meats over Colorado hardwoods, build custom menus around seasonal mountain ingredients, and execute flawlessly at venues where the kitchen is a tent and the nearest grocery store is 45 minutes away.
That last part is the key differentiator. Catering a wedding in a Denver ballroom is one thing. Catering a wedding at a mountaintop venue accessible only by gondola? That requires a different breed of caterer.
Caterers Worth Knowing
Rocky Mountain Catering — Denver / Englewood
With 253+ reviews on WeddingWire and a reputation as one of Denver's most reliable wedding caterers, Rocky Mountain Catering is the go-to for couples who want raised cuisine without pretension. They're a custom operation, meaning every menu is custom-built for the couple's vision, dietary requirements, and venue constraints.
Specialty: Custom menus, flexible service styles (plated, buffet, stations, family-style)
Service area: Denver metro, mountain venues throughout Colorado
Related reading: Bachelorette & Bachelor Party Ideas in Colorado
Website: rockymountaincatering.com | Instagram: @rockymountaincatering
Savory Catering — Boulder
A full-service wedding catering company based in Boulder, Savory services a wide swath of Colorado including Estes Park, Lyons, Lafayette, Fort Collins, Denver, and everywhere in between. Their strength is their range — they're equally comfortable with an intimate 30-person dinner and a 200-guest celebration.
Specialty: Full-service catering, Front Range and mountain venues
Service area: Boulder, Denver, Estes Park, Fort Collins, and surrounding areas
Website: savorycatering.com | Instagram: @savorycateringco
Cirque Kitchen + Spirits — Denver
Operating out of Denver, Cirque Kitchen + Spirits has provided raised dining experiences for celebrations of all varieties since 2017. Their approach treats wedding catering as a culinary experience, not just a feeding operation — menus are designed to surprise and delight, not just satisfy.
Specialty: raise dining experiences, craft cocktails, creative menus
Service area: Denver and Colorado
Website: cirquekitchen.com | Instagram: @cirquekitchen
Biscuits and Berries Catering — Golden
Based in Golden, Biscuits and Berries brings comfort-meets-elegance energy to wedding catering. Their location at the gateway to the mountains makes them a natural fit for foothill venues and mountain-adjacent celebrations.
Specialty: Comfort cuisine raised for weddings, foothill and mountain venues
Service area: Golden, Denver metro, mountain venues
Website: biscuitsandberries.com | Instagram: @biscuitsandberriescatering
Jules Gourmet Catering — Denver
A family-owned and operated full-service catering company led by Julie Dunigan, whose expansive career in both front-of-house and behind-the-scenes hospitality gives her a uniquely complete perspective. Jules Gourmet understands that wedding catering is about the food and about the service, the timing, and the experience.
Specialty: Full-service catering, personalized menus, family-operated
Service area: Denver area
Website: julesgourmet.com | Instagram: @julesgourmetcatering
Catering Styles for Colorado Weddings
Plated Service
Best for: Formal celebrations, venues with full kitchen facilities
Pros: Elegant, controlled portions, predictable timeline
Cons: Higher per-person cost, requires wait staff
Related reading: Colorado Destination Wedding Guide: Planning From Out of
Buffet
Best for: Larger guest counts, casual-to-semi-formal celebrations
Pros: Variety, dietary flexibility, guests serve at their own pace
Cons: Can create congestion, harder to control portions
Family-Style
Best for: Mountain and ranch weddings where the atmosphere is warm and communal
Pros: Encourages conversation, creates a shared experience, feels personal
Cons: Requires larger tables, more food waste
Stations
Best for: Cocktail-style receptions, multi-cultural menus
Pros: Interactive, variety, movement and energy
Cons: Guests may cluster at popular stations
Food Trucks
Best for: Late-night snacks, casual welcome parties, after-parties
Pros: Fun, memorable, Instagram-worthy
Cons: Weather-dependent, limited capacity
Mountain Catering: The Logistics
In-House vs. Outside Catering
Many of Colorado's top mountain venues, including Devil's Thumb Ranch, The Broadmoor, and Keystone Resort — require in-house catering. This simplifies your planning (one contract, one point of contact) but limits your culinary options. Ask your venue about catering requirements before you start tasting with outside caterers.
