Flair Boston
Photograph by Francine Zaslow, styling by Abby Bielagus/Ennis You found it. The dress. Now it’s your bridesmaids’ turn. Choose a frock they’ll want to wear again (really) at Flair, where owner Stacey Kraft helps bridal parties sift through rack upon colorful rack of shifts, one-shoulders, and A-lines from top designers such as Jenny Yoo, Anna Elyse, and the Dessy Group. Beloved by wedding pros, the airy studio offers top-notch service and refreshingly honest advice. 140 Newbury St., Boston, MA flairbridesmaid.com.
Boston Public Library
Matt Teuten Photography The gurgle of the cast-bronze fountain in the Italianate open-air courtyard. The glow of the green glass lamps on Bates Hall’s long reading tables. Set the scene for your own epic love story at the BPL. With an array of dramatic party spaces and creative, personalized cuisine from the Catered Affair, the Renaissance Revival treasure is less library and more fairy-tale romance in the making. bpl.org; thecateredaffair.com/bpl. 700 Boylston St., Boston, MA .
Rockport
Is there anything better than summertime in the seaside town of Rockport? / Photograph by Jared Kuzia Rockport’s waterfront downtown is straight out of Hollywood casting. Limited parking means limited cars to impede your Sunday stroll (catch a ride in from the outskirts on the free shuttle bus), and stroll you shall: to boutiques that go beyond the tourist schlock, art galleries run by actual artists, shops dealing in such small-town staples as homemade ice cream and candy, and solid restaurants, from swanky spots to clam shacks.
Henry Bear’s Park
Whether you’re shopping for an infant or a 12-year-old, this toy heaven has just about every plaything imaginable. Choose from polka-dotted sidewalk chalk, marble maze sets, and illuminated construction blocks to unleash your little tyke’s imagination. You’ll also find a rich supply of the classics, from Lego sets to Calico Critters.
December Thieves
Jewelry designer and shop curator extraordinaire Lana Barakat scours the globe for the best eclectic indie designers and artisans so you don’t have to. Both her Beacon Hill storefront and its SoWa counterpart, Heist, are always brimming with one-of-a-kind stunners such as laser-cut geometric leather earrings and gorgeous porcelain perfume bottles for your vanity. 88 Charles St., Boston, MA 02114, decemberthieves.com.
The Red Wagon
When it’s time to outfit your progeny with knitted lobster sweaters and Holly Hastie dresses, look no further than the Red Wagon, Beacon Hill’s epicenter of pint-size prep. Thoughtful touches, like appearances by professional child-silhouette artists to immortalize those precious purchases, make the experience fun for parents and kids alike.
Hermes
Last August, Hermès unveiled a new and improved Back Bay showroom, nearly doubling its fashionable footprint with more than 8,700 square feet over two stories. That’s given the très chic Parisian design house plenty of room to display its most covetable accessories: handbags and silk scarves, naturally, but also home décor, fragrances, and even the lusted-after equestrian line. 50 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116, hermes.com.
Pure Glow
One session with owner Lauren Rampello, and you’ll never hop into an automated spray-tan booth again. Her paraben-, formaldehyde-, and retinol-free formula is meticulously applied by hand, leaving no room for streaks or missed spots. Stop into the recently opened studio for a custom color consultation, or let Rampello bring her pop-up tanning station to your home. Either way, 20 minutes is all you’ll need for a subtle glow that lasts for the better part of a week. 176 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, pureglowtanning.com.
Patrice Vinci, Patrice Vinci Salon
Balayage, the freeform process of handpainting dye onto individual locks of hair, requires patience, artistry, and plenty of know-how. Luckily, longtime stylist Patrice Vinci has all of those things in spades, having styled celebrities from Ellen Pompeo to Betsy Brandt for the red carpet. Her sun-kissed, natural looks are so lustrous and dimensional, your only regret will be not having booked the appointment sooner. 91 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, patricevinci.com.
Commonwealth Worldwide
Whether you want your high-profile clients chauffeured around town or simply need a lift to Logan, Commonwealth Worldwide has you covered, stylishly. Founded in Boston nearly 35 years ago, the international car service boasts sparkling new fleets of luxury sedans and SUVs, as well as an app that allows users to track their vehicle, contact their driver, or adjust their itinerary with ease. Move over, Uber. 250 Everett St., Allston, 02128, commonwealthlimo.com.
Patrick Gaggiano, Vialé
Photograph by Webb Chappell There are a couple of reasons to visit a bar. One is to sip masterful cocktails. The other is to savor the charms of the bartender, a pleasure you'll discover in less than five minutes when the lighthearted Gaggiano is behind the stick. At Vialé, he's as likely to pour you a shot of cheap whiskey for the hell of it as he is to whip up an inspired creation filled with infusions and specialty liqueurs. 502 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, vialecambridge.com.
Uni
Ken Oringer's swanky sushi den is known for its artistic, stop-you-in-your-tracks renditions of raw fish, but there's so much more to love. During dinner service, sansho-pepper-dusted karaage fried chicken, petite nubs of rock-shrimp tempura, and octopus dumplings known as takoyaki help absorb the sticker shock—and the stomach space—left behind by the pricey sashimi. The late-night weekend menu has its own identity, highlighted by steaming bowls of ramen. 370 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215, unisashimibar.com.
Dwelltime
What's one way to maintain control over your coffee and espresso? Own a supply chain—which is how this Cambridge shop, from local roaster Barismo, became such a well-oiled machine. Beyond pulling expert cortados and offering cold brew on draft, Dwelltime also boasts superior digs, with a copper bar and lots of pickled, baked, and sandwiched snacks for nibbling. 364 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139, dwelltimecambridge.com.
Qingdao Garden
Boston reps several styles of Chinese cuisine well—we have fiery Sichuan specialists, Taiwanese soup-dumpling pros, and temples to luxurious Cantonese seafood in Chinatown. For the floury, dumpling-heavy cuisine of the north, we head straight to Qingdao. There you'll find plates of fragrant cumin-laced lamb, crispy pan-fried leek-stuffed pies, and, most important, a massive roster of house-made dumplings in varieties like pork-and-leek and vegetarian string bean. 2382 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02138, qingdaogarden.com.
Sweet Cheeks
Tiffani Faison's barbecue temple has taken the smoky crown in this town four years running, and justifiably so. Those fussing over the heftier prices should note—her fall-apart ribs, crackly-skinned sausages, and mammoth slabs of brisket are sourced from the highest-quality purveyors. Meat aside, Sweet Cheeks is also the rare barbecue spot that welcomes vegetarian diners with sublime biscuits and one of the finest salads in town—a crunchy mash-up of farro, candied hazelnuts, Brussels sprouts, grapes, and arugula. 1381 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02215, sweetcheeksq.com.