Best of the Black Hills - Venue Edition
The Black Hills, with a range of beautiful locations, are the perfect spot for your “I do’s” in South Dakota!
As a wedding photographer (and frequent hiker and adventurer), I get to see some of the most beautiful places. Western South Dakota has no shortage of amazing views complete with cliffs, lakeshores, towering pines, small mountains, and granite spires! If you’re in search of an adventurous elopement, a nature-filled ceremony, an elegant reception, or a secluded spot for your intimate wedding, you’re sure to find something perfect in the Black Hills and Badlands!
Here’s a short list of my favorite venues for a range of weddings of every style, size, and *~aesthetic~*. If you’re interested in having an intimate wedding or elopement and want something a little more customized, shoot me a message here and we’ll start working on a custom idea that works for you and your vision!
Custer State Park
There’s so many places to get married in Custer State Park! I’m including a list of some of the venues for traditional or intimate weddings, but there’s 71,000 acres of land in Custer available for the perfect elopement spot!
Bluebell Lodge
The Bluebell Lodge in Custer State Park is such a unique spot! 100 people can join you and your loved one as you say your vows surrounded by towering pines and wooden and stone seating (with the option for additional chairs, should you want it). Transition from the outdoor ceremony to the lodge’s White Buffalo Room for the reception, dinner, and party. There’s so much to love about how intimate and beautiful this space is. If you’re looking for the idyllic natural Black Hills wedding, this is the perfect spot.
You can see more of what the Bluebell Lodge has to offer here!
Lover’s Leap
Lover’s Leap has two different locations for your wedding! With an overlook at Coolidge Creek, walk down a stone aisle to the redwood deck surrounded by tall oak trees and the rushing creek water behind you. The great thing about getting married with the lawn is that there’s really no capacity limit! More friends to celebrate with!
The State Game Lodge & Pavilion
Around the Custer State Game Lodge, there’s a number of really amazing venue sites including the lodge itself and the pavilion! Let’s start with the pavilion: 4000 square feet, room for 350 of your closest friends and family, and a giant fire pit perfect for late-night s’mores! What else could you want?! The pavilion is great for those who want the outdoors while still knowing they’re sheltered from the (sometimes unexpected!) South Dakota elements. If you’re looking to use the lodge, have no fear! They’ve planned for anything you have planned! First you can choose to get married on the lawn of the lodge, and take your party over to the lodge barn.
If you’re up for a little more of an adventure, the State Game Lodge offers a unique experience to those who want to celebrate in the winter months: celebrate in the White House Dining Room of the lodge (the former summer house of President Calvin Coolidge), with the addition of the entire lodge becoming available to your every need! When fewer people are visiting during the winter, the lodge is able to offer this novelty wedding experience that is truly incredible.
You can see more of what the State Game Lodge has to offer here!
Sylvan lake
Sylvan Lake has two areas available for weddings, and both of them are truly stunning! First, you can opt for a lakeside ceremony overlooking the picturesque granite boulders at the end of the lake. This view is one of the most iconic in all of the Black Hills, and in all of South Dakota! It is an honestly awe-inspiring view in all seasons and weather. After your say “I do” at the lake, walk up to the Auditorium for 3000 square feet of beautifully-restored all-wood interior with views of the pines forest and lake in the background.
Spearfish Canyon
Spearfish Canyon is one of the most beautiful places in South Dakota! There’s so many amazing places to say your vows here. If you’re a fan of waterfalls and rocky cliff sides, I highly recommend the canyon and all it’s natural wonders!
ROUGHLOCK FALLS
Roughlock Falls is a beautiful, babbling, cascading set of falls set deep into the canyon. There’s a number of viewing decks to get married at that are perfect for an elopement or small group to celebrate at. The sound of the rushing water is absolutely beautiful and makes for the prettiest setting for your wedding.
You can see more of what the Roughlock Falls area has to offer here!
SPEARFISH FALLS
Spearfish Falls is quite a bit different from Roughlock Falls, but only a mile away which is great if you’re interested in photos at both locations! Spearfish Falls stands at 47 feet tall, and is absolutely gorgeous in every single season - it can freeze in the winter, and rush with a huge force in the warmer months. A short hike through the canyon brings you to the base of the falls with a few areas to have a small ceremony or elopement. The Spearfish Canyon Lodge is just across the street from the trailhead which makes for a great spot for dinner, drinks and relaxing after you make it official standing here by one of the prettiest falls in South Dakota.