Remote Venue Challenges
Catering at a remote mountain venue means your caterer needs to bring everything:
- Portable kitchen equipment (if the venue lacks a commercial kitchen)
- Refrigeration for food safety at variable mountain temperatures
- Generators for power if needed
- Adequate water supply
- All serviceware, linens, and supplies
This is not the time to hire a caterer who's never worked at a mountain venue.
Related reading: Colorado Summer Wedding Guide: June, July & August
High-Altitude Baking and Cooking
Altitude affects more than baking (though it dramatically affects baking — see our Cake & Desserts guide). Water boils at lower temperatures above 5,000 feet, which affects cooking times for pasta, grains, and vegetables. Experienced Colorado caterers adjust automatically; caterers from out of state may not.
Guest Hydration
At altitude, guests dehydrate faster, especially when drinking alcohol. Smart caterers build hydration into the experience: infused water stations during cocktail hour, water service at every table, and non-alcoholic options that guests actually want to drink.
The Catering-Transportation Connection
Timing is everything in wedding catering. A 30-minute delay in guest arrival means a 30-minute delay in service. Which affects food quality, kitchen workflow, and the entire evening's timeline.
When Arion coordinates guest shuttle service, they're directly enabling your caterer to execute on time. Guests arrive when expected. Cocktail hour starts on schedule. Dinner service hits its window. The kitchen isn't scrambling to keep food warm for an extra hour because half your guests are still in transit.
This coordination between transportation and catering is one of the invisible elements that separates a smooth wedding from a stressful one.
Related reading: Colorado Wedding Decor & Rental Companies for Stunning
Arion provides luxury wedding transportation across Denver and the Rocky Mountain region. Learn more → | (970) 703-4995
This article is part of Arion's Wedding Season series. Return to the Guide →
For the complete picture, see our The Guide to Planning a Colorado Wedding: Every Detail, Every Vendor, Every Moment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I know about rocky mountain catering — denver / englewood?
With 253+ reviews on WeddingWire and a reputation as one of Denver's most reliable wedding caterers, Rocky Mountain Catering is the go-to for couples who want raised cuisine without pretension. They're a custom operation, meaning every menu is custom-built for the couple's vision, dietary requirements, and venue constraints. Specialty: Custom menus, flexible service styles (plated, buffet, stat...
What should I know about savory catering — boulder?
A full-service wedding catering company based in Boulder, Savory services a wide swath of Colorado including Estes Park, Lyons, Lafayette, Fort Collins, Denver, and everywhere in between. Their strength is their range — they're equally comfortable with an intimate 30-person dinner and a 200-guest celebration. Specialty: Full-service catering, Front Range and mountain venues Service area: Boulde...
What should I know about cirque kitchen + spirits — denver?
Operating out of Denver, Cirque Kitchen + Spirits has provided raised dining experiences for celebrations of all varieties since 2017. Their approach treats wedding catering as a culinary experience, not just a feeding operation — menus are designed to surprise and delight, not just satisfy. Specialty: raise dining experiences, craft cocktails, creative menus Service area: Denver and Colorado W...
What should I know about biscuits and berries catering — golden?
Based in Golden, Biscuits and Berries brings comfort-meets-elegance energy to wedding catering. Their location at the gateway to the mountains makes them a natural fit for foothill venues and mountain-adjacent celebrations. Specialty: Comfort cuisine raised for weddings, foothill and mountain venues Service area: Golden, Denver metro, mountain venues Website: biscuitsandberries.com | Instagram:...
What should I know about jules gourmet catering — denver?
A family-owned and operated full-service catering company led by Julie Dunigan, whose expansive career in both front-of-house and behind-the-scenes hospitality gives her a uniquely complete perspective. Jules Gourmet understands that wedding catering is about the food and about the service, the timing, and the experience. Specialty: Full-service catering, personalized menus, family-operated Ser...
What should I know about plated service?
Best for: Formal celebrations, venues with full kitchen facilities Pros: Elegant, controlled portions, predictable timeline Cons: Higher per-person cost, requires wait staff
What should I know about buffet?
Best for: Larger guest counts, casual-to-semi-formal celebrations Pros: Variety, dietary flexibility, guests serve at their own pace Cons: Can create congestion, harder to control portions
Wedding transportation, simplified.
Need help planning the timing, vehicle, route, or guest movement for this experience? Arion can help coordinate private transportation designed around the details that make the day work.
