Published: Sunday, May 2, 2004 at:7:07 PM




Mary Jo’s
Most Romantic Couple


Danela and Paul — Seattle’s Daniela Ferdico and Paul Faget (middle two crew on boat in foreground) hard at work, helping Russell Coutts go fast. Daniela and Paul married two days later.

When it was time for Daniela Ferdico and her fiancé Paul Faget to tie the knot, any and all possibilities were at Daniela’s fingertips. She has been creating corporate celebrations, private parties, galas and dream weddings for years in their home city of Seattle, Washington. No doubt deciding among the options was overwhelming. Friends and fellow sailors of Daniela and Paul’s have been to Bitter End a number of times and suggested the resort for a wedding. They took their friends’ suggestion and as avid sailors and racers as they are, Daniela and Paul chose to marry during Pro Am Regatta Race Week. Of course, they invited their families, their thoughtful friends as well as the owners of the boat they race on at home. It was to be an adventure for all!

Daniela had many ideas for the celebration; in particular, she worked quite closely with Mary Jo to ensure that all of the floral decorations and the bouquet were created using the luscious and bright local flora that is in abundance at Bitter End. From hibiscus to bougainvillea in every shade to fragrant jasmine and frangipani, there was much to choose from!

Great activities abounded during Daniela and Paul’s wedding week—not only could they and their wedding party participate in all of Bitter End’s regularly scheduled sailing and excursions (in addition to their private celebrations), the stars of the sailing world were at the resort to host Bitter End’s annual Pro Am Regatta. For Daniela, that meant crewing for 2003 America’s Cup Winning Skipper (aboard Alinghi) and ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Russell Coutts. For Paul it was competing against both the Pros and fellow Ams in the Scuttlebutt Sailing Championship. And, as the ultimate party favor, Paul came in as the first Am in the Scuttlebutt Sailing Championship, winning a return trip to Bitter End to defend his title during this year’s Pro Am Regatta Race Week.

We are excited to welcome back Daniela and Paul for their first wedding anniversary, and we understand that they will be bringing along their own crew, age 3 months. The serious fun never stops at Bitter End.

Honeymoon Update

BEYC's Jason Meeuwig congratulates Kellie and Mike Priest on the occasion of their honemoon, and their one year anniversary of “first contact.”

In San Francisco he is called Mr. Fennessy. In Los Angeles she is called Mrs. Priest. Here at the Bitter End we simply know them as our friends Kellie and Mike. Although they are both from California, they didn’t meet until they came to the Bitter End Yacht Club for Pro Am 2001. For Mike and Kellie it has been romance ever since. Mike’s version of a Jumbotron marriage proposal was to pop the question to Kellie over the Scuttlebutt wire on the Internet and much to everyone’s delight Kellie accepted. We had the pleasure of seeing Mike and Kellie again for their Honeymoon during Pro Am 2003 and it sounds like the happy couple will be back in 2004 to make their run at the Scuttlebutt Sailing Championship. Congratulations Mike and Kellie, we look forward to seeing you again soon.