"I designed my restaurant to feel like my home," says Nino Catuogno of Bricco. "Just as I enjoy decorating my home with fresh flowers and playing Italian music in the background, you are welcomed to Bricco by refreshing flowers wherever you look and calmed by soft Italian music."

Greeted by a spray of the season’s most aromatic flowers or by ones of your choosing, your rehearsal dinner guests can congregate at the cocktail bar in the Poppy Room. "When everyone has arrived and has had a chance to mingle and chat, you may move to the dining room for dinner," says Nino.

"If you have many guests, I suggest our private upstairs room, which can accommodate up to 105 people." The room is decorated with bright Italian posters and paintings by Joe Eula, the well-known fashion illustrator, and you can add a personal splash of color by selecting the linen of your choice: Roman mustard, Italian burgundy, or pure white in 100 percent Italian cotton.

Nino will also customize your menu, recommending champagne and two or three passed hors d’oeuvres followed by an hour and a half antipasto table with shrimp, clams, lobster, crabmeat, and cheeses. You may also include prosciutto, salami, dried beefs, roasted vegetables, and a variety of salads.

"The Mediterranean salad is always a favorite," says Nino, "with string beans, lobster, avocado, walnuts, and cherry tomatoes."

For dinner you can offer your guests a choice of two pastas, including Bricco’s signature dish, homemade Neapolitan lasagna. Afterwards, they may feast on a selection of entrées including veal chops in portabello sauce, filet mignon in a peppercorn and brandy sauce, halibut in a cherry tomato, scallion, garlic and white wine sauce, or chicken rollantine stuffed with prosciutto, portabello mushrooms, and fontina cheese in a white wine and lemon sauce.

"We have wonderful surround-sound stereos, but you may bring a live band if it’s more to your liking," says Nino, noting that classic guitars and violins are very romantic.

For bachelor and bachelorette parties there’s an intimate cigar room painted a beautiful pompeii red, bedecked with wine racks, paintings, and a huge humidor.

For an intimate wedding, the upstairs balcony provides a lovely window deck where you can exchange your vows. "We can upgrade everything with more food, more flowers, and more music to make it absolutely spectacular," says Nino. "But best of all, I offer you comfort within your budget for your most special day."

"Love Story," At Bricco

"Recently, a couple I originally introduced here held their rehearsal dinner — and then their wedding reception — at Bricco! At the wedding they both announced that I was the one who introduced them."

They had 50 people at their rehearsal dinner and 64 at their wedding.

"The rehearsal dinner was a three-course $35 menu, but their wedding had a very large menu and included everything. First they had a cocktail hour and champagne with passed hors d’oeuvres. Then they had an hour and a half antipasto table with seafood, shrimp, clams, lobsters, crabmeat and cheeses. They also had Italian cold cuts, of prosciutto, salami and dried beefs, as well as roasted vegetables and different salads."

After that everybody had a combination of two pastas, then a choice of either veal chops in portobello sauce, filet mignon with three kinds of peppercorns in a brandy sauce, or halibut in a cherry tomato, scallion, garlic and white wine sauce.

"We served three desserts, plus miniature Italian pastries. The bride was half Italian, half Irish, and the groom was American.

"They live in the city, very close to the restaurant. They still come by, which is always very special."

Bricco
304 West 56th Street, New York, NY 10019
212.245.7160, www.bricconyc.com