An Outdoorsy Lakefront Wedding at Grand Ely Lodge in Ely, Minnesota

Stacy Ramseth (28 and a program manager) and Nathan Ramseth (33 and a computer engineer) got engaged in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area on Lake Ensign. For their wedding, “we wanted to be as close to the Boundary Waters as possible and get married outside,” says Stacy. The couple chose Grand Ely Lodge in Ely, Minnesota as their wedding venue and had their ceremony overlooking Lake Ensign; afterwards, Stacy and Nathan hopped into a canoe for a quick spin! “Nature is very important to us, and we wanted our wedding to feature our love of canoeing and the Boundary Waters,” says the bride. The couple utilized the colors of nature—greens, browns and tans— to create natural, rustic centerpieces with collected birch bark, rocks and moss, and made all of their own bouquets out of dried flowers. At the reception, guests could use the lodge’s canoes, kayaks and paddle boats as well as participate in a “bluegrass jam,” where anyone with an acoustic instrument was invited to join in the music-making. “Ely, Minnesota is such a beautiful place, and we wanted all our friends and family to experience that beauty with us.”