Visions of Boulder probably fill your head with lively Pearl Street scenes of shopping, street performers and happy hour on a restaurant patio; the activity of bikers, runners and happy pups passing one another on the Boulder Creek Path; the fresh, colorful produce of the Farmers' Market; all of this with a mountain backdrop. Oh but there is a treasure you have overlooked; the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art. The BMoCA is Boulder’s slice of urban chic, city culture, and it’s nestled among all the rest of your perfect visions of Boulder: in downtown just off Pearl Street, along the Creek Path, at the heart of the Farmers' Market, this two-story building provides an unavoidably perfect view of the mountains. And yes, you can have your wedding here!

On one of those warm January days that feel like spring in Colorado, wearing sunglasses and t-shirts, Lisa Schmidt, the events manager at BMoCA, and I parked ourselves at a coffee shop on Pearl to discuss the perks of BMoCA as a wedding venue.

For the couple who values all that Boulder has to offer AND would also put a high premium on all things urban, unique, contemporary, and creative, there’s really no venue like BMoCA. Flexibility is another quality we discussed; the exhibition schedule is made over a year in advance. Meaning that BMoCA has a good idea of what the space will look like throughout the year, allowing you to choose your date based on that. However, with art and artists, information is malleable, thus couples should be willing to offer themselves, at least somewhat, up to the art gods. That bit of unknown feels exciting to some couples, but may feel out of control for others; consider how it will impact you.

Appropriately, the reception space is a blank canvas; white and exposed brick walls, and wood floors. You can pipe and drape and change it with decor to be anything you want, or you can let that sophisticated space speak (mostly) for itself. BMoCA’s partnerships with Three Leaf catering, RC rentals, and various alcohol distributors make food, alcohol, and rentals easy. It is also walking distance from a few of Boulder’s most popular hotels like the Boulderado and St.Julian, and one of my favorites, the Bradley Inn; perfect for all of those out of town guests that will inevitably flock to a Boulder wedding. Also, if doing good and supporting a piece of what makes the Boulder community great is appealing to you, you can feel good about hosting your wedding at this local non-profit.

Photos provided by BMoCA

Vital Stats

Wedding planner: Recommended and encouraged, but not required
Season: Year round. The scheduling consideration is not seasonal, but based on that of the art exhibitions.
Indoor Capacity: Upstairs for the reception, 150 guests. The capacity of the first floor ceremony and/or cocktail hour is somewhat dependent on the exhibition going on at the time (paintings on the wall versus installations taking up floor space). Luckily, BMoCA has the schedule of art exhibitions into 2016.
Outdoor Capacity: The grassy knoll across the street, Central Park lawn, can hold all of your guests! However, permitting for this space is done through the City of Boulder.
Availability: Yes, especially after September 2015. AND if you book by the end of February, you’ll receive 10% off the venue rental!
Distance from Boulder: in the heart of downtown Boulder!
Address: 1750 13th Street, Boulder, CO 80302
Contact: http://bmoca.org * 303-443-2122

Sound like this may be your dream venue? Contact me at pam@pamzolaweddings.com for more info and to dream up the rest of the pieces of your day!