Touched by fate, Falls couple wins honeymoon
Touched by fate, Falls couple wins honeymoon
Contributed photoDan and Kathy Kotarski of Niagara Falls, who married on 12-13-14, are the winners of a honeymoon package in a contest held by the Niagara Tourism and Convention Corp.
Posted: Monday, January 26, 2015 3:00 am
Niagara Gazette
Kathy Lonneville and Dan Kotarski say their relationship has always seemed touched by the hands of fate.
The couple paths crossed at least twice before they actually met. And just recently, their December wedding resulted in their receiving a surprise gift, making it appear that destiny has rewarded their union.
The Bergholz couple has won a complete honeymoon package in one of their favorite cities — Niagara Falls.
It all started when the couple, who had been dating for 14 years, decided to pick a memorable date upon which to be married.
They tried to do 11-11-11, but things just didn’t work out, Dan said. So, when 12-13-14 came around, they jumped at the chance to tie the knot on that unforgettable date.
The couple wed on December 13, 2014, the last number-sequential date until January 2, 2034, and held a Niagara County-themed wedding. They were married in a local winery and the event was catered by the YWCA’s Carolyn’s Crew.
They’ve been together for 14 years, but that was only after they almost crossed paths when his company was doing work for her company, ESM Group in Amherst.
Later, when he was in a different job, he was sent to Marietta, Ga., at the same time her company had sent her there.
“With the way we kept missing each other, it was fate that we would find each other,” said Dan, who now works as a systems engineer for Catholic Health Systems.
The couple finally came together 14 years ago when Kathy’s friend invited her to a boyfriend’s work outing 14 years ago. Dan was there. They quickly found they shared similar senses of humor and a love for animals. Each had a cat and a bird.
When they eventually decided to marry, they found the perfect spot during a visit to the Niagara Wine Trail. They were married at Marjim Manor in Appleton, in a quant banquet room decked with festive Christmas decor. Their thank-you to their 18 guests was a pear wine made at Marjim called “A Pear Made in Heaven,” with their photo and the date on the bottle’s label. “It was really nice,” Kathy said of the event.
Then, as if to congratulate them on their recent nuptials, fate threw the couple another treat. They were selected last week as the winners of a contest created by the Niagara Tourism Convention Corporation.
The NTCC called the contest “Take the plunge! … then Honeymoon in Niagara Falls USA!” Couples who got married anywhere on 12-13-14 were eligible to enter by emailing a copy of their marriage license with a brief description of themselves and why they wanted to honeymoon in Niagara Falls USA.
Sometime in the near future, the couple will take full advantage of their win, with several nights stay at the Seneca Niagara Resort, along with limo service to an assortment of tourist attractions, from a helicopter ride over the falls and a trip on the Maid of the Mist, to a visit to the Aquarium of Niagara.
Dan, who grew up in Cheektowaga, has never been on a lot of the attractions they will visit. Kathy, who grew up in Niagara County is more experienced with the features of the city, but is looking forward to returning to the aquarium. “I haven’t been to the aquarium in ages when I was little my grandmother used to take me there,” she said.
It appears a local honeymoon is just the right prize for this couple.
“We don’t have the vacation time to travel far right now, so a honeymoon in Niagara Falls would give us the opportunity to experience more of the Falls,” the Kotarski’s said in their email to the NTCC. “We have lived in Niagara Falls our entire lives and although we have traveled extensively throughout North America and Europe, we always enjoy the local events Niagara Falls has to offer.”
The full prize package includes accommodations at the Seneca Niagara Resort Casino, Discovery Passes to the Maid of the Mist, Cave of the Winds, the Niagara Scenic Trolley, the Aquarium of Niagara, and the Discovery Center and Niagara Adventure Theater.
The couple will also get tickets on the Niagara Jet Adventures and Rainbow Air, Inc. helicopter tours as well as tickets to Erie Canal Discovery Center Niagara County History Center, Old Fort Niagara, and the Spirit of the Mist. There will also be tickets to an event at the Riviera Theater Performing Arts Center in North Tonawanda. There will also be wine tastings at select properties on the Niagara Wine Trail, with transportation provided by Mac Limo.
John Percy, president of the NTCC, was happy to hear a local couple had won the contest.
“The 12-13-14 contest was a great way to showcase our attractions and remind the world that we are still the Honeymoon Capital of the World,” Percy said. “The Kotarski’s are a perfect example of the passion residents should have for our region, and I congratulate them on their marriage.”
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Monday, January 26, 2015 3:00 am.
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