Peak Event Services
Ensuring everything in your event space is in sync with your wedding is a top priority — after all, no couple wants their tent coming down or their tabletops folding up at the wrong time. With Peak Event Services at the helm, the only thing you’ll have to worry about is showing up at the altar. The industry pros offer decades of experience, exceptional service, and a vast, varied inventory of everything from sailcloth tents to delicate china to champagne hedge walls (yes, that’s really a thing). And with six showrooms in New England, including one right in Boston, you won’t have to go far to find the party setup of your dreams. Multiple locations, peakeventservices.com.
Eu2be
Your skin is your body’s largest organ — which means if you’re going to slather something all over it, it better be the good stuff. That’s where local entrepreneur Charla Jones’s newly relaunched line of body creams, oils, and balms comes in. Formulated with nourishing carrier oils (derived from the likes of sunflower, avocado, and sweet almond) that promise to strengthen the skin’s protective barrier, the products are also sustainably sourced and packaged, so you never have to wonder if what you’re putting on your body is healthy for you, or the environment. eu2be.com.
BHLDN
Rallying the troops for a shopping sesh isn’t so easy when your ’maids live in different places. Thankfully, BHLDN’s virtual styling appointments make cross-country celebrating a breeze, ensuring each gal can successfully browse and shop online. As for the dresses? Catering to a range of sizes, styles, and budgets, BHLDN’s selection of gowns in a rainbow of easy-to-match hues — accessible via the shop’s new swatch program — all but ensures your girls will be wearing their picks long after your special day. 220 Boylston St., Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, bhldn.com.
The Spa at Encore Boston Harbor
Photo by Barbara Kraft/Encore Boston Harbor If you think Encore is all bright lights and spinning reels, you’d be right … unless, that is, you’ve taken the elevator up to its state-of-the-art spa, a 19,000-square-foot oasis that feels both ultra-extravagant and profoundly Zen. Before your treatment, unwind in the sauna, relax in the eucalyptus-infused steam room, or take a soak in the hot tub. For the full experience — and a welcome shot of endorphins — alternate between any of these hot options and the cold plunge pool. Your body, and your soul, will thank you. One Broadway, Everett, MA 02149, encorebostonharbor.com.
Crystal Morgan, C.Spa
Even before the very talented Crystal Morgan gets you on the table at her immaculately clean Back Bay studio, she’s already working, sizing up the way you stand to see exactly where your tension lies. Once she begins the massage, her magic hands free up every knot and tension spot. Go ahead and glance in the mirror after your 60- to 90-minute treatment is over: Not only will you feel different, but your posture will actually look visibly different, too. 715 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02116, cspaboston.com.
Ledger
Courtesy photo Whether you’re looking to soak up your hangover with pork belly and grits, satisfy your sweet tooth with French toast pancakes, or stay on your health kick with salmon and avocado toast, there’s something on Ledger’s Sunday-brunch menu worth getting out of bed for. And you won’t want to sleep on the cocktails, either, including the “Electric Relaxation,” featuring cognac, cr&_egrave;me de cacao, RumChata, and chocolate, as well as a 22-ounce bloody mary made with organic Prairie vodka and “secrets.” 125 Washington St., Salem, MA 01970, ledgersalem.com.
TrillFit
Whether you’re a hip-hop newbie or consider your dance skills to be on par with Megan Thee Stallion’s, TrillFit welcomes everyone to join its squad. Led by Heather White, the boutique fitness studio has managed to create a community through its virtual “workout parties,” which range from sweaty sculpting classes to more-restorative sessions that incorporate slow-flow yoga and meditation. And who knows? When you do decide to return to in-person classes, you might just impress your pals with those dance moves you’ve been perfecting in your living room. 1484 Tremont St., Boston, MA 02120, trill.fit.
Circa Lighting
It’s hard to resist the soft glow emanating from this Design Center standout, where you’ll find light fixtures in just about every shape, style, and size your home could possibly need. Foyer-ready chandeliers by Chapman & Myers give way to mod Kelly Wearstler table lamps, gleaming with brass-finished shades. Should your space call for wall-mounted beauties instead, don’t miss new candelabra-like sconces from Aerin, fit for the grandest of living spaces, or floral-themed vanity lights from Kate Spade — as good a reason to redo your bathroom as any. Boston Design Center., Ste. 120W, Boston, MA 02210, circalighting.com.
