They met when Justin moved in across the
hall from Gabriele’s downtown Sarasota
condo building. She was smitten as soon
as she saw him, but Justin had just ended a
relationship and wasn’t ready to jump into
another. They were always running into each
other. Their friends started becoming friends,
and the groups ultimately merged into one.
They eventually went on a date and became
inseparable. Six years later, the couple have a
home in Lakewood Ranch and two fur babies -
Lola and Huey.
Their romantic engagement could be a Hallmark movie
the holiday with Justin’s mom. They went for Christmas
dinner a local event venue, where Santa arrived, visiting
each table and giving gifts to the children. When Santa
eventually made his way to their table and gave Gabriele
a present, she was mildly confused, since only children
were receiving presents. The thought of a ring never
crossed her mind until, several layers of wrapping paper
and boxes later, she was left with a ring box. She opened
the box, snapped it closed and cried. Justin proposed,
which she excitedly accepted.
Gabriele called Selby Gardens as soon as she got off
the plane. She knew that was where she wanted to get
married; for her, there was no other choice. With more
than 130 of their closest friends and family, they wed at
the Selby Gardens gazebo, watched the sunset over the
bay, enjoyed cocktails under the Banyans and danced into
the night. Their wedding was everything they dreamed of.
One special touch Gabriele and Justin incorporated into
their fairytale wedding is a tradition honoring Jason’s
South African and English heritage. The ladies were
encouraged to wear hats and fascinators to the wedding,
which they excitedly did.
The exhilaration of their wedding day didn’t end there.
Gabriele had planned a very special surprise. Justin had
always told her wanted a motorcycle, to which she would
reply that he couldn’t get one until she got a ring. Making
good on their joke, Gabriele had a 1987
(Justin’s birth year) BMW Cafe Racer custom
built by Iron Thrills Motorcycle Co. in Fort
Myers. Needless to say, he was shocked and
thrilled.
For their honeymoon, Gabriele and Justin
enjoyed exploring, relaxing on the beach,
and scuba diving in the beautiful country
of Bali.
Venue: Marie Selby Botanical Gardens; Wedding Planner:
Ashley Gruters, SRQtees; Photographer/Videographer/DJ
& Photo Booth: Fairytale Productions; Caterer: Michael’s
On East; Cakes: A Slice of Heaven; Lighting: Affairs in the
Air; Florist: Flowers By Fudgie; Dress & Veil: “The Dare”
by Hayley Paige from Calvet Couture Bridal; Makeup:
Olivia Gibson; Invitation Design: Lisa Grasso, Grapevine
Communications; Rehearsal Dinner: Louies Modern
JANUARY 2018 | SARASOTA SCENE 93