Bridal

• Band/DJ

  Boston Common Band

  Here’s a fresh counter to all those aging chanteuses belting out Katy Perry tunes. This group pulls double duty, providing a DJ whenever the six-piece band goes on break, so the momentum never slows down. Drummer Jonathan Wiegratz says the non-stop show encompasses “everything from old-school favorites to ’80s hits to crowd-pleasers.” The dynamic group of Berklee grads and current college musicians even comes equipped with a $25,000, state-of-the-art sound and lighting rig. Requests, anyone?

  3 Adams St., Charlestown » 617-840-5580 » bostoncommonband.com
• 

  Bridesmaid Dress

  Flair Bridesmaid Boutique

  The leading ladies here are on a mission to save Boston bridesmaids from traditional taffeta-catastrophes. Manager Lindsay Simon's operating philosophy is that dresses “should be flattering, cute, and available in a variety of colors and sizes for a variety of body types.” The shop’s hottest sellers are short, deeply hued frocks in chiffon and raw silk shantung by designers like Jenny Yoo, Coren Moore and Lynn Lugo. With dresses ringing in around $200, your bridesmaids can invest in a look they’ll love to wear again.

  Photo Credit: Adam DeTour

  10 Newbury St., Fourth Floor, Boston » 617-247-2828 » flairbridesmaid.com

• Cake

  Party Favors

  From chocolate-cupcake towers showered in Gerber daisies to geometric stacks of carrot cake wrapped in azure fondant ribbons, Party Favors confections never disappoint. Choose from 11 cake flavors, 14 fillings and six frostings for a dessert that’s as personal as your love story. With decadent options like French mocha buttercream or white chocolate–raspberry mousse between layers of almond, lemon or spice, you can have your made-to-order cake and eat it, too.

  1356 Beacon St., Brookline » 617-566-3330 » partyfavorsbrookline.com

• Cake Topper/Keepsake

  Paper, Gowns and Glory

  Aimee Empey reinvents the classic paper doll to craft elaborate, one-of-a-kind toppers and nuptial mementos. Her designs recreate the bride and groom down to the last stitch, incorporating their flowers, hairstyles and attire into miniature incarnations. Starting her business just a year ago, Empey’s already collected a roster of major clients, including local event bigwig Bryan Rafanelli. “It’s become a real labor of love for me,” she says. “[They make] people so excited.”

  523 Medford St., Charlestown » papergownsandglory.com
• 

  Calligrapher

  Fat Orange Cat Studio

  Li Ward didn’t expect a new hobby to expand her pet-and-wedding photography business, but a weekend calligraphy class inspired her to cultivate her own quirky and elegant style. “There’s a method with the strokes—the way you tilt pen and paper, and sit and handle the nibs,” she says. Demand for her elegant envelopes, RSVP inserts, place cards and dinner menus has never slowed. Her work adds a mark of grace to any affair.

  Photo Credit: Li Ward

  617-834-9857 » fatorangecatstudio.com
• 

  Caterer

  Season to Taste Catering

  Farm-to-table wedding-day meals from Season to Taste minimize environmental impact without compromising flavor. Chef/owner Robert Harris worked at East Coast Grill, Rialto and Olives before starting his full-service catering business, where he relies mostly on locally sourced meats and veggies. Before the event, he meets with brides and grooms to customize a menu that his crew cooks on site. “We want to blow people away with our food,” he says. “The only thing we won’t offer is what’s out of season.”

  Photo Credit: Joyelle West

  2447 Mass. Ave., Cambridge » 617-826-9037 » seasontotastecatering.com

• Engagement Rings

  Joseph Gann Jewelers

  The veteran staff at this jeweler has been helping couples though the ring-buying process for almost 80 years. Since 1933, they’ve stuck to a philosophy that promotes quality, affordability and service, which helps ease the prospect of dropping serious cash on a rock. They’re also great about teaching customers the intricacies of diamond-lore, so you’ll soon understand the difference between Asscher-cuts and marquises.

  387 Washington St., Fourth Floor, Boston » 617-426-4932 » josephgann.com
• 

  Favor

  Neil Morris Fragrances

  Bottle the joy and individuality of your special day with a fragrance. Although he has a line of ready-made unisex scents, Neil Morris’ custom potions are what in-the-know brides desire. Morris, who has been creating perfumes for 30 years, builds the perfume directly on the skin—drop by drop—until it embodies the essence of an occasion. For a more individual touch, book Morris’ traveling fragrance bar, which allows guests to create their own olfactory keepsake.

  Photo Credit: Alyssa Greenberg

  221 Mass. Ave., Boston » 617-267-2315 » neilmorrisfragrances.com

• Gown

  Vera Wang Boston

  Join Chelsea Clinton, Ivanka Trump, Uma Thurman and Jennifers both Garner and Lopez in the conga line of famous brides who wore Vera Wang down the aisle. Awash in silks and tulles, the airy Newbury Street store will bring any bride to wedded bliss, as it’s stocked with Cinderella ball gowns, strapless silk mermaid dresses and silk crepe sheaths. Though the boutique has a strict no-cameras policy, friendly consultants help customers find the picture-perfect look among endless, elegant options.

