Bridal

• Band

  Brickpark Entertainment

  For couples looking to celebrate their nuptials with a soundtrack of anything from AC/DC to R&B, Paul Loura’s Brickpark is the group to book. A decade of wedding experience means Brickpark’s versatile members can accommodate acoustic dinner sets and rowdy, DJ-backed receptions. The five band members take turns singing, making fine use of a 500-song set list that’ll draw even the most stubborn wallflower to the floor. “If people are going home early, you really didn’t do your job,” Loura says.

  55 Avalon Drive, Taunton | 508-802-2290 | brickparkent.com

• Bridesmaid Dress

  Flair Bridesmaid

  If Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph had trouble navigating the choppy waters of bridal parties, it can’t be easy for the rest of us. Whether customers are searching for a classically cut frock or a canary-colored sheath, Flair will keep ladies smiling with sweet yet sophisticated picks from Badgley Mischka, Jenny Yoo, Anna Elyse and Lynn Lugo. A line of convertible dresses that can be worn strapless, halter-style or over the shoulder ensures figure-flattering configurations for everyone. At last, bridesmaid-dress shopping is more “fête” than “fret.”

  10 Newbury St., Fourth floor, Boston | 617-247-2828 | flairbridesmaid.com

• Cake

  Party Favors

  For 20 years, Party Favors co-owner John Pergantis has created delightful wedding cakes born from wild imagination. Whether his customers want a fondant model of Fenway Park or a lace pattern matching the bride’s gown, it’s Pergantis’ pleasure to oblige. Currently, he says, the trend is toward simplicity, like an ivory cake dressed up with a red ribbon or a chocolate ganache–smothered tower. No matter the design, you’re guaranteed a cake that's delicious.

  1356 Beacon St., Brookline | 617-566-3330 | partyfavorsbrookline.com
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  Photo Credit: Katie Noble

  Calligraphy

  Letter Be Calligraphy

  Lesley Yoder’s online shop showcases her timeless invitations, stamps and table cards. Although Letter Be only opened in 2011, its story flows with history and emotion. A self-professed romantic and self-taught calligrapher, Yoder teaches college-level French and writing. (One of her lettering styles is an homage to 19th-century Romanticist Alfred de Vigny, the subject of her dissertation.) Naturally, word of this local talent has started to spread. Her art and design blog, Words & Eggs, has amassed nearly 30,000 followers, and she’s collaborated with Cartolina Cards and American Greetings.

  etsy.com/shop/LetterBeOnEtsy

• Caterer

  Cuisine Chez Vous

  Irish native and Chez Vous co-owner Fiona Casey works with a variety of budgets to coordinate delectable fare, smashing decor and other must-have services for loving couples. “We do as much or as little as a client needs,” Casey says. Whether for sit-down meals, buffets or cocktail hours, executive chef James Murcko serves up locally sourced, fusion-style food, including grilled sea scallops on sugarcane skewers and ancho chili–crusted beef tenderloin topped with onion relish and bacon-bourbon sauce. With the pastry chef plating nine cake varieties, it’s a simple step from “I do” to “I’ll have seconds.”

  7 Miller St., Somerville | 617-576-3652 | cuisinechezvous.com

• Engagement Rings

  Joseph Gann Jewelers

  Nervous grooms have counted on Joseph Gann’s gems since the 1950s. Whether the perfect ring is modern or vintage, princess- or emerald-cut, Gann’s jewels ensure sparkling eyes, smiles and fingers. “People come in with pictures or a design, and we can make it,” says Joshua Gann, Joseph’s grandson who now runs the business with his brother and sister. Selling engagement rings and wedding bands is “a happy business,” they say. “We make it easy.”

  387 Washington St., Boston | 617-426-4932 | josephgann.com
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  Photo Credit: Dave Bradley

  Favor

  Barleycorn’s

  Send your guests home with a six-pack instead of a centerpiece, and they’ll be toasting you long after the festivities have ended. At Barleycorn’s, couples become brewmasters, designing custom labels for their IPAs and Belgians (see p.156). Owner Dan Eng guides newbies through the process, offering ingredients to craft 130 types of beer (root beer, too) and 15 varieties of wine. Beer brewing costs about $175 for six cases, and total brewing time takes as little as two weeks.

  21 Summer St., Natick | 508-651-8885 | barleycorn.com

• Florist

  Tangerine Creations

  From striking red dahlias to delicate spring peonies, Orly Khon uses flowers that are big, bold and vibrant. A native of Israel who grew up in Venezuela, Khon parlays her background in fine arts and graphic design into crafting remarkable floral confections. She works closely with clients, taking into account venue, style, budget and inspiration to invent lush, seasonal arrangements. Some 45 couples commission this appointment-only florist each year, and a pre-wedding sample session ensures that the big day brings only happy surprises.

  141 Malden St., Suite 103, Boston | 617-202-0299 | tangerinecreations.com

• Gown

  L’élite

  Whether they dream of a princess, fit ’n’ flare or ball gown, brides who covet elegant dresses visit L’élite to fulfill their fantasies. After starting a business restoring antique gowns and veils, Lebanese native Salwa Khoory saw an opportunity when she couldn’t find a modern, clean-cut dress for a family wedding. “That brought me to the market.” Khoory explains. Her bridal shop, now at a new Newbury Street location, carries 15 high-end European and American designers, including Carolina Herrera, Oscar de la Renta and Elie Saab.

