It took seven years for the stars to align so Adriana Lombardi and Donald Stanzione could date, but though circumstances dictated their long platonic friendship, Don was left with little doubt that they would someday be together. “I knew I wanted to marry her shortly after meeting her,” he says, and two years into their long-awaited romance, he proposed exactly that.

The couple’s nuptial mass took place beneath the soaring wooden ceilings of a Roman Catholic cathedral. The bride wore a stunning fit-and-flare gown of exquisite white lace with crystal-embellished rosettes held in place with a satin sash. A rope of perfectly matched pearls adorned her neck and fell gracefully down her back, clasped together for effect with a Deco diamond pendant. Adriana’s delicate bridal bouquet featured a mix of roses, gardenias, and ranunculus blossoms lightly interspersed with downy ostrich feathers. Preceded down the aisle by attendants attired in lacy grey sheaths, the bride was aglow as she took her place at the altar beside her tuxedo-clad groom. “The emotional rush of walking down the aisle with my father towards the man of my dreams is something I’ll never forget,” she says.

A hilltop mansion surrounded by a lush landscape of trees and other verdure served as the venue for the formal reception. Familial photographs and ancestral wedding dresses were on prominent display as guests entered the grand foyer. “I feel that wedding gowns are a most important piece of family history,” Adriana explains of the garb displayed elegantly on ivory dress forms. “Everyone enjoyed viewing them as well as the pictures.” Cocktails were enjoyed in a sunlit conservatory before guests obtained their seating assignments for dinner in the ballroom.

The reception décor was a study in sophisticated contrasts. Crystal chandeliers and faceted votives sparkled alongside rustic touches such as vessels filled with river rocks and a pergola made of branches dotted with white flowers. Floral centerpieces varied in height and featured languid compositions of roses, hydrangeas, and amaranthus, while custom lamps comprised of candelabrum decorated with twigs offered a different look.

Reception tables were draped in silvery linens with floral-embroidered overlays. Table numbers were propped on miniature wooden easels, and pearl-embellished menus were held in silken sleeves. The couple’s magnificent lemon-raspberry wedding cake was as visually appealing as it was delicious, adding to the elegant ambiance of the room. “It was decorated in a lace pattern to match my dress, banded with ribbon, and topped with fresh flowers,” Adriana describes. Ambient lighting gave the neutral room a delicate wash of color.

The details were captured beautifully by an event artist who painted a portrait of the scene as the evening unfolded. “We have an oil painting to cherish forever,” says the bride, who also incorporated a print of the portrait into her personal stationery. “When I look at the painting I feel the emotion of the evening. It seems magical.”

Not to be discouraged from joining loved ones on the dance floor, Adriana exchanged her voluminous gown for a short dress paired with perfectly level sandals. In addition to the music, guests enjoyed hand-rolled cigars from a station as well as a bevy of delectable desserts. “I loved it when my wife and I left the ballroom to go into the conservatory for the Viennese hour,” says Don. “All our guests were lined up along the walkway outside holding sparklers as we passed through.”

“We had the mansion to ourselves overnight, so the after-party went on till morning,” adds the bride.

A fitting tribute to a deserving couple who knows that timing is absolutely everything.