Gull Lake Destination Wedding | Nisswa, MN • Xsperience Photography

If you head north of Brainerd, you’ll run into some of Minnesota’s best Destination Wedding venues situated on the massive Gull Lake. The lake offers plenty of adventure and fun for families and engaged couples here in the Midwest stretching 15 miles and hosting numerous rental properties, resorts and bars accessible to boats and pontoons.

Sarah and Matt started their wedding at Cragun’s on the south end of Gull Lake. Craguns provided them with a cruise boat so we all had some pre-wedding fun on Friday night! We were blessed with the most beautiful weather, cheerful captains and golden sunset over the lake.

Saturday once again blessed them with a beautiful summer day in Minnesota. This time we had fun at Grand View Lodge in Nisswa, on the north end of Gull Lake. They had a modern cabin on-site where Sarah got ready with her parents, bridesmaid and husky. Matt hung out in his brother’s cabin nearby with his Golden Retriever. Of course they had to include their fur babies!!

Grand View Lodge offers a picturesque ceremony spot at the bottom of a hill, situated perfectly between the lake and the lodge that hosted their wedding reception. They kept the guest list small inviting around 60 friends and family members. They wanted it to be intimate so they could spend quality time with those they hold nearest and dearest to their hearts.

“We both grew up in lakes country so once we saw the beautiful grounds of Grand View Lodge on Gull Lake it was an easy decision for our wedding destination. The weather couldn’t have been better, making all our outdoor wedding activities from boating to an outdoor ceremony unforgettable.”
~Sarah

I have to mention, Grand View Lodge has THE WORLD’S GREATEST CUPCAKES!!!! I get asked all the time what my favorite wedding dessert has been in the 2 decades of shooting and I used to respond…”it was about 15 years ago. I shot a wedding north of Brainerd and they had cupcakes that are impossible to beat.” And then I found out that baker now works at Grand View Lodge. I finally found my favorite dessert maker!

VENDORS

Photography: XSPERIENCE PHOTOGRAPHY | Wedding Venue + Lodging: GRAND VIEW LODGE, NISSWA MN | Groomsdinner boat rental: CRAGUNS RESORT, BRAINERD MN | Florals: PETALS AND BEANS, NISSWA MN