Looking for a rugged atmosphere to celebrate love while enjoying classic luxuries? Situated near the western border of Colorado, Grand Junction offers breathtaking scenery, adrenaline-filled escapades, wine tasting, golf and so much more. Whether you are looking for a beautiful backdrop for a ceremony or planning your final soirée in singledom, Grand Junction will not disappoint.

With only a 15-minute drive to historic downtown from GJ’s own airport, getting there couldn’t be easier. Plenty of hotels, such as the modern-chic SpringHill Suites by Marriott, furnish amenities for any price point. Filled with restaurants to satisfy any palate, shopping, galleries, nightlife and theatre, the charming downtown is picture-perfect. Grand Valley is packed with farms that provide its restaurants with organically grown and sustainably harvested, farm-to-table ingredients. No wonder the charming community considers themselves foodies, procuring cutting-edge chefs for virtually any cuisine.

For those craving luxury, Grand Junction has many opportunities. Melt into a massage or beauty treatment at Bliss. Head over to Redlands Mesa to play on their award-winning golf course with stunning mountain views. The Redlands Mesa Clubhouse also creates a posh setting for your festivities. Along the Palisade Fruit & Wine Byway lie 21 vineyards. Wine tasting on limousine tours or cruiser bikes is a popular activity for connoisseurs and novices alike. Many wineries host weddings, lending an amazing atmosphere for a special occasion.

A bachelor/bachelorette party looking for excitement, or those seeking excursions for the guests of their destination wedding, can find it in GJ’s own backyard. Covering over 23,000 acres of sheer, red-rock cliffs, the Colorado National Monument offers a majestic backdrop for a spectacular drive, bike ride or hike. Wanting to amp-up the adrenaline? Dive into the red-rock, rustic landscape of McInnis Canyons, sliced by the Colorado River and boasting nine loop trails for mountain bikers or hikers of any ability. To get the most from the experience, Desert Rat Tours will set your group up with top-notch equipment and a professional mountain bike tour guide. Known as the “Island in the Sky” at 10,000 feet, Grand Mesa, the world’s largest flattop mountain, is flush with pine and aspen trees surrounding over 300 lakes. Just below Grand Mesa’s rim, Powderhorn Mountain Resort furnishes world-class skiing and snowboarding. In the summer, Powderhorn caters indoor and outdoor locations that are ideal for a wedding celebration of virtually any size. At 8,200 feet, the views surrounding Grand Mesa are wondrous.

For a truly unforgettable destination wedding or for a bachelor/bachelorette party, this place has it all. Providing a beautiful balance of luxury and thrills amidst rustic, natural magnificence, Grand Junction, Colorado is an exquisite location for your wedding event.

This article first appeared in Destination I Do’s Fall/Winter 2014 issue. You can order a copy here.