Planning a Fall Wedding at Sundial

Meet Tim and Denali! After four years of dating, they realized it was meant to be. After shooting their engagement photos at Sundial, they sat down with one of our event specialists to start planning a fall wedding at Sundial.

Traveling around the world was one of the most memorable memories they have made together. Sanibel Island has always been their favorite spot to travel to. It is no surprise that they both fell in love with the location where they grew up for so many years. This lovely couple will be getting married this upcoming November at Sundial. Join us in the planning process as they share their journey in their own words.

All photos provided by Twist of Fate Imagery

The Engagement Story

Tim and I were introduced four years earlier by our mothers and they believed we would be a good match. What can you say, listen to your mother, they are always right. We immediately started dating and realized we had so many things in common. We shared the love of traveling, living in the hometown we grew up in, and working for our family businesses. Within three months together, we traveled to Maui and knew then that we wanted a destination beach wedding! Many travels, experiences, and a pandemic later we were finally engaged at midnight on New Year’s Eve of 2020. Tim had the whole engagement planned, including a custom ring from a local jeweler and a huge bouquet of red roses but didn’t tell anyone of his plans. It was almost spoiled by our friends who stopped by to wish us a Happy New Year!

What made you choose Sanibel?

As a child, Sanibel and Captiva Islands were always the destination that my family would visit on spring break. I have fond memories of shelling on Sanibel beaches. As an adult, Tim and I went back to Southwest Florida visit. Since then, we’ve returned to vacation with our friends and eaten delicious dinners, watched sunsets, and shopped.

What made you choose Sundial?

Tim and I love traveling. Shortly after our engagement, we traveled to Sanibel to search for a destination location for our wedding, take engagement photos, and celebrate Tim’s birthday. We stayed at Sundial and met with Francesca to tour the property. We were looking for a family-friendly resort that could accommodate our nieces and nephews and our friends who would be attending the wedding. The resort offers a large pool near a tiki bar and daily activities including bingo, kid’s games, and a kid’s club. The resort also has paddleboard rentals, bikes, kayaks included. We were sold!

What’s the planning process like with Francesca?

While we were searching for the perfect spot for our destination wedding, we were debating between a few locations. Francesca left a bottle of wine and treats in our room for us, the wine label was the same name as the road we live on in Ohio – we saw this as a good sign. Francesca was one of the primary reasons for choosing the Sundial Resort and Spa due to her prompt responses while we were miles away trying to plan. She was so willing and able to make my wedding visions come to life! She is always a call or e-mail away with all the answers to my questions. I’m so thankful for her and all of her resources.

Which Sundial venues have you chosen/schedule of events?

We are traveling from Ohio to Sanibel this November for a long weekend, hosting our family and a few close friends for our wedding. We’ve rented several cabanas to host a pool party the day before the wedding, which will include watching an Ohio State football game, lunch, and cocktails from the tiki bar.

For the ceremony, we have chosen to get married on Sundial East Beach and our reception will be on Lace Murex Lawn. For our wedding package, we picked the Sanibel Sensations Package, which includes premium alcohol and late-night snacks, yum! Following the wedding, we will have a goodbye breakfast at the resort for our guests to attend before they head to the airport.

What is your theme/vibe for the wedding?

We are looking to have an elegant, intimate, destination beach wedding with our closest friends and family. The colors are dusty blue, eucalyptus green, and ivory. The girls are wearing full-length beachy dusty blue dresses and the guys will ties that match the dresses. Our place cards are custom-made sea glass pieces with each guest’s name and the colors of the glass determine which meal they selected. We will also be using Sundial’s hurricane vases with sand and shells as centerpiece decor on the tables. The Lace Murex Lawn has beautiful palm trees that give a romantic under-the-stars feel for our reception.

What are you most looking forward to?

Enjoying a weekend-long celebration of our marriage with our friends and family, not just a few hours at the actual wedding. We can’t wait to share some of our favorite spots and restaurants on the island with them. Not to mention the escape to the sunshine state during Ohio winter. We are also looking forward to working with Courtney and Twist of Fate Imagery, who we instantly connected with during our engagement photos. I can’t wait to see what special moments she captures on our wedding day!

Tips for future brides?

Future brides, if you’re thinking about doing a destination wedding. Do it! The planning is easy to do working with the resort, plus you can add your special touches. You’ll get to vacation with all your favorite people and create memories that you will always cherish and someday come back to the location where you were wed and celebrate all over again.

We are excited for Tim and Denali’s momentous step in life as they take the first step in the rest of their lives as a married couple. If you’re interested in planning your own Sundial destination wedding, view our packages and brochure and connect with one of our expert planners today.

Congratulations to Tim and Denali. Cheers!