Introducing the newlyweds
Margaret Daniels & Steven Kofkoff
photos by Nathaniel Edmunds Rowe
By Blaise Hart-Schmidt
Most men don’t propose to their girlfriends by waking them up one minute after midnight, but Maggie Daniels and Steven Kofkoff like doing things with a twist. Maggie and Steven both worked for large investment banking companies in New York City when they met. As a result of the financial crisis, Steven’s employer, Barclay’s, bought out Maggie’s employer; and the two groups merged. Eventually, the pair started dating, and did so for two-and-a-half years, until Steven’s 27th birthday. “My father and my grandfather both got engaged on their 27th birthdays, and my uncle got engaged when he was 27, too,” Steven says. “So it’s kind of a tradition to get engaged at 27.” One Sunday night in April of 2012, Maggie and Steven had a quiet dinner at home before going to bed early for work—and Steven’s birthday—the next day. At the stroke of midnight, Steven woke Maggie up and proposed. “Steve tends to take a long time before big decisions, so I was wondering if he was going to maybe propose sometime within that year,” Maggie says. “I didn’t think it would be at 12:01 a.m.—I probably would have put myself together a little more before I went to bed!” The couple got married 11 months later in Maggie’s family church in Indianapolis, in an interfaith ceremony co-officiated by a rabbi and minister. They stood under the traditional Jewish chuppah, and had both sets of parents stand beside them at the altar for support. Family played a big part at the reception, too: Instead of sitting at a sweetheart table or with the bridal party, the newlyweds sat at a big table with their immediate family. They decked the foyer of their venue—an old Indianapolis train station— with wedding photos of family members, dating back to the early 20th century. The couple also added several personal touches throughout the evening. Guests noshed on toasted ravioli and Ronald Reagan macaroni and cheese— a Daniels family favorite. Instead of signing a traditional guest book, guests signed Polaroid photos of themselves before hanging them up on a clothesline. Female guests had dance cards as place cards, and the males received pencils to sign up for dance time slots, a la Meet Me In St. Louis, one of the couple’s favorite movies. A huge snowstorm postponed Maggie and Steven’s flight out the next day, but the newlyweds eventually traveled to the Turks and Caicos for a relaxing honeymoon. Maggie is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Mitch and Cheri Daniels of Indianapolis. Steven is the son of Drs. Richard Kofkoff and Susan Kofkoff of Creve Coeur.
The Details The Date: March 23, 2013 The Ceremony: Tabernacle Presbyterian Church The Reception: Indianapolis Union Station The Photographer: Nathaniel Edmunds The Flowers: Bo Kay Florist The Music: Jim Cerone The Cake: Heavenly Sweets The Dress: Pronovias The Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Weddington Way The Wedding Planner: A Touch of Elegance
The Bridal Party the Maid of Honor: Bianca Carrillo the Best Man: Greg Cohen the Bridesmaids: Meagan Niese, Melissa Roberts, Meredith Gradle, Julia Kofkoff, Jodi Richardson the Groomsmen: Zach Abrams, Pearse Davidson, Peter Elkins-Williams, Andrew Gulotta, Remington Kendall the Flower Girl: Audrey Gradle the Ring Bearer: Cooper Roberts
To have your wedding featured in the Wedding & Engagments section, call 269-8833 or email bhart-schmidt@laduenews.com.
{LadueNews.com} February 14, 2014
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