Hunting Land Turned Little Falls Wedding Venue • Xsperience Photography

Cierra and Jason’s wedding story is unlike any other. They met at their neighboring cabins on Lake Alexandria so family ties were an important piece to their relationship right from the beginning. It only makes sense that they would put all their faith into their families when it came time to plan their special wedding day. With the help of everyone, especially Joe and Shaina (Cierra’s parents) they turned a chunk of land South of Little Falls, into a premier wedding venue in less than a year’s time!!

The Story of How Hunting Land was Turned Into A Premier Little Falls Wedding Venue

Back in June 2025, if you had told us we’d be hosting our wedding on my parents land, we probably would’ve laughed and said we’d just rent a tent. But just like we ditched the idea of paying an obscene amount on a wedding venue, we also ditched the “renting a tent idea”. We found out it would cost nearly $30,000 for a dance floor and large tent to hold our 400 guests. And that is how The Gottwalt Compound was born!!

My Dad (Joe) had a dream of building a small shed and a little pond, but somehow that snowballed into a full blown wedding venue (and, of course, Joe’s beautiful lake 😉). After months of planning, building, and more than “a little” stress, it was just barely finished the week before the wedding.

Advice For Couples Getting Married

Our situation was probably a bit more stressful than most. Not only did we have to plan a wedding, we had to build a wedding venue. And not only did we have to build a wedding venue, but we had a strict timeline and unpredictable Minnesota Spring weather leading up to our 6-6-26 date. Jason and I stayed focused on our goal…which was to become husband and wife. The rest was all just a bonus in our minds. We trusted the process, and our incredible families, and never looked back. We wouldn’t have changed a thing, it turned into the most perfect place to celebrate the best day of our lives with the best people.

Reflection of the Day and Review of Xsperience Photography

Everything about our day was absolutely perfect, from the ceremony to the after-party and every moment in between. We felt so much love surrounding us, and we were truly able to soak in every second from start to finish. It’s absolutely true when people say your wedding day flies by, they aren’t kidding! But thanks to Trisha and her incredible team, we now have beautiful memories to look back on and cherish forever. We couldn’t be more grateful to have such an amazing reminder of the best day of our lives.