Smudge Ink
Your invitation sets the tone of the wedding—no pressure at all, right? Enter Smudge Ink, which has its own on-site letterpress to ensure complete control over quality and design. Work with the team to create a custom look, or choose from a selection of pre-made options (they lean swirly and feminine). They'll even incorporate your own artwork for a truly unique invitation. 50 Terminal St., Charlestown, MA 02129, smudgeink.com.
AE Events
Planning a wedding is like putting together a 1,000-piece puzzle, and the six-person team at AE Events is skilled at making it all fit. Want a seven-course Tuscan feast with live jazz for 400? Done. A 50-person bonfire beach celebration? No problem! From contracts and vendor negotiations to creative extras (taco bar, anyone?), they're steadfast, organized allies. And if your budget is a ball and chain, they'll work with that, too. 546 East Broadway, South Boston, MA 02127, aeevents.com.
Rugg Road Paper Company
Engagement announcements, invitations, programs: Set the tone you want with a little help from Rugg Road. At this Beacon Hill boutique, you'll find a staggering selection—traditional Crane's, contemporary letterpress, or custom creations—inspiring samples, and an amicable staff to guide you should you decide to stray from the standard black-on-ivory motif. 105 Charles St., Boston, MA ruggroadpaper.com.
The Urban Grape
Photograph by Jessica Scranton We're done wandering around wine shops, waiting patiently for a clerk to comb his mental archives for something we'll enjoy. Urban Grape sells wine the way we like to buy it: grouped by body and intensity—not by region, grape, or cheesy categories like "fresh and fruity." Add in a tasting machine that dispenses samples of staff favorites, and you have a shopping experience worth toasting. 7 Boylston St., Chestnut Hill, MA 2467, theurbangrape.com.
Oro
Its name means gold, and owners Jill and Robin King have struck it with this newcomer. The Kings source much of their fish and shellfish from local boats, and while the menu isn't limited to seafood, once you've tasted the lobster cake with tomato crema, or the prosciutto-wrapped cod, you'll find it difficult to order anything else. 162 Front St., Scituate, MA 2066, restaurantoro.com.
Bella Sante
Bella sante strikes the right combination of peaceful spa (fruit-infused water, plush furnishings) and briskly run business (in and done in half an hour). Technicians prune and preen nails into such pristine condition it's almost a shame to cover them with polish — but those who do will walk out with lacquered tops strong enough to endure several days worth of wear and tear. 38 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2116, bellasante.com.
Sofra Bakery and Cafe
Trailing orange blossom syrup and rose petal sugar, Ana Sortun's year-old bakery-café comes on like a Salome of sweets, beguiling the cupcake-and-cookie crowd with such Middle Eastern-inspired delicacies as Egyptian bread pudding and Syrian shortbread with rhubarb-rose jam. To pastry chef Maura Kilpatrick, our oversugared palates owe thanks for a much-needed dose of spice. 1 Belmont St., Cambridge, MA 2138, sofrabakery.com.
Grill 23 & Bar
Where others might lean on 'steak wines' like big California cabs (yawn), Grill 23's DeWinter is likely to suggest a Paolo Bea Rosso 2000, from the little Umbrian town of Sagrantino, for your bone-in filet—he's just that excited about the unsung heroes in his cache of some 1,500 labels. Odds are, you will be, too. 161 Berkeley St., Boston, MA 2116, grill23.com.
Formaggio Kitchen
Formaggio Kitchen Formaggio features a carefully considered yet seemingly endless array of marbled blues, sharp cheddars, and runny Robiolas, some of it kept in underground "caves" built to duplicate the conditions of the natural European caverns where cheeses are traditionally aged. You'll find a great selection of other high-end groceries, too, but just try walking out the door without an expertly wrapped wedge of fromage in your bag—it simply can't be done. 244 Huron Ave., Cambridge, MA formaggiokitchen.com.
Island Creek Oyster Bar
Chef Jeremy Sewall has a family connection to the best crustaceans around: His cousin Mark is a Maine lobsterman. And the best vehicle for his wares just may be Island Creek's lobster roll. Mixed with créme fraîche, dill pickles, and celery salt, the succulent meat is stuffed into a house-made rosemary-flecked roll and sent out to the table bursting at the seams. Take a moment to savor the stunning visual, because it'll be gone before you can say, "Pass the napkins, please." 500 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 2115, islandcreekoysterbar.com.
Beacon Hill Chocolates
The truffle display alone, filled with row upon row of beautiful, handcrafted chocolates from the best confectioners in the world, is well worth the trip to this Charles Street boutique. Once we've chosen from the blood-orange fleur-de-lis and candied-bacon caramels, each dainty treat is wrapped individually—which we suppose is cool and all, but really just delays our tearing into them. 91 Charles St., Boston, MA 2114, beaconhillchocolates.com.
Church
Photograph by Kristin Tieg Don't let the Korn-T-shirt-clad crowd outside the adjoining music club scare you off; once you get inside the restaurant portion of Church, you're in for a mellow—and seriously enjoyable—dining experience. If tuna tartare is available, go for it; our favorite version is served with cucumber chunks and wonton chips. The grilled steak tips with truffle-Parm fries are also delicious. 69 Kilmarnock St., Boston, MA 2215, churchofboston.com.
Barneys New York
While these days any clothing boutique worth its counter-side Hanky Panky display boasts a 'denim wall,' none can touch the selection at the downtown Barneys. The racks and tables and shelves of jeans include the blue-chip (True Religion, Paper Denim & Cloth), the hard-to-find (Acne, Edun), and the affordable (J Brand, Cheap Monday). Bargain hunters salivate over the store's semi-annual sale, which recently saw a pair of $300 Ksubis go for less than $60. 100 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 2116, barneys.com.
Samsonite Black Label
Whether it's being plundered by humorless airport security or punted down the escalator in frustration by its God-awfully delayed owner, today's luggage had better be tough. Samsonite's Copley boutique has manifold takes on the luggage maker's famed durability: hard- and soft-shelled suitcases, totes, weekenders, handbags, and wallets (many done in collaboration with couturiers like Alexander McQueen). Don't miss the chance to tap the staff's encyclopedic knowledge of airport regs and size restrictions while you're at it. Copley Place, Boston, MA 2116, .
Second Time Around
Some things just get better with age—especially at Second Time Around, where last year's splurges are today's total steal. Sort through racks of gently used Gucci, BCBG Max Azria, and Dolce & Gabbana pants, suits, tops, and jeans, all at a fraction of their original prices and none more than two years old. Staffers are as helpful as they are fashion-conscious, and can often tell you the history of the designer suit they're ringing up. 176 Newbury St., Boston, MA secondtimearound.net.