  14 Newbury St., Boston | 617-424-1010 | lelite.com

• Hair/Makeup

  Demiche

  Owner Michelle Arruda DeVoe and her stylists—all of whom have at least 10 years of experience—make it their mission to ensure that everything from the bride’s chignon to her mascara can survive her well-wishers, Champagne toasts and battery of air kisses. Custom-blended makeup using Demiche’s own Beiju line guarantees a natural, glamorous look. “It’s very flattering to be chosen to be a part of the most important day of [a couple’s] life,” Arruda DeVoe says. Book early and rest assured you’ll look picture-perfect.

  425 Main St., Melrose | 781-662-1796 | demiche.net

• Invitations, Classic

  The Goosefish Press

  Age-old technology is a fitting way to announce your timeless love story. Owner Robert Charlton pumps the pedal of antique letterpresses, hand-feeding the paper to churn out batches of embossed invitations. Dotting his SoWa shop are dozens of cards adorned with designs like sailboats and etchings of Boston’s Public Garden. After transitioning from investment banking to the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Charlton found that stationery was his perfect match.

  450 Harrison Ave., Boston | 617-728-2822 | goosefishpress.com

• Invitations, Modern

  JHill Design

  Jennifer Hill bases her popular stationery line “Places I Have Never Been” on imagined vacations to locales like Cairo and Cape Town. Imbuing her prints and wedding invitations with colors like canary and blueberry, Hill achieves a modern aesthetic with bold patterns and map motifs. She offers two collections—the fresh-feeling, graphic Topsfield and the ever-elegant Grafton. Every year, Hill donates a portion of her sales to the Alzheimer’s Association in honor of her dad, the inspiration for her feather-embossed Block Island print.

  617-475-0718 | jhilldesign.com
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  Photo Credit: Dan Watkins

  Jewelry

  M. Flynn

  Yes, M. Flynn can send you home with a classic six-prong engagement ring. But sisters Megan and Moria Flynn, owners of the South End store, would prefer to adorn you with something more inspired. The Flynns grew up making jewelry together in Bangor, Maine, and worked in marketing (Megan) and banking (Moria) before returning to their childhood passion. Known for their antique flower designs (perfect for bridesmaids’ gifts), the sisters also carry vintage engagement rings and are eager to help brides transform family jewels into something unique.

  40 Waltham St., Boston | 617-292-0079 | mflynnjewelry.com
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  Photo credit: Channing Johnson

  Photographer

  Channing Johnson Photography

  Channing Johnson’s photographs tell the story of an entire day—from poignant, private moments to candid laughs and hilarious dance-floor performances. He might take a few staged pics, but Johnson’s background as a photojournalist underlies his philosophy of quietly documenting your wedding’s spontaneity. “I work for people who don’t want their weddings to be a production,” he says. “They want to be very present. I want to respond to what’s happening and pay attention to real moments.”

  617-640-6091 | channingjohnson.com
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  Photo credit: Nicole Popma

  Place to Register

  Simon Pearce

  These handcrafted wares marry New England charm and European flair, using materials from locations both near (Sheffield, Mass.) and far (Sweden). Relaunching their registry program last year, the company added perks, like a free getaway to a Vermont inn and a complimentary meal at a Simon Pearce restaurant, anytime before the first wedding anniversary. The trip gives newlyweds a chance to craft memories together while visiting the Vermont-based artisans behind their charming gifts.

  103 Newbury St., Boston | 617-450-8388 | simonpearce.com
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  Photo Credit: Adam DeTour

  Planner

  Tangorra Wedding Planning

  Whether organizing a breezy coastal celebration in Maine or a downtown reception at the Boston Harbor Hotel, Linnea Tangorra knows what it takes to elicit wedding-day smiles. No matter when she’s brought on board—months in advance or the day of the ceremony—Tangorra works her magic to negotiate with vendors, tie up loose ends and smooth over crises. “We know how to handle stress,” she says. “And we keep it away from the client whenever possible.” Certain that every detail has been expertly arranged, clients are able to eat, drink and be married.

  251 Newbury St., Boston | 978-809-0275 | linneatangorra.com

• Reception Venue, Large

  Artists For Humanity EpiCenter

  Constructed from recycled materials like railroads and windshields, Fort Point’s three-story EpiCenter is a modern blank canvas. The quirky space can be reimagined for any reception—enjoy cocktails in the painting studio, host dinner downstairs and mingle with guests in the courtyard. Best of all, 100 percent of rental proceeds go to Artists for Humanity’s nonprofit programs, which benefit city teens by providing jobs in graphic design, digital media and other arts.

  100 West 2nd St., Boston | 617-268-7620 | afhboston.org/epicenter.php
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  Photo Credit: Lauren Peate

  Reception Venue, Small

  French Cultural Center

  Paris may be lovely in the springtime, but this stately Back Bay Victorian mansion is fitting for an ultra-chic wedding anytime of year. Sit down to an intimate dinner for 45 in a first-floor ballroom covered with dark paneling and rococo details. Cocktail-style receptions can accommodate more guests, who might enjoy Brie and Champagne to the tune of Édith Piaf classics. Although there are no services on-site, the nonprofit offers a list of their preferred providers, from musicians to wine vendors. For a small celebration, you couldn’t ask for l’amour.

  53 Marlborough St., Boston | 617-912-0400 | frenchculturalcenter.org

• Videographer

  Long Haul Films

  Two years ago, husband-and-wife duo Tom and Melissa Dowler set out to interview couples for a documentary about marriage. “The next logical step was to do weddings,” says Melissa. But no bright lights or bulky equipment will invade the ceremony. Tom, a British expat, shoots as unobtrusively as possible. The resulting five-minute wedding trailer and full DVD or Blu-ray is a moving memento. “We believe that every wedding and every couple is unique,” Melissa says. “We really make our wedding films with love.”

  617-259-8900 | longhaulfilms.com