Spruce Mountain Ranch

As one of the most popular wedding states, Colorado is filled with some of the most amazing venues in the country. Spruce Mountain Ranch is a Colorado wedding staple, and we had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with owner Tara Ames to get the full scoop.

VENUE OVERVIEW

Venue Name: Spruce Mountain Ranch

Venue Address: 14771 Spruce Mountain Road Larkspur, CO 80118

Vibe/Feel: Elegant Rustic Ranch

Website: sprucemountainevents.com

Instagram: @sprucemountainranch

SPRUCE’S HISTORY

Describing Spruce Mountain Ranch merely as a family-owned business doesn’t capture its essence. It’s a testament to generations of hard work and love.

Let’s start from the very beginning, Tara’s parents are hard workers to their core. Her dad, Tom, owned a construction company which made them the perfect family to bring Spruce to life. After a full career in construction, Tom wanted to return to farming in his retirement which led him to purchase the property of Spruce Mountain Ranch. 

When purchased, Spruce Mountain was a very broken down piece of land with no trees, roads, ponds, or any of the beautiful elements that make it stand out today. Ruby’s Cottage, one of the most popular buildings on the property, was the old barn that was built in the late 1800’s. Over the following years, the Ames family got to work bringing to life the Spruce Mountain we know and love today. 

“Spruce Mountain was my dad’s canvas and his bulldozer was his paint brush.” 

Spruce Mountain Ranch was, and still is, an operating cattle ranch. When the economic downturn hit agriculture, the Ames family decided to give hosting weddings a try. They had hosted weddings and celebrations for family and friends, and knew the property had a lot of potential.
During their first season, Tara and her father handled everything themselves, absorbing feedback and reinvesting profits into property improvements. It took about 5 years before they felt like they really knew what they were doing. With a humble attitude, lots of hard work, and always providing service from the heart, 14 years later, they have one of the most successful venues in Colorado.

SPRUCE’S PASSION FOR GIVING BACK

When Tara was young, someone came to speak about Mt. Saint Vincent’s Home at her family’s church. They told a story about a young boy who was severely abused. When the staff would go into his room in the morning, he would be sleeping on the floor. He shared that he didn’t feel he deserved to use a bed. Tara’s mother felt an automatic connection, and said

“One day when we have more to give – this is where I want to support.” 

Mount Saint Vincent provides a community preschool, pediatric behavioral healthcare, foster care services, individualized education, and trauma-informed training — all focused on children and families. Their innovative programs help children reach their full potential within their homes, schools and communities.
Tara’s mother stuck to her word, and the Ames family have supported Mt. Saint Vincent heavily throughout the years. Spruce Mountain Ranch hosts multiple yearly events where they donate 100% of the profits from the events to support them. Roughly $100,000 dollars a year is donated  to Mt. Saint Vincent from Spruce Mountain Ranch.

SERVICE FROM THE HEART

Tara Ames is the heart, soul, and bones behind Spruce Mountain Ranch. Without her loving presence, it would never have the welcoming energy it does today. Finding someone who truly loves what they do and the community they serve is an extremely rare occurrence, and Tara fits the bill. When we asked her what her favorite part of her job was, she said,

”Meeting people and showing them love. It is all about love! When I come home from doing my tours at the venue, my husband asks how the tours went and every time I say – I met the nicest people today!” 

There is no lack of passion within the Spruce Mountain Ranch team. Everyone we have had the pleasure of working with has been so kind, and truly happy to be at the event, Spruce Mountain Ranch has a reputation for a very seamless experience in the planning community that not all venues can hold up to. We asked Tara what she thinks got Spruce Mountain Ranch to this level of service, and she said,

“I don’t think we will ever be ‘there’. I think that is how we have become so seamless, because In my head there is always room to grow. My job is to make sure everything is perfect, knowing that we will never reach it. The process is staying curious and constantly learning. Not to be afraid of change. Change is definitely hard, but we lean into change at Spruce Mountain.”

The main thing to take away from this article is that if you decide to host your event at Spruce Mountain Ranch, you will be greeted with a warm smile, kind hearts, and a passion to bring your perfect big day to life. The Spruce Mountain Ranch motto is “service from the heart”, and it is obvious to see that their team works hard to make sure that motto resonates with the experience every person has who walks through their doors. 

“When anybody comes to Spruce Mountain, we just want to love all over them. We want people to see that we will be there and be excited and make sure they feel supported.” – Tara Ames