We had a lot of fun and excitement at Casa Ybel today – a wedding proposal on the beach! Champagne and tears of joy were flowing on the beach on Sanibel Island. Our local NBC affiliate was even there to cover the event. Congratulations!
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Lavish Wedding Proposal
NBC-2 News
Monday, August 04, 2008 by Chad Oliver

SANIBEL ISLAND: Many people head to Sanibel Island expecting to see white sandy beaches, clear water, and shelling that’s world-renowned. They don’t expect to see what unfolded on the beach in front of Casa Ybel Monday morning – a wedding proposal.

Cynthia Briand, from Florence, Alabama, has been bringing her family to the same timeshare since 1979.

Her son, John, learned to swim there and is now 24-years-old. He grew up spending part of his summers there. So when it came time for an important announcement, Sanibel was the family’s first choice.

“The more excited John and I got about this, then it got bigger and bigger and John said, ‘I’m going to get a plane to fly over with a banner,'” said Cynthia.

John Briand chose Sanibel Island as the spot to propose to his girlfriend, Brittany Brooks. Cynthia tipped off NBC2 on the big announcement and their lavish plan.

John couldn’t find a plane in Lee County to fly a banner popping the big question. So he chartered one from Fort Lauderdale with a planned flyover planned at 10:30 a.m.

The couple planned on arriving at the beach about 10 a.m. and NBC2 showed up on the beach posing as a documentary crew interviewing visitors about Sanibel’s recovery from Hurricane Charley four years ago.

Brittany saw our camera on the beach and said, “I don’t even want to be in it, just interview him because I’m in my bathing suit.”

During the interview with John, he pointed and asks, “Now what is this?”

She spotted those seven words in red letters trailing behind an approaching plane.

“Brittany, will you marry me? Love, John.”

With one knee in the sand, John said, “You’re my everything, you’re my always. Will you be my wife?”

Brittany said yes and just seconds later, John’s family ran out from behind the sand dunes with bottles of champagne.

“The plane came just in time and it was to her back and it looked like she was completely surprised,” says John’s cousin Tuyle Denman.

The couple met in nursing school in Alabama and graduated back in December. They plan to get married in Birmingham next April.

Brittany, still shaking with excitement, said “I was shocked, I still can’t believe it.”

Meanwhile, Cynthia gathered the family on the beach for a toast to the new couple.

“To love, to laughter, to happily ever after,” she said.

© 2008 NBC2 NEWS. Reprinted with permission.

You can see video taken for the happy couple at AMC Video Productions.