Catalyst by Nature Link

Our Wedding

In 2015, my parents, Rich and Lauren Mezzano bought a cabin on Roosevelt Lake in Outing, MN. As we got to know&nbsp;our cabin neighbors, I was eventually introduced to Evan. We quickly became friends and would always text each other to see if we would be up at the cabin that weekend. For the first few years of our friendship, we met up on the pontoon in Woods Bay, had bonfires, and spent time getting to know each other's friends. My parents often told me I should "get to know Evan more". At one point, they even told me to invite him to an Ed Sheeran concert our family was going to. I decided that would be coming on a bit too strong... If you know Evan, you know he is a very laid-back guy that would've thought I was crazy for asking him out of the blue to go to a concert with my family. In November 2018, we were at the cabin and Evan came over with a friend to play board games. After that night, I decided it was time to ask him to hang out in the cities since we had only seen each other at the cabin. At the time, Evan lived in Lakeville and I lived in Blaine. I drove to his house, extremely nervous and not knowing what to expect. We went to Union 32 in Eagan where I made a fool of myself at the pour-it-yourself taproom because I ended up with more foam than beer. Regardless, we had a great time and clicked right away. Over the next few months, we continued to spend more time together. We went on a few vacations, had more trips to the cabin, met each other's families, and eventually, I applied to nursing school at St. Kate's. I started my master's program in February of 2020 and Evan remained my biggest supporter throughout the two years. Although we had busy schedules and only saw each other on the weekends, our relationship remained strong and we started to discuss our future together. Towards the end of my master's program, Evan got a new job at Freedom Financial Partners in Oakdale. We figured this would be a good time to start looking for houses together. We started working with a realtor in March as I graduated from St. Kate's. Our search was paused for a few weeks while we took a vacation to Maui with my parents. We resumed shortly after and realized how crazy the housing market was. After touring 10+ homes and putting multiple offers in, we finally found the perfect house in Woodbury. After living an hour apart for three and a half years of dating, we moved into our home at the beginning of June. During this time I also began my job as a registered nurse at the University of Minnesota Medical Center. We had a crazy busy summer filled with work, house projects, bachelor/bachelorette parties, and definitely not enough weekends at the cabin. Finally, on August 18th, a Thursday evening before my work weekend, Evan and I had a date night planned at 7 Vines Winery in Dellwood. Before we left, Evan walked into our kitchen with a bottle of champagne and glasses and said, "So... should we celebrate?". He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I was completely in shock, but beyond happy. We couldn't imagine a better place to get married than up north where it all started. We are excited to share this special day with our family and friends. Thank you for being a part of our story!!

Our Story

Photos

Courtney Wiencek 

Charlie Weiand

Hannah Hoefferle 

Ben Weiand

Kayli Mezzano

Drew Mezzano

Cora Arnold

Andrew Dawson

Samantha Swanstrom

Kevin Ross

Katie Swanstrom

Anthony Winters

Rich Mezzano

Knox Mezzano

Jackson Anderson

Wedding Party

Q + A

**Because this is a holiday weekend, PLEASE BOOK YOUR HOTEL ROOMS EARLY!!**

There is a room block at Country Inn &amp; Suites located in Baxter, MN. This is a 20-minute drive from the venue, but we will be providing a shuttle to and from this location. Mention "Mezzano Weiand Wedding" when booking.

Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Baxter, MN

This hotel is right across the street from Country Inn &amp; Suites. Feel free to drive across the street to utilize the shuttle! We wanted to add this location since we heard availability is becoming limited at our other hotel option.*** We do not have a block set up at this hotel ***

Rapid River Lodge

Again, this is another option due to low availability left at our original hotel. Feel free to drive to Country Inn &amp; Suites to utilize the shuttle!*** We do not have a block set up at this hotel ***

Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Baxter Brainerd Area

There is a two-night minimum to stay at the resort our venue is located in. There are a few hotel rooms, as well as 1- and 2-bedroom cabins available to choose from. Please note, space is limited and a 50% deposit is required.

NATURE LINK RESORT

There is a two-night minimum to stay at Grand View Lodge. Transportation will not be provided to this location. It is a 10-minute drive to the venue. Call or book online.

Grand View Lodge

Travel

The first trip will begin loading passengers at 2:45 pm and will leave for Catalyst at 2:50 pm. Guests will arrive at the venue at approximately 3:05 pm. This gives you a chance to explore the beautiful resort, find the ceremony site, etc., with enough time to spare! The second bus trip will begin loading at 3:30 pm and will depart from the hotel at 3:35 pm. Please note this is the last trip before the ceremony begins. Guests will arrive at Catalyst at approximately 3:50 pm for the 4:00 pm ceremony start time. The bus will bring guests back to Country Inn &amp; Suites at 9:30 pm, 10:15 pm, and 11 pm.

Shuttle Schedule 

The Groom's favorite golf course! A beautiful course located near Breezy Point Resort.

Deacon's Lodge

The Preserve at Grand View Lodge

The Pines Golf Course at Grand View Lodge

The Bride's three favorite things-- Nisswa boutique shops, charcuterie, and wine!

Ally & Evan