Welcome Treats
Out-of-towners who receive welcome baskets should have a little taste of the state. We like to toss in sweet and salty snacks, and particularly love the can’t-miss, individual-sized bags of kettle-cooked chips or white cheddar popcorn from Cape Cod Potato Chips, based in Hyannis. As for the "something sweet," Boston-based Phillip’s Candy House has fabulous chocolate turtles, and you can’t go wrong with the superobvious, oversized Boston Cookies, based in Somerville. Cape Cod chips or popcorn, $24 for 12 5.5-ounce bags, capecodchips.com. Phillip’s turtles, $21.50 per pound, phillipschocolate.com. Boston Cookies, $1.60 each, bostoncookies.com.
Building a Beautiful Tent
Holding an outdoor wedding is certainly very "New England," but generic vinyl-topped tents held up with metal poles don’t exactly create an elegant environment. That’s why we love Sperry Tents. The Marion-based company recently opened Sperry Tents Sea Coast, 603-570-4857, sperrytents.com, a new outpost in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to better serve the Boston and northern Massachusetts area. The tents’ white, Camelot-esque peaked ceilings are created with seamless panels of Dacron, while the poles are handcrafted of raw pine and spruce. Sperry’s crew will also hang romantic silk lanterns from the ceiling or mount rustic copper candelabras high on the tent poles. Capacity: from 32 to 400 people. Cost: $3,000–$5,000, on average.
Modern Art
When arranged by a talented florist, been-there-done-that blooms like roses and cymbidium orchids can be taken from traditional to one-of-a-kind. Case in point: these structural, modern bouquets by Marina Kolpakchi of Florissima, 781-307-8313, iflorissima.com. A minimalist bouquet of mini calla lilies (left, top) benefits from the addition of texture and volume, thanks to a platform of carefully folded bear grass. Cost: $185. Marina elevates a bouquet of cymbidium orchids (left, bottom) to a more fashion-forward plane by looping silver wire around the stems and ribbon grass around the blooms. Cost: $165.
Animal Attraction
In the hands of a talented baker, offbeat elements can look refined and elegant, not garish or goofy. One wacky style that works was created as a nod to a couple’s African-themed wedding. Hand-painted animal prints decorated this fondant-covered cake, created by I Dream of Jeanne Cakes in Andover, jtcakes.com. Exotic gumpaste lilies provided a wild finishing touch. Cost: $7 per slice.
It’s a Nice Day for a Green Wedding
The Artists For Humanity EpiCenter, 617-268-7620, afhboston.com, is an energy-sustainable state-of-the-art Platinum LEED certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) facility—the only one in Boston, and one of just 14 in the country. Among the venue’s eco-friendly features are open, unobstructed spaces (to maximize natural lighting); a solar array roof that provides 65 percent of the building’s electricity; energy-efficient lighting fixtures and a water reclamation system for on-site reuse. The interior features a 5,000-square-foot atrium gallery with an industrial-chic aesthetic which includes concrete floors, exposed ceilings and a wraparound mezzanine with railings made from recycled Crown Victoria windshields. Capacity: 350, seated. Outside caterers allowed. Rental fee: $5,000 and up.
Engagement Rings + Wedding Bands
Your engagement ring can dictate the look of your wedding band, but it doesn’t have to. In fact, they can be total opposites. If you’re wearing an edgy, unconventional engagement ring, why not wear an ornate, antique-looking band? Give both rings pride of place by sporting your wedding band on your right hand. Platinum, pink sapphire and diamond "Deco" ring, $21,000, by Gumuchian Fils, available at Shreve, Crump & Low, 617-267-9100. Platinum filigree and diamond band, $3,400, by Adamas Fine Jewelry, Inc., Newton, 617-558-8899.