Christina Wikman Interiors
Pandemic or not, virtual design is having a moment — and no one does it quite like Christina Wikman. Dreaming up fresh and colorful looks from her Woburn studio, the interiors whiz can reimagine your lackluster bedroom or dated kitchen without ever walking through your front door. Just tell Wikman what you’re looking for via a thorough design questionnaire, and you’ll get a revamped floorplan, a mockup featuring the pro’s furniture and finish recommendations, and a detailed shopping list to make ordering your new showpieces a breeze. christinawikmaninteriors.com.
The Wauwinet
If we asked you to close your eyes and imagine your ideal island hideaway, odds are you’d come up with a place a lot like the Wauwinet, where private beaches and sunny guest rooms boasting views of the ocean blue beckon. Grab a lounge chair on the waterfront lawn and soak up panoramas of passing sailboats, knowing that fresh hamachi crudo and cornmeal-crusted soft-shell crab—not to mention your choice of more than 1,450 wines—await inside Topper’s, the resort’s foodie-friendly dining room. 120 Wauwinet Rd., Nantucket, MA 02585, wauwinet.com.
The Nantucket Hotel + Resort
With snuggle-worthy robes and Frette linens in each room and suite, a stay at the cozy Nantucket Hotel + Resort feels just like kicking back in the comfort of your own home—assuming, that is, that your humble abode also happens to have two outdoor pools, a restaurant, and a covered front porch where musicians post up to entertain you each Thursday and Friday. The hotel's clutch downtown location puts you within walking distance of shops and, of course, the beach—just don't forget to snag a book from the collection in your room. 77 Easton St., Nantucket, MA 2554, thenantuckethotel.com.
Extology
Ever wondered how your favorite movie stars go from pixie cuts to billowy, hip-grazing styles in the blink of an eye? It’s all thanks to the magic of wigs and hair extensions, a nifty trick we can all employ thanks to Allana Fabrikant Kanevsky. This extension expert’s full-service North End salon offers a variety of hair brands and methods to best suit your color, natural texture, and longevity needs. Options include strand-by-strand application and clip-ins to take your limp locks to new lengths. 338A Commercial St., Boston, MA 02109, extology.com.
Arisia
To get a true taste of Boston’s fandom proclivities, throw on your best Homestuck costume and head to Arisia, an annual sci-fi and fantasy convention that celebrated its 27th year in January. Here you’ll spot gray-bearded wizards and Trekkies mingling with Whovians and bug-eyed monsters—and you’ll probably see them all cut a rug together during the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Dance. It’s an important corrective to the notion that Boston remains a little prim and proper. Embrace your inner nerd, and let your geek flag fly proudly all weekend long. arisia.org.
Bouclé
Unlike that other island, the Vineyard isn't all about donning your D&G. Still, after a hard day at the beach, even the most casual among us may crave a little luxury. And that's certainly what you'll find at Bouclé, a tidy two-story spa in the heart of Edgartown. Its spa manicure is a professional buff and polish (you can let your nails dry in the blooming patio garden); its lymphatic massage, a detoxifying dream. The cedar-shingle retreat has a full-service hair salon, too, just in case an unpretentious party invite arrives in your mailbox. 12 N. Water St., Edgartown, MA 2539, .
Back Bay Framery
It's not essential that the people at a frame shop remember your name and your artwork on only your second visit. Or that the shop's employees occasionally volunteer cheaper, do-it-yourself alternatives. But it's precisely that kind of attention that bodes well when you're talking about a service in which a sixteenth of an inch can make all the difference. Rest assured, too, that Back Bay Framery doesn't cut corners when cutting the corners. Its cheery and attentive staff takes on the most demanding custom jobs, with a selection of tabletop and custom frames that looks like it could put the Louvre to shame. 303 Newbury St., Boston, MA backbayframery.com.