  73 Newbury St., Boston » 617-424-1060 » verawangboston.com

• Hair

  Janet Warner at Salon Marc Harris

  Clients fly 31-year industry vet Janet Warner to locales like New York, St. Thomas and Jamaica so she can craft their coifs for the aisle. Though Warner is happy to tame tresses in any style, a growing number of her brides opt for loose, natural locks and softer updos that are “a little less princess-prom, a little more red carpet.” Insisting upon prenuptial hair trials, Warner experiments with different looks before helping the bride determine the perfect wedding-day ’do. No matter the aesthetic, her looks are consistently a cut above.

  30 Newbury St., Third Floor, Boston » 617-262-2222 » salonmarcharris.com

• Invitations

  À Deux Bespoke Bridal Paper

  After flipping through “50-pound books fondled by hundreds of people,” Kelli Parker sought a unique approach for her wedding invitations. In 2008, she turned her do-it-yourself initiative into a full-time business. Now Parker works with fabrics, imported papers, plastics, metals, furs and crystals to create one-of-a-kind designs that are never, ever repeated. She recently sent out 150 wood-carved invitations for a couple marrying in a Vermont barn. Just call her the material girl.

  617-398-0542 » adeuxbridal.com

• Makeup

  Dana Chasen at Beauty Muse Bridal

  Her resume includes working as a national artist for Trish McEvoy, a stint on Bobbi Brown’s elite New York team and doing the makeup for the Robert Downey Jr. wedding. But Dana Chasen continues to beautify Boston brides with her company, Beauty Muse Bridal. After priming the client’s skin and shaping her brows, Chasen helps the bride “create the best version of herself” with a palette that’s long-lasting and camera-ready. Next up? Her own wedding on Martha’s Vineyard this September.

  617-312-3036 » beautymusebridal.com
• 

  Photographer

  Ashley O’Dell at Ashley O’Dell Photography

  This shutterbug’s color-drenched photos showcase her non-traditional approach. For instance, framing a couple behind a shower of falling red apples, or a shot of a bride and groom standing near Crane Beach, in which rich green grass contrasts against an endless pink-and-blue sky. O’Dell, 28, doesn’t take many action shots; she directs couples so that she can get images that represent the beauty of their big day. “Life isn’t always perfectly photographic,” she says. A recent coup: her work was featured in Brides Magazine.

  Photo Credit: Ashley O’Dell

  617-676-8227 » aodell.com

• Place to Register

  Koo de Kir

  From a classic club chair to the Isamu Noguchi 1950s-style paper floor lamp, Koo de Kir is where wedding registries achieve nirvana. Kristine Irving’s Beacon Hill shop has an eclectic mix of contemporary and vintage furniture, jewelry, handbags, glassware, and bath and body products. Its name, a playful, phonetic spelling of the French phrase meaning “to take the breath away,” should serve as fair warning: Be prepared for some happy gasps and grateful exhalations.

  65 Chestnut St., Boston » 617-723-8111 » koodekir.com

• Planner

  Lola Grace Events

  Rachael Gross celebrates anti-brides: the iconoclasts who roll their eyes at the thought of another cookie-cutter cake-slicing ceremony. Recent nuptials have included eco-friendly setups, a fully stocked candy bar and a reception catered by a late-night sausage cart. A planner who is “passionate about falling in love, but also passionate about staying true” to her clients, Gross is the go-to woman for couples more interested in celebrating their marriage than in convention.

  535 Albany St., Suite 200, Boston » 617-650-8823 » lolagraceevents.com

• Pre-Wedding Pampering

  The Spa at Mandarin Oriental

  With its focus on luxe, personalized treatments, the Mandarin Oriental offers the ultimate premarital indulgence. Bride and groom can spoil themselves in half- and full-day packages, massaging away the stress of drawing up the seating chart. Luxuriate in a whirlpool and crystal steam room equipped with plush robes, fresh fruit and cucumber-infused water, then enjoy light bites in the relaxation lounge. It’s a haven of calm, an oasis from planning the best day of your life.

  776 Boylston St., Boston » 617-535-8820 » mandarinoriental.com/boston/spa

• Reception Venue

  Museum of Science

  Where else can you host a wedding ceremony in front of a T-Rex? Dance, drink and dine with up to 300 people in the Museum of Science’s Blue Wing, with its Apollo module and three floors of exhibits. Couples with a penchant for outer space can host a cocktail hour in the planetarium before moving to a tent and patio that sport sweeping views of the Charles. There’s no proven formula for creating a perfect day, but picking the right setting sure helps.

  1 Science Park, Boston » 617-589-0125 » mos.org

• Resource

  Boston Bridal Lounge

  Knowing that this overwhelming time is most easily navigated with Champagne or cappuccino in hand, Kerri Esposito-Bruneau and Eleni Granas invented a lounge designed specially for brides. Glean inspiration and advice while sampling cakes and perusing table settings in the hip Newbury Street space. Enrollment includes a planning notebook, exclusive offers, concierge services, personal assistance and more. The $250 membership isn’t cheap, but the results are priceless.

  125 Newbury St., Second Floor, Boston » 617-236-0005 » bostonbridallounge.com