Asterisk is Denver’s Premier Wedding Venue with a Spacious and Customizable Options

The Short Version: Calling all Denver brides- and grooms-to-be: If you’re still looking for the perfect venue, we’ve come to save your sanity. Wedding planning is among the most stressful things a couple can go through, but Asterisk awaits you in downtown Denver so you no longer have to worry. We talked with Amy Lugowski, a spokesperson for Asterisk, who told us about the historic space and how you, too, can treat it as the blank backdrop to your perfect wedding.

You know how a house isn’t a home until you’ve added your own personal touches? For me, that’s photos of friends and family, quirky memorabilia and collectibles, and my favorite books displayed on a prominent bookshelf. 

Your personal touches — what makes you, you — is what makes your things your own. But I think the same can be said for anything, whether they’re collectible stickers you’ve pasted onto your laptop, a Stanley water bottle, or something even majestic, like a wedding. 

After all, there’s a reason so many couples have backlogged ideas of their dream weddings: It’s a day that represents them as a couple and the people they love the most. 

And that’s exactly what Asterisk in Denver, Colorado, aims to do for every single one of its couples looking for the perfect wedding venue. 

Amy Lugowski, a spokesperson for Asterisk, summed it up perfectly: “We love that everyone comes in with their own vision, and everything looks so great in this space,” she said. “You can go completely over the top or go super minimalistic — and both just look beautiful.”

But Asterisk is so much more than a beautiful venue: It’s a representation of Denver’s history and architecture that comes with a full-service team ready to make your big day completely unforgettable. 

Real estate experts will tell you that it’s all about “location, location, location” — and odds are, your wedding planner will tell you that, too.

But surveys show venues and catering services are among the most significant costs in planning a wedding, with venues and catering costing more than $15,000 combined. Suffice it to say making this type of decision just doesn’t come lightly, especially if you’re like me and have a must-have list. 

Asterisk’s wedding package starts at $10,000 for a Friday or Saturday with access to their Main Hall and Get Ready Room. A la carte pricing starts at $4,500 for Sunday to Thursday events with access to the Main Hall and the option to add on the Get Ready Room and/or the open-air Rooftop. 

“We get couples that are tight on budget, and they love the simplicity of the space because a little goes a long way here with a few pops of color,” said Amy. “We also get couples that just want to absolutely transform the space, where we’ve seen people install rigs on our open rafters or install additional chandeliers, string lights, drapery, and even floor-to-ceiling balloon installs.” 

Whatever the budget, Asterisk can make your dream wedding come to life. This historic building is more than a century old and retains its charming yet airy feeling with brick walls and oversized windows.

 A small bonus? Not only does Asterisk partner with the resident artisanal coffee shop, Jubilee Roasting Company, but you’re also in proximity to some of Denver’s best-known eateries, breweries, and distilleries — making it the perfect location for a late-morning brunch or a nightcap at the end of your evening.

Asterisk, which sits on the corner of Park Avenue and Broadway in downtown Denver, recently had its 100th birthday. 

It was built in 1923 as a U.S. Post Office garage and has seen a lot of change since then. From the 1950s to the ‘80s, the building was a tire and auto shop before becoming an automotive showroom for Weisco Motorcars. This was possible thanks to the massive garage doors, where cars could easily fit in and out.

And today, that feature has translated into something unique for weddings.

“Because we have an oversized roll door that opens into the main hall from the street, pedicabs can come right into the dance floor or whisk the couple away for an after-party or fun exit, which is really cool,” Amy said. 

The building’s more recent occupant was a contemporary ballet company for Wonderbound, the second-largest ballet company in Colorado. When the Asterisk building we know today landed in the current owners’ hands, they invested in a remodel to help keep the city’s beloved urban industrial look.

“The remodel was really focused on keeping with the original aesthetic of the building and the architecture of the building while bringing it up to current standards,” Amy noted. 

If you enter the Asterisk building today, you’ll be met with a bright and airy main hall with brick walls painted white. The white is a conscious choice to reflect all the natural light that pours in through the oversized picture windows, which is perfect for the 300 days of sunlight Denver sees every year. The white brick is also a perfect backdrop for any color theme you want to incorporate into the space.

Look up, and you’ll see an open ceiling with exposed rafters and skylights, which ties in with the urban industrial look downtown Denver is all about.  Amy said previous couples had used the rafters to hang ornate chandeliers, balloons, disco balls, and drapery — one party event hung aerial hoops for performing acrobats.

“A lot of times with Denver buildings, you’ll see the exposed brick, but it’s always a darker look. This feeling is more light, bright, and airy at Asterisk, which really sets us apart from other venues in the Denver area,” said Amy. 

The crowing feature is the abundance of outdoor space. The Main Hall has 8,500 square feet of space, while the upstairs Rooftop has 1,700 square feet and is available year-round.

Whether you’re interested in the Main Hall or watching downtown light up on the Rooftop, there’s almost no reason not to bring in some of Denver’s fresh air into the party.

Now, let’s get into the fun part: what Asterisk brings to you. 

Amy said during its last renovation, the team added a lot of built-in extras, including audio-visual capabilities and lighting elements. You can add background house sound, microphones, preset lighting scenes, and a projection screen with plug-and-play access.

You get access to all this, as well as the standard wedding package, which includes:

• 10 hours of venue access (to include setup and breakdown time) 
• Up to 400 chairs
• 40 five-foot round tables
• 20 cocktail tables (with high or low setting options)
• On-site event manager
• Housekeeping services
• Security officer
• Get-ready room 
• Setup for a DJ or band

Since Asterisk has a liquor license, it must provide all the beverage services. (This means you can knock off one more interview on your list!) Amy said Asterisk can customize the bar however the couple would like, whether that’s a cash bar, an open bar, or a customized package of drinks.

As for food, Asterisk partners with eight caterers you can choose from: A Spice of Life, Biscuits & Berries, Catering by Design, Epicurean Catering, Footers Catering, Occasions Catering, Relish Catering & Event, and Rocky Mountain Catering.

Asterisk can accommodate 400+ guests for weddings, so feel free to invite that distant, twice-removed cousin you haven’t heard from in a while.

“The space is really great and allows couples to customize it to their liking. So, if they want to bring in lounge furniture, photo booths, multiple buffets, or food stations, they absolutely can,” Amy said. “It’s all about creating a day centered around the couple instead of a typical party that centers around a traditional sit-down dinner.” 

Book a tour with Asterisk today, or head to its site to get a glimpse of how beautiful your day can be in the heart of the Mile High City.