If anyone can take sea shells and make them utterly romantic, it’s Courtney Gabelbauer of Fabulously Chic Weddings. Working with Kristin’s impeccable taste, Courtney designed a wedding that was both beachy and timeless and perfectly befitting the historic Casa Ybel Resort on Sanibel Island where the wedding was held.
Stacey and Matt’s tented wedding reception was almost as breathtaking as the bride herself. The textured blush linens beneath crystal chandeliers set a soft romantic tone for this Sanibel Island beach wedding at Casa Ybel Resort.
Chelsey & Travis’s tropical wedding at Casa Ybel Resort on Sanibel Island was the perfect backdrop to showcase their love. With a beach ceremony and a tented reception on Casa Ybel’s Back Lawn, the vibe was relaxed, easy. The natural beauty of Sanibel Island framed the natural beauty of Chelsey and Travis’s love for one another.
Nick Adams Photography scored the front cover of Times of the Islands Wedding Edition with a photo from a Casa Ybel wedding! We are so proud to share this story directly from Nick’s Blog:
Wedding Magazine Cover
I was delighted to find out that I was chosen for the Times of The Islands Wedding magazine cover.
Picky and Sarah were the Bride and Groom. They got married at the beautiful Casa Ybel Resort located here on Sanibel Island.
When I asked Pikey how they met and she shared: “We both work in the car business, Pikey’s family owns a dealership and my family owns a car auction. He had been coming to the auction for many years. He says I always looked at him, but in reality it was always him looking over at me, and he is such a wuss one time a co-worker of his asked me for my number for Pikey. I gave it to him and he called me and the rest is history.” A great and unique story. I also asked Sarah to share her wedding plans and what she thought would make their event unique, this is what she said, “We love Sanibel Island, so we wanted to be on the grass but right beside the water. We wanted the island theme for our close family and friends, it was beautiful, classy, but most of all fun.” she added: Steve played beautiful music, (referring to Steve Farst, a phenomenal local musician) the food was delicious. Everyone there was beautiful.
I could not have done it without Sarah and Pikey. A terrific couple. Sarah had put a lot of planning into this wedding (along with the amazing, Tori Weatherford, of Casa Ybel Resort) and it showed. They chose to have their ceremony on the Lawn, followed by a tented reception located right next to the ceremony site.
Casa Ybel Resort is one of the few places on the Islands that can accommodate a tented venue at a beach wedding. If you can time it right, with the weather, there is no better way to have a reception. Fall and spring are typically the best times, the temperature is normally in the 70’s with low humidity. The lawn area at Casa Ybel is made up of Bermuda grass, which is normally reserved for golf courses here in Florida. Not a big deal you think? Well… it kinda is. It takes a lot more effort to look after than the usual St Augustine variety. Bermuda grass is so soft, it is really fine, it feels great on your feet. St Augustine looks very nice but it has huge blades and is more like a thick mat of grass, not as soft. And as they say: ‘it’s all in the details’
You can see in the picture below that Sarah and Pikey opted to have the sides of the tent rolled up which is a great idea as it lets the breeze flow through. This particular tent is really well designed (this one is owned by the resort). Should the wind pick up or the temperature suddenly drop the sides of the tent can be dropped to the ground in a matter of minutes.
I digress!
Here are a list of all of the contributors that made this wedding magazine cover possible:
Here at Casa Ybel Resort, our motto is Bring Your Love. We could not have been more excited to have been selected as the place on Sanibel Island that Brandon & Josh would bring their love as they celebrated their marriage with family and friends. This tented wedding reception on Casa Ybel’s Back Lawn was highlighted with the couple’s favorite colors, turquoise and aqua, perfectly accenting the waters of the Gulf of Mexico that the lawn over looks.
Destination weddings are appealing to people who love the simple beautiful things in life. Things like soft sand between your toes, gentle Gulf breezes and the sounds of the waves lapping the shore. Claire and Kaylan celebrated their beautiful destination wedding in such a setting when they tied the knot on the beach at Casa Ybel Resort on Sanibel Island.
The waters of the Gulf of Mexico were especially aquamarine on the day of Laura and Jim’s destination beach wedding on Sanibel Island. Tonya Malay Photography, really captured the essence of this island wedding in these bright beautiful images.
Casa Ybel Resort does Romance like no one else. That is, perhaps, why we are so popular for intimate beach weddings. Katie and Nate did have guests at their Sanibel Island wedding, but they were in their own world that day.
Chris and Dana arrived from New York for their wedding at the Casa Ybel Resort on Sanibel. The Saturday afternoon ceremony was on the Lawn behind the Thistle Lodge Restaurant. Actually, I met Chris and Dana and family the evening before the wedding. We gathered at the lighthouse at the east of Sanibel Island for family photos. Dana and her parents along with her sisters and Chris walked along the beach for just under an hour for fun and casual photos. On the wedding day, I met Chris and his grandmother and uncle for a family photo. Then Dana arrived by the Casa Ybel wedding golf cart driven by Tori, the wedding director. Chris was waiting with his back turned so when Dana arrived they would have a first look. And a wonderful first look it was! Oh, their emotions photographed so well! We then took some wedding group photos with family. Patricia Slater was the ceremony official and planner for this Casa Ybel wedding. We actually started precisely on time with Dana’s dad escorting her across the beautiful lawn carrying a floral bouquet designed Floral Artistry of Sanibel.
Wedding Photography
For over twenty years I have photographed weddings at the Casa Ybel Resort. This day was wonderful with the direction of the autumn sun as it fell on the beautiful palms and Poinciana trees. Chris and Dana enjoyed the natural beauty of Sanibel Island. When they are home in New York, they enjoy camping, tennis and hiking. They met while working as chefs at a prominent country club in Troy New York. After the wedding ceremony, another 30 minutes of photos were taken. Chris and Dana then joined their family and friends for a cocktail hour in the Thistle Lodge. Just before dinner, I walked out to the beach again with the bride and groom for sunset photos. When they returned, their delicious dinner was served. The wedding guests were entertained by a three piece Danny Morgan Band that performed wonderfully for dancing and dinner music. The cake was cut and more dancing was enjoyed. While photographing this couple, I sensed their light hearted and joyful personalities, and I believe it shows in their photographs. They were a delight to photograph! Shown here are my favorite images we created at Chris and Dana’s Casa Ybel wedding.
Wedding parties small and large flock to Casa Ybel Resort on Sanibel Island because it doesn’t matter here how large your party is – they always feel intimate. Jessica & Mark invited their nearest and dearest to celebrate their beach wedding in Florida. They traded a chilly Northeastern autumn for sand between their toes and a tropical ocean breeze. VENDORS Wedding Venue: Casa Ybel Resort | 239-472-0693 | www.casaybelweddings.com Photography: Hunter Ryan Photo | 704-966-9859 | www.hunterryanphoto.com Florist: Floral Artistry | 239-472-3040 | www.floralartistryofsanibel.com Officiant: Kelly Koerpel | 239-826-6542 | Sanibelstudios@gmail.com
CASA YBEL RESORT WEDDINGS 