How to find Colorado Wedding Venues that allow outside catering
One of the most appealing aspects of an all-inclusive wedding venue in Colorado is that they’re one-stop shops. However, sometimes couples want to compare options and they want to know how to find Colorado wedding venues that allow outside catering also.
You can find wedding venues in Colorado that allow outside catering by searching in Claude, ChatGPT, google, Tik Tok and wedding forums.
Some more corporate type venues often include “average” vendors and catering, so it’s important to ask more questions about the vendors and if a tasting is included in their all-inclusive package. Also ask if you can “opt out” of any of the vendors or their catering, and what the penalties are for doing that. Once you book an all-inclusive venue, you don’t need to worry about the reception. There’s no more research to do, no more coordinating, no more contract negotiating. Almost everything is taken care of. This is what makes booking an all-inclusive venue so popular.
Before making your decision though, be realistic about how much more work you can take on during the wedding planning process with your own catering. You’re potentially signing up for a lot more work when you decide to bring in your own caterer.
There are several wedding venues in Colorado that do allow you to bring in your own catering, but there are a lot of things you need to consider before going this route.
What Is “Outside Catering” at a Wedding Venue?
Outside catering (also called BYO catering or offsite catering) means hiring a catering company that is not affiliated with your venue to prepare and deliver food for your reception. Some couples assume this saves money. In most cases, it doesn’t — and it often adds significant planning burden.
Key Questions to Ask Before Choosing an Offsite Caterer
Before you hire any caterer for a venue that allows outside catering, get clear answers to these questions:
About the caterer:
- Have they worked at your specific venue before?
- Do they have enough staff to serve your guest count in a reasonable time?
- Are they a licensed and insured catering company? (Most Colorado venues require this.)
- What permits do they carry, and will those satisfy your venue’s requirements?
About the venue:
- How early can the caterer arrive to set up?
- How late can they stay for cleanup?
- Does the venue require you to use their own serving staff, or can your caterer bring their team?
- Is there a prep kitchen your caterer can use on-site?
- Is there an outside catering fee or penalty for not using the venue’s preferred vendors?
Does Outside Catering Actually Save You Money?
Almost always, no. Here’s why the costs add up quickly:
Offsite caterers must pre-cook food at their licensed kitchen, pack and transport it to your venue, and either drop it off (delivery fee) or stay through service (full-service fee). On top of that, you may face:
- Venue outside catering fees — some venues charge a flat fee or per-person penalty when you don’t use their in-house catering
- Rental costs — chafing dishes, serving equipment, and dishware if the venue doesn’t provide them
- Staffing costs — a catering captain and servers if the venue doesn’t supply them
- Cleanup costs — servers to bus tables, wash dishes, and pack everything up
When you add these costs to the caterer’s base price, outside catering frequently costs more than an all-inclusive wedding venue that bundles food and service.
When does it make sense to hire an offsite caterer?
The best answer is if you absolutely must have the food you love from a specific restaurant or caterer or if you’re desiring very specific cultural cuisine that the venue does not prepare. But again, you need to know how to find Colorado wedding venues that allow outside catering, if only for cultural cuisine requests.
Who Handles Serving and Cleanup with an Offsite Caterer?
This is where many couples are caught off guard. With outside catering, the division of responsibility can get complicated:
Serving: If your caterer does a drop-off only (no serving staff), the venue may supply a catering captain and servers — at an additional cost. Make sure this is confirmed in writing before your event date.
Cleanup: Someone must bus all plates and glassware throughout the evening, wash dishes, and pack up crates for the caterer. If your caterer doesn’t include this in their scope, you’ll need to hire servers through the venue or a separate staffing agency.
Never assume — get every detail about serving and cleanup responsibilities in your contract with both the caterer and the venue.
Catering Styles to Consider for Your Wedding
Knowing which catering style you want before reaching out to vendors will save you time and help you compare quotes accurately. The main options are:
- Full-service catered reception — caterer provides food, staff, setup, and cleanup; typical at all-inclusive wedding venues
- Served buffet — guests go through a buffet line served by catering staff
- Self-serve buffet — guests serve themselves; fewer staff required, faster for large groups
- Plated sit-down dinner — most formal option; requires the most serving staff
- Food trucks — increasingly popular for casual or outdoor Colorado receptions; confirm venue approval first
- Drop-off catering — caterer delivers prepared food only; venue or couple arranges setup and service
Important Legal and Liability Requirements in Colorado
Don’t overlook these requirements, as they can affect whether outside catering is even permitted at your chosen venue:
- Licensed caterer requirement: Most Colorado wedding venues only allow outside catering from a professionally licensed caterer with valid food service permits. DIY or unlicensed food preparation is typically not allowed.
