We are proud to announce
that Sonnenalp Resort of Vail
has been rated by local brides
and voted The Knot Best of
Weddings 2010 Pick.

Wedding Planning Information

Let the Sonnenalp Resort of Vail treat your wedding guests to the very best of the Vail Valley with gemütlichkeit – the warmest European hospitality. When you step inside our home, you and everyone with you will begin a very special experience in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Located right across from the Vail Interfaith Chapel, the Sonnenalp is the perfect wedding venue.

ROLE OF CONFERENCE SERVICES MANAGER

Your Conference Services Manger will be your primary hotel contact throughout the wedding planning process. She will answer any wedding-related questions, serve as a menu consultant for Food and Beverage selections, attend the menu tasting, and create a detailed Banquet Event Order that specifies timing, menu selections, set-up preferences, and special instructions for the banquet team. She will also create a cost estimate of your wedding charges, as well as a deposit schedule. She will construct a floor-plan of your event, and on the day of the event, oversee the event’s set-up, and ensure a smooth transition to the Banquet Manager. Additionally, your Conference Services Manager will assist with vendor referrals, including transportation, music, photography, floral arrangements, decorations, amenities, and activities. If you anticipate that your event will require more in-depth coordination, we recommend that you hire a professional wedding coordinator. We have listed our preferred wedding coordinators in the Preferred Vendors Section of this website.

FOOD AND BEVERAGE:

The Sonnenalp Resort of Vail does not permit food and beverage of any kind to be brought into the hotel by the customer or any of the customer’s guests. All food, beverage, and other merchandise must be purchased solely through the hotel. The Colorado State Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco regulates the sale of alcoholic beverages. The Sonnenalp Resort of Vail is responsible for the administration of those regulations. Colorado law prohibits alcoholic beverages to be brought in or taken out of the hotel.

CEREMONIES

The Sonnenalp offers two settings for your wedding—our creek-side lawn and Ludwig’s Terrace. The lawn can hold a ceremony of up to 140 guests, and maximum seating occupancy for a ceremony on the Terrace is 150. The ceremony price is $250, which does not include chair rental or furniture setup removal. We are conveniently located directly across the street from the Vail Chapel, we are a 10 minute walk from the Lionshead gondola, which leads up to the Vail Wedding Deck, and we are a 15 minute walk from the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens.

DEPOSIT POLICY

We require an initial nonrefundable deposit of 25% of the Food and Beverage minimum to secure the event space. Your Conference Services Manager then designates a deposit schedule based on the time period between signing the contract and the event date.

TAX AND GRATUITY

All federal and local taxes applicable to the agreement and to the service rendered by the Sonnenalp Resort of Vail are in addition to prices herein agreed upon. At this time the current sales tax is 8.4%. There will be an applicable 20% service charge on all food and beverage items.

MENU CHOICES

We require that your menu selections be made at least three weeks prior to the date or your event. Attendance must be definitely specified and communicated to your Conference Services Manager by 12:00 noon, a minimum of three working days prior to the event. This number will be considered a guarantee, not subject to reduction, and charges will be the guaranteed number or actual attendance, whichever is greater. The hotel cannot be responsible for identical service for more than 5% over guarantee.

LINEN, CHINA, DECORATIONS

The Sonnenalp offers ivory linens and napkins, along with traditional Sonnenalp white china. Additional decorations, including other linens, different placecards/menus, floral arrangements, or other decorative items are the responsibility of the guest.

GUEST ROOMS

When your wedding’s estimated Food and Beverage revenue is $8,000 or more, then we provide complimentary overnight accommodations for the bride and groom, based on availability in Spring, Summer, and Fall only. For your wedding guests, we can set up a discounted room rate, based on availability. This special rate is available to your guests when they call our Sales Department and set up group rates. Since this rate is offered on a space available basis, we encourage your guests to reserve their rooms as early as possible.

GETTING READY ON WEDDING DAY

In order to eliminate extra stress on your wedding day, we recommend that you set your arrival date to be the night before the wedding and your departure date the day after the wedding. This way, you will not have to worry about early check-in and late check out.