A lucky seating arrangement sparked Elizabeth Stankus and musician Edoardo Ferragamo’s romance. “We first met nearly seven years ago at a small dinner hosted by a mutual friend at Café Select in SoHo,” says Elizabeth, who works in brand marketing, of their New York meet-cute. “We were seated across from one another, and in true Italian fashion, Edo was unabashedly forward, finding every excuse to brush my hand, claiming he could read palms, asking for a closer look at my grandmother’s vintage bracelet…the list goes on.” She adds, “Somehow, his charm worked, and here we are today!”

In December 2023, the couple were in Florence to celebrate Christmas at Ville Le Rose, the historic home owned by the Ferragamo family where Edo grew up. “Despite Edo’s sneaky attempt to convince me we had to attend a company Christmas dinner that night, I had a feeling he was going to propose,” remembers Elizabeth. “When he suddenly insisted we stop by Le Rose to pick up some documents for his father, I knew something was up.” Edo first asked Elizabeth to wait in the car, but texted her to help him with something inside five minutes later. “As I walked up to the glass doors, I was met with a glowing candlelit path leading to the ballroom,” she describes. “The moment I stepped inside, a pianist began to play, but Edo was nowhere in sight!”

“I wanted the very first song to be just for her, so she could truly soak in the moment,” Edo explains. When the pianist began the second song, Edo appeared in a new suit. “We embraced with tears streaming down our faces before he dropped to one knee and asked for my hand,” says Elizabeth. “The music played on, and we danced together in the 15th-century frescoed beauty, just the two of us.”