We met Miguelina and Tom through dear friends, and it took about five minutes to fall for them as a couple — her laugh fills a room, and he can't stop smiling whenever she's near. So when they asked us to photograph their wedding on Sanibel Island, the answer was easy.
The day started slow and full of light. Her gown hung in the window at Sundial Beach Resort, the train drifting across the room like a cloud, palm trees swaying just past the glass. Miguelina stood beside it in her floral robe, pearl headpiece already on, veil trailing behind her — looking up at that dress like she was greeting an old friend. The details told their own story: rings tucked into a little wooden box with a dragonfly on the lid, pearl drop earrings, a bottle of Chanel No. 5, and a small vow book with her words written by hand in Spanish — "Aquí, frente a nuestras familias y amigos… desde que te conocí, mi vida cambió por completo." Here, in front of our families and friends — since I met you, my life changed completely.
Her bouquet was pure Florida: beehive ginger, bird of paradise, white orchids, burgundy ranunculus, pampas and palm fronds. The same palette crowned the ceremony arch on the resort lawn, set between tall palms with the Gulf just beyond the sea grapes. Tom waited in a sand-colored linen suit and burgundy tie, orchid boutonnière on his lapel and two small photo charms pinned beside it — a quiet way of keeping loved ones close. When Miguelina came down the aisle, bouquet held tight and eyes already glassy, he couldn't hide it. Neither could anyone else.
Then came the vows. Tom read his from a little book marked "His," and had to stop to wipe his eyes more than once. Miguelina read hers with a smile that kept breaking into laughter — the real, head-back kind. Rings, a kiss under the palms, and a recessional of ribbon wands, cheering and phones held high. Before the reception we walked them down to the beach, where the Sanibel shoreline is covered in shells and the water goes soft blue in the late sun. Arms up, bouquet in the air, two people who had waited for exactly this.
The night belonged to the dance floor. Light-up batons, family and friends who danced like no one was watching, a two-tier cake dressed in orchids and bird of paradise, and Miguelina right in the middle of it all. It was one of those beachy, golden, happy days you want to live inside a little longer. We're so grateful we got to be there.
"Since I met you, my life changed completely." — Miguelina's vows, written by hand the morning of the wedding.
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Let's create images at your venue — Sanibel, Miami, or wherever your story lives that you'll be proud to pass down for generations. Reach out and let's see if we're the right fit.
View our photographySundial Beach Resort & Spa sits on the Gulf side of Sanibel Island in Southwest Florida, an island known around the world for its shelling beaches, relaxed pace and wide, open views of the water. For weddings, the resort pairs a green ceremony lawn surrounded by palms and sea grapes with direct beach access a few steps away, so couples can say their vows in a garden setting and be on the sand for portraits minutes later. The guest suites have big bright windows and plantation shutters that make gorgeous natural light for getting ready, and the reception spaces keep everyone together for the celebration. For photography, the late-afternoon light over the Gulf and the shell-lined shoreline make Sundial a true beach-wedding setting — calm, colorful and unmistakably Sanibel.
