Published: Friday, January 16, 2004 at:11:27 PM




Mary Jo’s
Most Romantic Couple



Mary and Pat Black

Who said romance is dead?

Who said a romantic guy is hard to find?

Well let me tell you a truly romantic story. Mary and Pat Black hail from the Chicago area and have been married for 14 years. They have four children ranging in age from 4 to 11 years old. And Mary was in need of a vacation. With that in mind, husband Pat called me early in the winter to set up a surprise 40th birthday trip for Mary. Everything was arranged on “the sly.” No calls were made, and no brochures and no confirmation notices were sent to their home so as to avoid tipping off Mary.

Pat organized all the baby-sitters for the week. And unbeknownst to Mary, Pat cleared her schedule, and checked and double-checked with Mary’s friends to make sure no one was planning any other surprises. Further, he made everyone promise a vow of secrecy.

After everything was organized, from air tickets to passports to work schedules, Pat took Mary over to her parent’s house for a family dinner. That’s where he laid out a straw hat, airplane tickets and a brochure, and said, “pack your bags…we’re heading to the Bitter End!” Her parents were in on the surprise and told Mary “don’t worry, be happy…we’ll take care of everything at home while you’re enjoying paradise.”

Mary had only the next day to go shopping for last minute items. Then, two days before her actual 40th, they flew to the BVI. While neither had been to the Bitter End before, they had heard a lot about it from friends in Chicago. And it didn’t take them long to slip into island mode. After all, they were trading frosty midwinter Chicago for balmy tradewinds, lazy hammocks, relaxing beaches, refreshing pina coladas, and romantic “together time.”

The day of Mary’s 40th birthday just happened to be April Fool’s Day (you can imagine the possibilities with this one: “honey we need to leave, our credit card’s been denied!”). But this was no joke! They celebrated in grand style. After a sumptuous sunset dinner, Winston Butler (our award-winning baker) made his famous Chocolate Mousse Cake, washed down with a bottle of Verve Cliquot compliments of some friends from Chicago.

This romantic story has a sad and a happy ending. The sad part is that they had to eventually return to the frosty Midwest. But the happy part is that they departed knowing a lot more about sailing, snorkeling, and suntans. And they knew that this had been just about the most romantic weeks they had ever spent together. Romance is not dead!

Editors Note: Repeat guests will recognize Mary Jo Ryan’s name. She has been with Bitter End 20 years, meeting and greeting guests. But honeymoon, wedding, and anniversary couples often have a special affinity for Mary Jo. That’s because she is our resident “romance planner.” She has been known to organize weddings (big and small), anniversary parties, and she typically gives special attention to newly arrived honeymoon couples. For the North Soundings, we’ve asked Mary Jo to identify a recent pair of guests that typify romance at Bitter End.