The Scoop: Villa Parker may just be a 30-minute drive from Denver, but the stunning wedding venue has Tuscan-inspired charm in every detail. Villa Parker is an event venue known for its Mediterranean architecture and unwavering focus on bespoke wedding planning. Dawn Danner is Villa Parker’s Events Director, and she talked to us about the venue’s approach to weddings and why couples choose the Italian villa at the base of the Rockies. Villa Park strikes an elegant balance between the natural grandeur of the Colorado landscape and the distinctly romantic design features influenced by the architecture of the Mediterranean. The venue’s charming setting is perfect for couples of many tastes.
Denver is known for its stunning mountain views, high population density of outdoor adventure-seekers, and delicious craft beer. The city is Colorado’s capital and home to a variety of museums, venues, and sports teams. Denver blends natural beauty and outdoor adventure with a vibrant arts and cultural scene, making it the perfect location for people looking for city life in close proximity to the outdoors.
If you travel just 30 miles southeast of the heart of the city, you’ll find a Mediterranean-inspired villa, surrounded by an oasis of lush greenery and infused with personal and romantic touches at every turn. Villa Parker perfectly combines the charm of Tuscan-inspired architecture and design elements with the natural beauty of the Rockies.
Villa Parker boasts stunning grounds and a highly personalized approach to weddings. Dawn Danner is the venue’s Events Director, and she talked to us about Villa Parker’s one-of-a-kind approach to creating truly magical weddings. She told us about the venue’s spaces, offerings, and preferred vendors, along with some wedding planning tips.
Dawn said there are so many things that make Villa Parker weddings wonderful, but one stands out. “We can accommodate up to 200 guests, but it’s such an intimate environment,” she said. “It feels like you’re welcoming people into something personal and specific to you. Our goal is to make your wedding intimate and connective.”
A Taste of Tuscany, Right in Colorado
Villa Parker is in Parker, about a 30-minute drive from Denver. Mediterranean houses and gardens inspired the stunning and sprawling estate architecturally. The venue’s space sets Tuscan charm among the natural Colorado landscape. Villa Parker is beautiful in every season, but Dawn said there’s no time like summer.
“It’s always hard for people to imagine how beautiful and lush it is when everything is dormant,” she said. “We’re professionally landscaped, and that’s one thing that really stands out. Our peak season is anytime after May, and it’s just gorgeous.”
As Colorado warms up, Villa Parker’s garden verdantly blooms to life. “I always say you just have to see us in person,” Dawn said. “Especially couples. So they’ll come through and see all the different spaces. They can imagine their special day in our intimate spaces.
Summer is definitely the venue’s busiest season, but Dawn said plenty of couples opt for wintertime nuptials. “Honestly, winter weddings are my favorite,” she said. “They’re so intimate, and usually, we get in the candlelit direction and run the fireplace, and it’s just so cozy.”
Villa Parker’s grounds are undeniably gorgeous, but Dawn said one thing makes the venue stand out the most. “Our owner, Pamela Briere, has a focus in unreasonable hospitality,” she told us. “We make weddings that are unmistakably yours. There are a lot of amazing wedding venues in Colorado, but there aren’t any other Italian villas.”
Whether a couple has a guest list of 150 or five, Villa Parker can deliver a beautiful wedding. With a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces designed for many party sizes, couples have plenty of options. Dawn said Villa Parker’s approach to weddings is focused on designing distinctly unique atmospheres.
Magical Weddings for Every Taste
Stepping into Villa Parker really does feel like stepping into a whole new world. And that continues to be the case for the venue’s wedding planning approach. “Whether you have 30 days to plan a wedding, or two years, we will accommodate you,” she said. “The days we have available might be right, and if they are, we’ll work hard to get you. We always say it’s best to see us in person.”
A couple’s visit to Villa Parker begins with a tour of the grounds and all the spaces that the couple can use for their ceremony and reception. “Being here in the space really speaks volumes,” Dawn said. “One nice thing about us is all the different spaces. We can host smaller and more intimate weddings and elopements, and they don’t feel dwarfed. We have the right-sized spaces.”
When you think about the size of a wedding venue, your first concern may be about having a venue that is too small. The opposite is a concern as well. If you’re having a small, intimate wedding, you want a space that reflects that vibe: A vast and empty venue space just isn’t going to cut it.
“We encourage couples to go home and process everything after the initial tour,” Dawn told us. “Then we get back in touch and make a contract. The contract just lays everything out and makes expectations clear.”
Villa Parker offers day-of wedding coordination services. This service gives couples an in house Day of Cordinator to make sure everything runs as planned. “It’s a business within our business,” Dawn explained. “Our coordinating services come through Grace & Co. Wedding and Event Design and is headed up by Laurie Twombly.” They usually work with our couples 4-5 times prior to the big day.
Outside planning companies are more than welcome, and Grace & Co. can work alongside them to ensure the event moves smoothly. Villa Parker has numerous other partners and preferred vendors, from videographers to florists, the venue works with to help facilitate services.
Regardless of what kind of wedding couples have in mind, the Villa Parker team wants to help make it happen. Its included day-of wedding coordination services often make that a lot easier. “I tell all of my couples that Laurie knows everything about the Villa, down to the tiniest detail,” Dawn said. “She adds so much to every wedding she’s part of.”
Villa Parker Delivers Unreasonable Hospitality
Unreasonable hospitality is Villa Parker’s motto, and Dawn said that begins with a bespoke approach to wedding planning. “I think there is a specific kind of couple who falls in love with our space,” she said. “We make a wedding feel like stepping into the couple’s home. It feels like such an intimate setting, and the people who love it, love it.”
Villa Parker also has an in-house caterer, Elevated Taste Catering. Chef Victor Mira and Catering Director Nichole Jennings are a dynamic duo. Everything is expertly planned and executed by this dynamic team. This is not your typical catering. This is top-quality restaurant cuisine brought to you through catering. Elevated is able to accommodate a variety of cultural, dietary and requested dietary needs. For those wanting a finer experience for their guests, Elevated is definitely the one to consider.
Many couples are concerned about their budgets. Dawn encouraged couples to realize that beautiful weddings can happen on any budget. “I tell all of my customers that no matter what your budget is, all you have to do is set it and work within it,” she said. You just have to find the right things and decide what’s most important to you.”
When it comes to advice for the Big Day itself, Dawn said many couples don’t take a moment to soak it all in and end up regretting it. “I tell every couple to set aside 20 minutes or more, whether it’s a private dinner, a small gathering, that you can be alone, just with your spouse, and take it all in,” she told us. “Even though it’s this big party, something huge just happened.”
The best weddings are the ones that feel like authentic celebrations of a couple’s love and commitment to each other. And there’s no way to put a price tag on that. Villa Parker is remarkably unique yet undeniably Colorado and offers intimate events for weddings of many sizes.