- Liability insurance: Many venues require offsite caterers to carry general liability insurance and name the venue as an additional insured. Some require a “hold harmless” agreement.
- Venue prep kitchen policy: Confirm whether your caterer can cook or heat food on-site, or if the kitchen is for warming only. Some venues don’t allow it at all.
How to Compare an All-Inclusive Venue vs. Outside Catering
When shopping for a Denver or Colorado wedding venue, consider the total cost of each approach — not just the per-person catering quote.
Ask yourself:
- Do I want a menu with lots of customization options, or something streamlined that moves guests through efficiently?
- Do we want plated service, a served buffet, or self-serve?
- Is this an indoor or outdoor event?
- Formal or casual?
- How much additional planning and coordination am I willing to take on?
An all-inclusive Colorado wedding venue often handles catering, staffing, rentals, setup, and cleanup under one contract — simplifying the planning process considerably. If you’re already managing vendors for florals, photography, music, and décor, adding outside catering logistics is a significant additional lift.
We have worked with this wonderful catering company “Footers Catering” before, and you should check them out if you would like something different than is on our menu at our Brighton, Co Wedding venue. Footers Catering
Bottom Line: Is Outside Catering Right for Your Colorado Wedding?
We hope you have a clearer understanding now of how to find Colorado wedding venues that allow outside catering. Outside catering can work well in specific circumstances — particularly when you have a smaller, casual event, a strong relationship with a specific caterer, or a venue that’s truly set up to support it. But for most couples planning a mid-to-large wedding in Colorado, the combination of outside catering fees, staffing costs, liability requirements, and added planning complexity makes an all-inclusive wedding venue the simpler and often more affordable choice.
It’s been hit or miss at our Colorado wedding venue. We’ve had a few caterers that were top-notch; they brought enough staff, they met with us to look at all the logistics, they took our direction, and everything turned out great. On the flip side, we’ve had some caterer’s that we will not allow to come back; they were understaffed, they didn’t understand the logistics of our space and did not plan well, they would tell the mother of the bride one thing and our catering manager another thing. It was very unorganized and a bad reflection on our venue, although it was completely out of our control. They made the guest experience a really bad one.
If you’re exploring your options, search for “Colorado wedding venues with outside catering allowed” or “BYO catering wedding venues Colorado” to find venues that explicitly support this model — and always ask for their full outside catering policy in writing before booking.
Our Colorado Wedding Venue Does Allow Offsite Catering
It definitely does not save you money if you choose an offsite catering company because we provide so much value. However, when our couples who want cultural cuisine that we do not provide, it makes 100% sense to go with an offsite caterer. We prefer you choose our staff and rentals, but if you want a plated meal / sit down dining experience from your offsite caterer, we are all in! Call us for a custom quote!
“At the end of the day, knowing how to find Colorado wedding venues that allow outside catering comes down to asking the right questions and knowing what to prioritize.”
Planning a Colorado wedding and unsure about offsite catering?
Contact us to learn more about our all-inclusive venue packages, the option to bring in your own offsite catering, and what’s included in our catering services. View The Bella Sera’s All-inclusive Catering menu – here
Schedule a tour to our locally owned Brighton Wedding Venue here: “The Bella Sera Tour Request Form”
Locally owned wedding just 20 minutes north of Denver, in Brighton, CO
720-937-6337
We have been a locally owned Colorado wedding venue since 2004, offering the most caring and creative service for all of our couples over the past 2 decades. Our all-inclusive venue is located just 20 minutes north of Denver. We sincerely hope to encourage our couples to learn more about the value and importance of choosing a locally owned business when it is time to book your wedding venue and vendors. Locally owned venues will offer a high level of hospitality, attentive communication & a desire to ensure your wedding exceeds expectations. We are thrilled to support other locally owned wedding venue owners from around the country with a shout out in our blog!
- Uncle Bob’s Catering
- Chandelier Oaks
- The Haycraft
- Cherry Barc Farm
- Willow Creek Farm
- Berkshire Ridge of Blackwell
- Butterfly Kisses Pavilion
- weddingvenueowners.com
No Comments