Joyful Celebration at The Empire Room

Joe Dougherty’s romantic proposal to Sophia Dongilli was almost thwarted when his fiancée-to-be didn’t want to leave the house the night he planned to pop the question. With wet hair and no makeup, she finally went to her friend’s place for a girls’ night, and returned to find her home filled with rose petals, candles, photos and Joe on bended knee. The two immediately started planning their woodland-inspired wedding. The bride was dressed to impress in a show-stopping champagne-colored gown. As Sophia’s something borrowed, a band of cloth from her mother’s wedding gown tied stems of her bouquet together. Small framed photos of the couple’s late grandmothers hung from the bride’s bouquet, and wedding portraits of grandparents from both sides also were on view. Hues of emerald, sage, copper and orange filled the venue, despite the summer date. “We don’t subscribe to the need to follow old-fashioned seasonal rules!” Sophia says. Centerpieces of candelabras, glass shadow boxes, metallic vases and lamps showcased their style. To pay homage to Sophia’s Italian roots, a traditional cookie table featured over 1,500 homemade cookies made from family recipes from both families; labels noted who made each cookie, with their relationship to the bride or groom.