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With its picture-perfect views and multitude of special spots, the Steamboat Springs area is a popular pick for couples planning weddings.

The number of local residents and out of town visitors coming to Steamboat to exchange their vows increases every year, said Riley Polumbus, spokesperson for the Steamboat Chamber and Resort Association.

"I think more and more, it's getting to be a big thing," Polumbus said.

Writers for wedding magazines have told Polumbus they "see this as a perfect place to come for a wedding, because of its beauty and all it has to offer," she said.

Despite its feel of being tucked away from the bustle of city life, Steamboat has a strong infrastructure and so makes it easy for any couple planning a wedding to find the perfect caterer, florist and planner, Polumbus said.

"We can make anything happen," she said. "The only thing we can't do is marry you on the beach, but just about anything else is possible."

Steamboat also is a popular site for honeymoons, because of the opportunities to vacation in a beautiful and romantic setting.

"Here's someplace more affordable then flying all the way to Fiji, but at the same time, they get to do all the activities they enjoy doing together," Polumbus said.

Summer is the most popular time for weddings, she said, as people look to nearby ranches and in-town spots with gorgeous views to get married in the great outdoors. Couples can create a unique and romantic wedding, exchanging vows at the top of Mount Werner or on a rugged Western ranch.

The town also offers various summertime activities, from mountain biking to river tubing, that wedding guests can enjoy, she said.

In fall, the aspen trees turning yellow and red create a stunning backdrop for outdoor and indoor weddings.

In the winter, special snow-covered spots for exchanging vows include the Steamboat Ski Area, with the popular post-activity being, of course, skiing.

More and more, couples want to have a "destination wedding," in which they pick an out-of-town spot to exchange their vows and celebrate, turning the event into a vacation for everyone who attends.

In many cases, Steamboat is that destination. Jill Waldman, event planner and owner of the Main Event, said she guessed about half of the people who come to get married in Steamboat are local residents, and the other half come from other states, as far as New York.

Waldman said as people look more and more to get married outside, they consider Steamboat as the location for that ceremony.

"There's so much natural beauty around the valley, there are so many opportunities to get married outside in a unique environment," Waldman said. "People (living) in cities come here because in cities or large towns, there very often isn't a spot where they can get married other then a local park."

Where else but Steamboat can couples choose from having a ceremony on the top of a ski mountain, in front of an immense waterfall, or on a ranch tucked away in the rolling hills?

The Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association markets the area as a top wedding destination for people that seek to get married or honeymoon in Colorado.

The chamber provides lists of everything a wedding party would need for their special day and the fun before and after, including information on spas, lodging, restaurants and event planners.

Visit the chamber Web site at steamboatchamber.com/events/weddings.htm.