Great Family Artists has played Flying Diamond Ranch, the working cattle ranch near Oak Creek and Steamboat Springs, five times since June 2025, and four weddings are booked there for summer 2027. Couples there book an 8- or 10-piece band for the reception tent, sometimes with a violin or fiddle, and musicians from the same band play the ceremony in the tree grove and the cocktail hour in the meadow.
This page covers how a Flying Diamond Ranch wedding day runs with our team, the songs couples have chosen there, band sizes and prices from our own contracts, and the logistics to settle with the venue.
Flying Diamond Ranch at a glance
| At Flying Diamond Ranch | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | Oak Creek, in Routt County, about a 15-minute drive from the Steamboat Ski Area |
| The ranch | A 3,500-acre private working cattle ranch with aspen groves, ponds and mountain views |
| Guests | Up to 300 |
| Ceremony | In the tree grove |
| Cocktail hour | In the meadow and tree grove next to the reception tent |
| Reception | Dinner and dancing in the reception tent |
| Our dates there | June to August |
| Band sizes we have played | 8 and 10 pieces, some with a violin or fiddle |
| Band investment | $16,500 to $30,000 in our 2025 to 2027 wedding contracts |
Ranch details are from the venue’s Steamboat Chamber listing. Everything else on this page comes from weddings we have played or booked there.
How a Flying Diamond Ranch wedding day runs with GFA
- Ceremony in the tree grove. Two musicians from your band play the prelude and the ceremony. Couples have chosen an acoustic guitar and piano duo, or a violin and acoustic guitar duo for a more rustic sound.
- Cocktail hour in the meadow. A trio plays instrumentals in the style you choose. Recent picks: upright bass, guitar and keys playing pop instrumentals, or violin, upright bass and acoustic guitar playing folk, Americana and country.
- Into the tent. The full band is set up behind the reception tent and on stage before guests walk in from the meadow.
- Entrance and first dances. Our lead vocalists MC the grand entrance, the first dance and the family dances unless you name someone else. One 2026 couple had their first dance slowed down, then went straight into a short dance set.
- Dance sets. The set list is built with you from your favourites, must-plays and do-not-play list.
Songs from our Flying Diamond Ranch weddings
A few of the songs couples chose for their Flying Diamond Ranch weddings in 2026 and 2027:
- Ceremony: Mt. Joy’s “Bathroom Light” for the wedding party, Matt and Kim’s “Daylight” for the recessional, and Death Cab for Cutie’s “I Will Follow You into the Dark”
- First dances: “Dancing in the Moonlight”, slowed down, and Charley Crockett’s “I Am Not Afraid”
- Family dances: Van Morrison’s “Have I Told You Lately”, the Bee Gees’ “How Deep Is Your Love” and Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World”
- Dance floor: “Wagon Wheel”, “Valerie”, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”, “Friends in Low Places”, “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!”, “American Girl” and “Don’t Stop Me Now”
Country and Americana come up often at the ranch, next to Motown, disco, 2000s pop and rock. About two months before your date, we collect your ceremony songs, special dances, must-plays and do-not-play list, then build the set list with you.
Planning notes for a Flying Diamond Ranch wedding
- Book early. The season is short. Our Flying Diamond couples booked us 10 to 20 months ahead, most about a year out.
- Power comes from the venue’s generator. We confirm the generator, the stage position and sound for the tree grove during our technical advance with the venue.
- Allow for the walk. The ceremony and cocktail sites are about five minutes from the tent by cart, so the musicians move their gear between sets. We build that into the timeline.
- Guest parking is down the road. The venue shuttles guests to the site, so leave time between the shuttle arrivals and the prelude.
- Plan for cool evenings. Mountain nights turn cold, even in July. Ask the venue about tent sides and heaters for the reception, where the band plays most of the night.
- Lodging for the band. The ranch is about 15 minutes from Steamboat Springs. For our 2026 wedding there, the band stayed in Steamboat Springs.
Which GFA band fits Flying Diamond Ranch
- Great Family Reunion (8 to 14 pieces): rhythm section, horns and several lead vocalists, with a DJ, MC, sound and lighting in the same package.
- The Burroughs (5 to 10 pieces): our Colorado-based soul and funk band, which plays Steamboat Springs.
- Taylor James String Band: folk and strings with a Colorado sound for the ceremony and the cocktail hour.
- A violin or fiddle player can join any of our bands for the ceremony, the cocktail hour and the country songs at the reception.
Book GFA at Flying Diamond Ranch
Great Family Artists holds 478 verified five-star reviews (Google 132, The Knot 182, WeddingWire 164). Call our Colorado line at 303-351-2699, read the reviews, or check your date. For how mountain venues change band size, power and cost, read Denver or the mountains? Price ranges for every band size are on our Colorado wedding bands page, and our other ranch and mountain venues are in the best wedding bands in Colorado for destination and mountain weddings.
Frequently asked questions
Has Great Family Artists played at Flying Diamond Ranch?
Yes. We have played Flying Diamond Ranch five times since June 2025, and four weddings are booked there for summer 2027. We know how the day runs there: ceremony in the tree grove, cocktail hour in the meadow, then dinner and dancing in the reception tent.
How much does a wedding band at Flying Diamond Ranch cost?
Our Flying Diamond Ranch wedding contracts for 2025 to 2027 ran from $16,500 to $30,000. 8-piece bands ran $16,500 to $21,000, or $24,000 with a violinist added, and 10-piece bands $20,000 to $25,000. The top of the range covered a string quartet, a jazz trio, a 10-piece band and a DJ.
What size band fits a Flying Diamond Ranch wedding?
Our weddings there have used 8- and 10-piece bands. Two of our 2027 couples added a violin or fiddle player, which suits the ranch and the country and Americana songs many of them request. Send us your guest count and tent layout and we will size the band to the tent.
Is there power for a band at Flying Diamond Ranch?
The venue provides a generator. We pull up behind the reception tent to load in, use the vendor tent next to it as our green room, and take ceremony and cocktail-hour equipment to the tree grove and meadow by cart, about a five-minute walk.
How far ahead should we book a band for Flying Diamond Ranch?
Our Flying Diamond Ranch couples booked us 10 to 20 months before the wedding, most of them about a year out. The season runs June to August, so book the band soon after you sign with the venue.