Transforming the Table
For her November wedding, bride Stephanie Solomon transformed the ballroom at the Spring Valley Country Club in Sharon, into something totally different. "I wanted it to be modern, unique and bold," she says. Here, Stephanie walks us through her process. "I wanted to use unique table shapes, so I chose squares and rectangles instead of circles," says Stephanie. Cost: Ten-foot rectangular table, $16; 8-foot rectangular table, $20; 6-foot rectangular table, $18; 5-foot square table, $15. "I thought the sleek dark wood and the rich brown satin cushions complemented the table linens and the overall style of the room," says Stephanie. Cost: Fruitwood ballroom chair, $7. Chocolate-brown satin ballroom cushion, $1.50. All prices are per piece. All rentals from Rentals Unlimited, 781-341-1600, rentals-unlimited.net.
Affordable Calligraphy
Invitations featuring custom calligraphy are amazing—but also quite a luxury. So we were thrilled to learn that West Boylston-based stationery company Checkerboard has teamed up with one of the best calligraphers in the country, Maria Thomas, to create the Folios of M. Thomas collection, available at Rugg Road Paper Company, 617-742-0002 in Boston and Mark Harris Stationers 617-332-5136 in Chestnut Hill. The line features 21 different templates, each adorned with Maria’s signature Gothic-with-a-modern-twist handiwork, as well as charming details like intricate die-cuts and watercolor ribbons. Coordinating table cards, escort cards, response cards, thank-you notes and menu cards are also available. Cost: Prices start at $7.75 per invitation, checkernet.com/folios.
Now Open
Left abandoned for almost two decades, Highfield Hall, 508-495-1878, highfieldhall.org, a 17,000-square-foot, 1878 Queen Anne-style mansion in southwest Cape Cod, is now officially open for private functions. The mansion—set atop a hill overlooking Falmouth—exudes aristocratic grace, and is a great option for couples looking to combine the intimacy of a home wedding with the drama of period detailing. Receptions can be held throughout the first floor, which features classic Cape Cod-style architectural details, carved fireplaces, stained-glass windows and hardwood floors. The porch overlooks the surrounding nature preserve, and tents can be set up on the lawn just outside the grand ballroom’s French doors. Indoor seated capacity: 90. Must use preferred caterers. Rental fees: $1,400-$4,000 for eight hours.
Rings for Him
We were very excited to see a new men’s wedding-band collection that’s a perfect mix of rugged and sleek. Bostonian Cathy Witkos and Cape Cod native Sarah Baroni have created six styles of sterling rings for their California-based company, Baroni Designs, 800-550-8942, baronidesigns.com. Pieces are engraved with hand-wrought, textured patterns which have a simple, masculine aesthetic that works as well with a suit as it does with jeans. Bonus: Their matching cuff links and leather cuffs make great gifts for groomsmen. Square Dot Cuff Links, $65. Men’s Dot Band Ring, $63. Men’s Ribbed Band Ring, $55.
One Night Only
Make your wedding night one to remember by splurging at a top-notch Boston hotel. If you prefer chic, modern boutique hotels, check into the "Cloud Nine" penthouse suite—the 19th-floor celebrity favorite at Nine Zero Hotel, 90 Tremont St., 866-906-9090, ninezero.com. Of course you’ll find the obligatory steam shower, huge plasma TV and Frette linens, but we were blown away before we opened the door—instead of keys, it unlocks via retinal scanning. The suite’s floor-to-ceiling windows have amazing views of Beacon Hill and the Charles River. Rate: $3,500 per night.
Perfectly Imperfect
The flaws, color and grainy format of Super 8 film now seem charming in light of the hyper-real qualities of HD. If you have your videographer shoot portions of your event on Super 8 film and then transfer it to a digital video, he or she can combine the aesthetic of simpler times with modern video technology. "Film produces a soft image that’s more forgiving in comparison to the crisp look of digital video," says Melissa McDowell of Vignette Films, 508-460-0888, vignettefilms.com in Boston. "Working with both Super 8 and digital video gives me the flexibility to combine vintage and modern looks to make a unique and stylish wedding film." Cost: Wedding packages including Super 8 coverage start at $2,400.
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