Bridal Town: Newton News
Brides-to-be who are looking to take a break from pounding the city streets as they round up their wedding details should look west to Newton, a tony town that offers plenty of convenient and creative bridal shopping.
Start your shopping day in Newton at Vows (334 Watertown St., 617-831-8697, 866-843-4696), a bridal outlet that stocks gowns by Vera Wang and Badgley Mischka at seriously reduced prices.
Get inspired by the event planners at Hopple Popple (284 California St., 617-964-6550), who can take care of everything from finding vintage place settings to setting up a wedding tent wherever you want one. Then check out the splurge-worthy floral designs—owners (and brothers) David and Ted Winston are always pushing to learn about the latest in European techniques—at Winston Flowers & Garden (Rte. 9 and Florence Street, 617-244-7873, 800-457-4901).
Newton Center is where you’ll satisfy your most girly wedding needs: Gilda’s (101 Union St., 617-964-7199) has vintage lace pieces—dresses, skirts and tops—that would make trend-setting bridal or bridesmaid attire. Bella (65 Union St., 617-558-1212) carries stationery cute enough to make the endless thank-you notes fun, plus wedding albums, frames, candles and sweetly scented home products.
Register for won’t-find-them-anywhere-else gifts, such as colorful martini glasses and handmade ceramics, at Jubilation (91 Union St., 617-965-0488), then have fun trying on sparkly, handcrafted wedding bands at Alex and Co. (100 Needham St., 617-965-8777), where a master jeweler can create a design—or two—to suit your quirky personality.
For a lesson in makeup application and all the tools and tricks you’ll need for the Big Day, step into Beauty and Main (95 Union St., 617-243-0036). Tête-à-Tête (765 Beacon St., 617-559-0660) offers manicures, pedicures and wedding-day packages—plus massages, just in case you need to chill out after a day of wedding planning and shopping.
Call ahead for a cake tasting at the Icing on the Cake (230 Adams St., 617-969-1830), where the wide variety of flavors will wow you (and your guests), then go back to sweet self-indulgence and treat yourself to something utterly unrelated to your upcoming Big Day: a scoop or two of homemade ice cream from J.P. Licks (46 Langley Road, 617-244-0666).