Morning Elopement at Catalyst by Naturelink | Nisswa MN

Cray and Heather hosted the sweetest morning elopement at Catalyst by Naturelink in Nisswa, Minnesota. It was intentional, intimate and even eco-friendly. Heather put so much love, kindness and thought into every choice she made. If you want to ditch the $40,000-$80,000 traditional wedding that, according to New York Times, on average emits 57,152 kilograms of CO2, then check out her eco-friendly wedding resources listed below. To put that in perspective, you would need to plant 2,722 trees to make up for the impact your big wedding had on the earth.

MORNING ELOPEMENT BRUNCH TIMELINE

They started the morning off hanging out by the lake with their 3 adorable kids. Then made their way to the tall pines situated at the Catalyst by Naturelink Resort where they exchanged their vows. Heather’s stepdad was the officiant so the ceremony was filled with personality. It was the perfect compliment to their laid back nature and playful sides. We then made our way to the ferns…because I am a major sucker for ferns…apparently Heather and I have that in common!! After capturing some photos there, Heather and Cray joined their family in their Naturelink cabin and poured some champagne, thanked them all for playing such special roles in their lives, and enjoyed some brunch.

WHY DID THEY CHOOSE CATALYST by NATURE LINK IN NISSWA, MINNESOTA FOR YOUR ELOPEMENT VENUE?

“We chose Catalyst as our intimate wedding venue because we loved the old lake resort feel (Clark lake, tall pines, native fern groundcover ((our daughter’s name is Fern!)) mixed with the modern black cabins and architecture. Cray grew up in Nisswa and his family still lives there. They always gather on their porches for coffee on weekend mornings and we wanted the intimate feel of a Sunday brunch wedding with a few close family and friends. We came up from Minneapolis and stayed at one of Naturelink’s cabins and hotel rooms and it was the perfect backdrop we were looking for. Catalyst graciously offered us an hourly rate for use of the venue for our elopement and we used the cabin for our brunch reception.”

ECO FRIENDLY ELOPEMENT VENDORS USED FOR THEIR INTIATE CATALYST BY NATURELINK WEDDING 

“We didn’t use any vendors besides Xsperience Photography, but some brands we used that were nice for a DIY elopement/micro wedding (I try to use sustainable/natural materials whenever possible. Even my dress was organic cotton) included:”

Bridal dress: Doen

Shoes: Nisolo (ethically made and carbon neutral certified)

Makeup: Merit, Ilia  (clean, vegan, cruelty free)

Children’s clothes: Noralee

Children’s shoes: Wildlings, Saltwater sandals (organic farming, fair trade and a transparent supply chain

Fern’s bouquet: foraged from the woods

Bride’s Bouquet: Whole Foods (We purchased orchids, cut the floral stems for the bouquet then gave everyone a plant to take home that will re-bloom every year on our anniversary.)

Compostable dishes and flatware: Repurpose

Local juice for mimosas: Just Juice (found at Schaefer’s in Nisswa)

MahnoMin Porridge (recipe courtesy of Chef Mitch Omer, Hell’s Kitchen)

We made this wild rice and wild blueberry porridge for brunch that felt so fitting for a cozy up north gathering:

4 cups cooked wild rice (approximately 1 cup uncooked) 1 cup heavy cream 1⁄4 cup maple syrup 1⁄4 cup dried blueberries 1⁄4 cup dried cranberries 1⁄2 cup roasted, cracked hazelnuts 1.In a sauté pan over low-medium heat, mix wild rice, cream and maple syrup, and cook until warmed through; 2.Add dried blueberries, cranberries and hazelnuts, and mix well; 3.Serve in a bowl with warm heavy cream and maple syrup on the side.