Military Couple Wins Dream Wedding At 'Storied' North Fork Venue

GREENPORT, NY — One lucky couple who've dedicated their lives to service won the wedding of their dreams last week when they were announced, during a big reveal, as the winners of Peconic Landing's 10th Annual Veterans Day Wedding Giveback.

Lieutenants Damen Weeks, 31, and Katherine Bertschi, 27, of Southold, active-duty Naval officers, were selected out of almost a dozen applicants for the annual contest, which provides a free wedding at Brecknock Hall to current or former military personnel in recognition of their service.

The couple was notified during a surprise Zoom call on Thursday, with family members, Peconic Landing members, and Peconic Landing team members present.

According to Peconic Landing, Damen is on his fifth tour of duty after enlisting in 2012 and serves as an operations officer on the USS Mason, DDG 87; he is responsible for the management of almost 100 sailors. He has been honored for his dedication with the Earned Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, among others.

Katherine is on her third tour after enlisting in 2016 and is basic division officer instructor and department head at the Mariner Skills Training Center Pacific, where she is responsible for training thousands of junior surface warfare officers to enter the fleet and drive ships. She, too, has earned the Earned Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal.

The lovebirds met onboard the USS Preble in 2016 and have been in a long-distance relationship ever since, Peconic Landing said.

They travel thousands of miles to see each other on weekends and holidays, between Hawaii, San Diego, Denver, Memphis, Monterey, Newport, Norfolk, Alabama, and Southold, Katherine’s hometown. The couple also spends time volunteering in the communities where they are stationed, including working at food shelters, building with Habitat for Humanity and organizing ship tours for children, Peconic Landing said.

On New Year’s Eve 2021, Katherine’s mother and sister accompanied her to Alabama and, while they were at Damen’s family cabin, they got engaged.

Katherine explained why she entered the contest, hoping to win her dream wedding. “My parents raised my siblings and I in Greenport and Southold. I started in NJROTC at Southold High School because I thought it would make my father proud; he is a Vietnam veteran. Little did I know that the decision to join NJROTC would direct the trajectory of my life up to current day."

She added, before learning that she'd won: “It would mean the world to me to get married where I grew up and started my military service. Brecknock Hall is such a storied and special venue; I know the wedding would be beautiful.”

This year’s winning couple will be provided with a complete wedding on Sunday, November 13, in celebration of Veterans Day. Sponsored by Peconic Landing, the giveaway is made possible through contributions from local businesses and organizations who donate an estimated $60,000 worth of time, talents, and services to create a fairy tale wedding.

“Damen and Katherine’s love story is an inspiration to us all. That they found each other while serving our great country is amazing,” Peconic Landing President and CEO Robert Syron said. “We wish them a future of happiness and success. And a special thank you to all of the sponsors who make this giveaway possible.”

Damen and Katherine were chosen by a panel of Peconic Landing members with military ties, who judge the contest based on the number of years served, special military honors, and each couple’s personal love story.

The Veterans Day Wedding Giveback began in 2011 as an opportunity to thank Long Island’s military personnel and recognize them for their service to the nation. The annual contest is open to both current and veteran service members; at least one partner must have served or be serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.