COPPER CANYON LODGE
Copper Canyon Lodge is absolutely stunning! While the lodge itself is beautiful, it’s the outdoor location that is really incredible. The venue site has a soaring red rock wall with a wandering stream lining the bottom of the meadow. The 5000-square foot lodge serves as a bed and breakfast, and is great for a reception or wedding where people are coming in from all over! Offering a completely private and undisturbed atmosphere, it’s a beautiful place for a wedding.
You can see more of what Copper Canyon Lodge has to offer here!
Black Hills Receptions
The name here is perfect - your wedding at Black Hills Receptions can truly be whatever you want it to be! There’s a number of locations to pick from here at this gorgeous venue in Hisega including the iconic Swan Point, a grand gazebo, or a Cinderella tent lit with sparkling lights and chandeliers. Swan Point is absolutely the selling point of the grounds, though - set amidst a background of 10,000 of National Forest Service land, a natural stage is formed by a rocky outcropping of granite found all over the Black Hills. The ponderosa pine trees, tall prairie grasses, and wildflowers that Black Hills couples will be so used to seeing look absolutely magical in late afternoon light. 300 of your closest friends can join you here, too!
You can see more of what Black Hills Receptions has to offer here!
Hotel alex johnson
The historic Hotel Alex Johnson is in downtown Rapid City is a great venue for couples looking for something more traditional, or something with a fun modern twist! The lobby of the hotel hosts a Starbucks for the morning of your wedding, and with the awesome Paddy O’Neill’s Irish Pub right next door, there’s always a spot for drinks before, during, or after with your bridal party and friends! The hotel also boasts a rooftop bar, Vertex, and can serve as an intimate wedding spot. If you’re looking for a venue who does everything in-house, the Alex Johnson should be your choice! They offer hair and makeup from AJ’s Wicked Salon and Spa, all drinks and catering, and obviously your stay in Rapid City.
You can see more of what the Hotel Alex Johnson has to offer here!
K Bar s Lodge
The K Bar S Lodge in Keystone is not only an amazing location for travelers (just minutes from Mount Rushmore!) but also for weddings! With various locations for an outdoor ceremony or an indoor one in the off-months, two dining rooms, a gazebo, views of one of South Dakota’s most famous landmark, in-house catering from Powder House Lodge, 96 guest rooms, an outside fire pit, and more, K Bar S offers something for everyone!
Besler’s cadillac ranch
In a classic South Dakota meadow with the meandering Red Water River and wide open sky, Besler’s Cadillac Ranch is everything you could hope for in a beautiful wedding venue! With a log chapel perfect for an outdoor ceremony, a two-story barn for receptions (it’s incredible beautiful and bright!), a farmhouse with rooms for your guests, and a honeymoon suite to relax in once the day is done, Besler’s is insanely beautiful.
You can see more of what Besler’s Cadillac Ranch has to offer here!
THE BARN AT ASPEN ACRES
The Barn at Aspen Acres is the newest venue on this list, and it is very deserving of all the praise it gets! This minimalist farmhouse-style barn is unlike anything currently in the Black Hills region. Giant windows let in an incredible amount of natural light and the white walls and open-air style of the banquet hall let your wildest dreams come true in a truly beautiful location! The possibilities are endless here! Sitting on the rolling hills of the northern prairie outside Spearfish, the Barn at Aspen Acres is a gorgeous spot for your wedding!
You can see more of what the Barn at Aspen Acres has to offer here!
I don’t know about you, but I’m convinced the black hills are the perfect place to say “I do”!
If you have questions about any of these places, or you’re getting married at one of them and still need a photographer, you can contact me here! I’d love to work with you in such a beautiful location! Happy wedding planning, friends!
Images in this post came from the following sources:
Henry Roy Photography
Legacy Photo
Black Hills & Badlands
Custer State Park & Resorts
Atlas Obscura
K Bar S Lodge
www.codylere.com
The Barn at Aspen Acres