Home Community Community News Southold graduate and fiancée win all-expenses paid wedding

Southold graduate and fiancée win all-expenses paid wedding

Katie Anthony and John Dunne, winners of Peconic Landing's 7th Annual Veterans Day Wedding Giveback. Courtesy photo.

When U.S. Navy Lt. John Dunne and his fiancée, Katie Anthony sat down in front of the computer at their Norfolk, Va. home this morning, they thought they were doing a Skype interview with a committee at Greenport’s Peconic Landing as part of their application to win a free wedding at Brecknock Hall.

What they didn’t know was that they had already been chosen as the winners and an elaborate “reveal” had been carefully planned by Peconic Landing staff. 

The interview was interrupted by “technical difficulties” in the form of Carrie Miller, Peconic Landing’s public relations coordinator, holding up a giant poster board, blocking the video camera. As the panel of judges reassured the couple that the problem would be fixed momentarily, Peconic Landing staff and friends and family of Dunne quietly entered the room holding colorful balloons. When Miller removed the poster, restoring the video feed, judge Ted Webb called out  “John and Katie, congratulations, you are the winners!” 

The stunned couple was speechless as they watched everyone — including Dunne’s parents Edward and Donna — cheering, then slowly began to process what had just happened. 

Dunne, 25, is a a U.S. Navy MH-60S helicopter pilot stationed in Norfolk, Virginia and Anthony, 27 of Cantonment, Florida. works for the Navy Federal Credit Union at their Corporate Operations Center.

Dunne is a graduate of Southold High School and was an Eagle Scout and a member of the Southold NJROTC. He received a Navy scholarship to SUNY Maritime College and became battalion commander of the college’s NJROTC unit.

The couple was one of eight candidates to apply to win the wedding, which will take place Nov. 12 at Brecknock Hall.

“We came up with this idea many years ago,” said Robert Syron, Peconic Landing president and CEO. “We had so many veterans here at Peconic Landing and we wanted to recognize current and former veterans for their service to our country. We thought what greater way than to provide them with a free wedding.” 

A committee chooses the couple based on the number of years served, special military honors and the couple’s personal love story. This year’s committee consisted of Ted Webb, chairman of the Brecknock Hall Foundation and Peconic Landing members Stanley and Vivian Noble, Jan Harting-McChesney and Denis and Patricia Bischoff.

Dunne’s parents, Edward and Donna, were overjoyed to be having the wedding so close to home.

“It’s such a beautiful spot,” said Donna.

Edward said he looked forward to the sword arch that is often a part of military weddings. He added that Major Grigonis, who heads up the NJROTC, would have some of his cadets on hand at the wedding. 

“I like to think that this is a good example for those kids,” said Edward. “They can see it is doable. We haven’t had many pilots come out of Southold but here’s just a kid who went to their school and got it done.”

 

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Katharine is a writer and photographer who has lived on the North Fork for nearly 40 years, except for three-plus years in Hong Kong a decade ago, working for the actor Jackie Chan. She lives in Cutchogue. Email Katharine