Institute of Contemporary Art
Photo by Henry + Mac You don’t have to be an art lover to appreciate the grandeur of a wedding at the ICA. With skyhigh ceilings and swaths of glass (to say nothing of the city and harbor views), the museum’s customizable event spaces are truly in a league of their own. But it’s not just the architecture that stands out; with artfully prepared cuisine from the seasoned wedding vets at the Catered Affair, the ICA’s exclusive caterer, you’ll be more than satisfied even if you don’t duck out to enjoy the galleries (although you totally should). 25 Harbor Shore Dr., Boston, MA 02210, icaboston.org.
The Art Store
From its creative workshops and tattooed employees to the epic collection of papers, every inch of the Art Store inspires creativity. The meticulously organized setting is the perfect place to lose track of time as you meander through wide aisles neatly packed with everything from standard paints, brushes, canvases, frames, journals, gifts, scrapbooks, and wrapping paper. Whether you're in the market for professional art supplies, a photo album, or rainy day children's games, the Art Store is the place to find your inner Degas. 401 Park Dr., Boston, MA .
Mill 1 at Open Square
Housed in a refurbished paper mill out west in Holyoke, Mill 1’s brick walls and pine beams take full advantage of the 5,000-square-foot space’s historical details while keeping elegance at the forefront. Better yet, the staff of expert event managers can deck out the venue to suit your style — from a white-linen affair among glittering bistro lights to a more pared-back fete with wooden farm tables and paper lanterns. Bonus: Open Square is a net-zero-energy development (it generates as much energy as it uses), so your wedding will be both beautiful and carbon-neutral. 4 Open Square Way, Holyoke, MA 1040, mill1events.com.
Land's End Inn
Only Philistines and acrophobes could fail to fall in love with this, the most rapturous among Cape Cod's many small inns. Part oasis, part museum, the property perches high above Gull Hill and peers over what seems like every crevice of Cape Cod. If you somehow get tired of the view, you can turn you attention to the luxuriant gardens and lavish collection of ornate late-19th-century antiques, Tiffany lamps, and statues. If it's free, book the Bay Tower Room which hovers above the sea, dunes, and miles of marsh; you'll feel like you're sleeping not just at the tip of the Cape, but on top of the world. 22 Commercial St., Provincetown, MA landsendinn.com.
Bleu
The Cape does fried seafood really, really well. Beyond that; dining in the area can be hit-or-miss. Loire Valley expat Frederic Feufeu reels it in with authentic French bistro fare the likes of which the Cape has never seen: cassoulet with duck confit, poached foie gras au torchon, escargot in garlic butter. 10 Market St., Mashpee, MA 2649, bleurestaurant.com.
Harbor Hotel Provincetown
Shady motor inns might be quintessential Cape Cod, but we don't have to like 'em. So we're thrilled to see the old Cape Inn reborn as the Harbor Hotel, with a mod new look and superb amenities. Spend all day dipping your toes in the pool, then wiggle them in the sand while sitting by the fire pit. 698 Commercial St., Provincetown, MA 2657, harborhotelptown.com.
Wequassett Resort and Golf Club
The Wequassett is the Cape's best resort hotel because of the plush accommodations, the Cape Cod National Golf Club, and the award-winning Twenty-Eight Atlantic restaurant (helmed by chef James Hackney, formerly of L'Espalier). But it's the little things that feel so special—like the vintage-style Good Humor truck that drives around delivering frozen treats to guests. 2173 Massachusetts 28, Harwich, MA 2645, wequassett.com.
Sesuit Harbor Café
Sure, seafood is easy to come by on the Cape. But you're reading this magazine, so you’re looking for the best. Pack your cooler and sunscreen and snag a picnic table at Sesuit Harbor Café: Yes, you’ll wait in a line out the door, sit outside rain or shine, and BYOB, but once those heaping trays of lobster rolls, fried scallops and clams, and Cape Cod Bay oysters are in front of you, you’ll understand. sesuit-harbor-cafe.com.
Ocean Terrace
Sip a Cape Codder with Cape Cod Bay as your backdrop at the outdoor bar of the elegant Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club. Facing toward the Brewster Flats, it enjoys a West Coast sunset (sundowner, anyone?), making it the ideal place to toast 18 holes well played or an idyllic day on the beach. Add on any of the menu’s New England classics, including oysters on the half shell and clam chowder, and you’ve got a hole in one. 2907 Main St., Brewster, MA 02631, oceanedge.com/dining/ocean-terrace.
East Meets West
Combining hyper-fresh ingredients and beautiful presentations, the team at East Meets West keeps in close contact with clients, venues, and other vendors to make certain each wedding goes off without a hitch. And you can count on the cuisine, which includes a delectable fusion of dishes ranging from raw bars with freshly shucked oysters to passed hors d’oeuvre such as Vietnamese summer rolls and beef- tenderloin-topped brioche toasts. eastmeetswestcatering.com.
Boston Unique Events
It's your wedding and all you got was this lousy, rubbery chicken. Make your special day special by hiring Boston Unique Events. Owner Susan Callender puts together wedding menus with a chef s eye, and her seasonal dishes lemon-marinated grilled scallops, warm pumpkin-ginger bisque, seafood crêpes with thyme cream made with fresh ingredients and plated with a subtle flair, ensure the food looks as good as you do. 498 Pleasant St., Watertown, MA bostonuniqueevents.com.
Max Ultimate Food
The sadly standard wedding victuals (banal cheese selections, limp veggie platters) find no place on the menus of MAX Ultimate Food, provider of both impeccable service and outstanding cuisine. The company's repertoire marries the creative with the classic: grilled shrimp with blood orange glaze, roasted duck and caramelized shallot tartlet, and lobster blini tied with chive. There's no taste too exotic, no request too outlandish for the indefatigable crew headed by good veterans Neal Balkowitsch and Dan Mathieu—from tiny weddings to big fat Greek blowouts. 100 Magazine St., Boston, MA maxultimatefood.com.
Gus & Ruby
Photo by Ken Richardson You can always count on this darling Charles Street stationer’s selection of cards, wrapping paper, prints, and baby gifts to be creative, cheerful, and colorful — much like best-friend founders Samantha Finigan and Whitney Swaffield themselves. And lucky for us, they recently expanded to a design studio next door to give us even more to love. 99 Charles St., Boston, MA 02114, gusandruby.com.
Chive Events
Drawing from an arsenal of locally sourced produce, Chive whips up such mouthwatering dishes as apple-and-wine-braised short ribs and decadent cocoa-caramel cream puffs. Need another reason to book? To avoid wasting food, the company delivers leftovers to local composting businesses. Virtue never tasted so good. 30 Rantoul St., Beverly, MA 01915, chiveevents.com.
Saltbox Kitchen
Chef-owner Ben Elliott, whose grandparents started the family farm in the 1940s, grows garden staples and lesser-known heirloom veggies and raises sheep for meat, chickens for eggs, and bees for honey, which translates to the freshest ingredients possible on your wedding plate. His stint as chef de cuisine at Barbara Lynch’s No. 9 Park, meanwhile, translates to creative, beautifully plated dishes—from wild striped bass with tomato agrodolce in the summer to handmade tagliatelle with white-wine-braised rabbit and charred baby onions in the fall. 84 Commonwealth Ave., Concord, MA saltboxkitchen.com.