Sanibel Island is located in southwest Florida and can easily be reached by car.  Your Sanibel Island beach wedding can be held in one of the resorts, at public beaches, or private vacation rentals. In addition to lodgings on the island, neighboring cities like Cape Coral or Fort Myers offer plenty of guest accommodations.

Sanibel Island is known for its natural beaches and great shelling. Perfect for couples that are looking for tranquility, nature, and relaxation. Over  40% of Sanibel Island is wildlife protected. Visitors can find many different birds and animals on Sanibel Island. Furthermore, water and air temperatures are pleasant year-round.

Sanibel Island is a top beach wedding destination for eloping couples. Our favorite resort that we are working with is the Casa Ybel Resort. No matter if you are celebrating with just the two of you or with guests, the resort is a fantastic location for any size wedding or event.

If you plan a Sanibel Island beach wedding, a permit is required on all public beaches. While at most beaches some basic regulations apply, Sanibel Island enforces stricter rules for weddings. The first and most impacting is that neither fresh nor silk flowers are allowed. Only a bridal bouquet may be carried. This will restrict decoration options greatly. Secondly, while you can set up folding chairs for guests, no benches or tables are permitted.  Thirdly, the wedding arch must be a light structure that doesn’t need to be dug in the sand. In addition, some basic other beach restrictions will apply.

Possible beaches that are public to celebrate a Sanibel Island beach wedding are:

• Lighthouse Beach with restricted decoration
• Gulfside City Park without decoration
• Bowman’s Beach without decoration
• Blind Pass Park with restricted decoration
• Any other private beach access that can be used with your vacation rental or resort.

Since tighter restrictions apply, it is necessary to make adjustments to our regular decoration. An example set up could be a two-pole Bamboo wedding arch with sheers, exchange fresh flower arch decoration with some starfish and seashells, lanterns down the aisle, and seating with folding chairs for guests.

One solution is to choose our Casa Ybel Resort package.  Alternatively, other hotels on Sanibel Island may be an option for your wedding. Celebrating your Sanibel Island beach wedding at a resort can have many plus points, in particular when it comes to decoration and design. But also a big plus is that you have your wedding in one spot and can also plan the reception right there without guests having to travel or drive anywhere else.

Unless you are celebrating your Sanibel Island Beach wedding and reception at one of the resorts like the Casa Ybel, a regular restaurant might be an option for you. We have had couples dining at Doc Ford’s Rum Bar, The Mad Hatter Restaurant, The Sandbar, and Bimini Bate Shack across the bridge to Sanibel Island. If you are planning a small Sanibel Island beach wedding we gladly make dinner reservations for you.

Reception at the vacation home.

Another option if you don’t wish to have your reception in a restaurant or facility is a private chef or catering at your vacation home. Just make sure the owners are Ok with you having the reception on-premises. We can help with all the details of catering and decoration at your vacation home.