There are so many good reasons to host your wedding celebration in Boston, Massachusetts. Maybe you or your fiancé grew up in the Greater Boston area. Perhaps it was college or a job that brought you to town. Or it could be that Boston is the city where you fell in love. Whatever your reason for choosing to celebrate your nuptials in Boston, there are countless ways to give your special day a unique Bostonian flavor. Here are a few local favorites:
“Save the Date” Postcard:
For the recently engaged, “When is the wedding?” and “Where are you getting married?” are perhaps the two most-asked questions. Answer both with one retro-styled Boston “Save the Date” postcard. Most wedding planners recommend that you mail your “Save the Date” cards approximately 6 to 8 months before the wedding date. Out-of-towners and locals alike will love these touristy cards, which can be custom printed with all of your wedding details. A quantity of 150 will run you about $200. The cards are available from Quantity Papers, online at www.qpfans.com
Local Designer Wedding Dress Mecca
Sure, the fabled “Running of the Brides” is a funny Boston tradition, but if you’re serious about finding a designer wedding gown at a significant discount, there’s a much saner, more dignified place to shop year-round: VOWS in Newton, MA.This gem of a local bridal boutique boasts an ever-changing selection of vows-bridal-outlet high-end designer bridal gowns at 50% to 75% off retail prices. The well-informed and accommodating staff will work one-on-one with you to find the perfect gown. Weekday visits are by appointment only, ensuring each bride a calm, unpressured personal shopping experience. Though locally based, VOWS has garnered an international reputation for beautiful designer gowns at exceptionally low prices through its website www.bridepower.com
Catering to New England Flavor
There are countless ways to add a Boston or New England flavor to your wedding day menu. One of the best ways is to use locally grown produce and fresh, seasonal ingredients says Ariadne Clifton, owner of a lobsterself-named catering business based in Cambridge, Massachusetts www.ariadneclifton.com Ariadne is a staunch proponent of cooking healthy seasonal foods for herself and for her clients. For her, Boston food clichés like baked beans or cream pie are not an option. “I am not a native New Englander,” explains Clifton, “so I tend not to think in terms of lobster and clam chowder.”
Lobster did come to mind when I approached Andrew Stefanick, a professionally-trained chef who attended school in New England. His first thought for a Boston-themed appetizer was “a bibb salad or a mound of scallop mousse, topped with lobster.” Other gourmets suggested incorporating characteristically New England ingredients such as cranberries, apples or maple syrup into a special wedding meal, in order to give the menu a unique regional flavor.
Boston Takes the Cake!
Many couples choose whimsical cake toppers to make a statement about their relationship, and Bostonians are no exception. Lovers of Beantown have used toppers paid homage to everything from sports teams to alma maters to Boston city landmarks. Local cake companies are often called on to design an entire cake around a Boston theme. The Red Sox themed cake pictured here was a grand-slam hit at the wedding celebration of a couple of Sox fans.
This Swan Boat cake was designed for a couple wishing to celebrate the springtime splendor of The Public Gardens. Both this cake and the Red Sox cake were created by Ellen Bartlett, designer and chef owner of Cakes to Remember in Brookline, MA. Ellen established her business in 1988 with the goal of creating sumptuous cakes that capture the unique personality of each of her clients. For more information about Cakes to Remember, visit the website www.cakestoremember.biz.
Wedding Photos in Boston
The popular local website www.boston.com recently asked readers to submit their favorite venues for wedding pictures in the city. The Public Garden received the most nominations, especially for spring and summer seasons. History buffs recommended taking photos by the Massachusetts State House, the Old City Hall on School Street, and Dorchester Heights in South Boston. The site of the Fortification of Dorchester Heights boasts stunning skyline views in addition to its historic architecture. Fan Pier also showcases the city skyline, along with beautiful harbor views. Afficionados of a water view can’t go wrong on any of the city’s harborfront esplanades or piers, including Long Wharf on Boston Harbor and Piers Park in East Boston.
Songs about Boston
An informal poll of friends who hail from Boston made one thing clear about the party music of Beantown: no Red Sox fan’s celebration playlist is complete without a couple of Fenway Park standards: “Dirty Water,” by the Standells and “Tessie,” by the Dropkick Murphys. If you’re looking for more sentimental selections, consider “Please Come to Boston” by Dave Loggins or the Bee Gees’ “Massachusetts.” Movie buffs might add “Yours Forever,” by John Mellencamp (theme from the movie “The Perfect Storm”) and fans of classic TV will definitely “think Boston” when they hear Gary Portnoy’s “Where Everybody Knows Your Name” (theme song of the hit sitcom “Cheers”). For a more complete list, go to Wikipedia.org and type in “List of Songs about Boston.”
Boston Party Favors
Favors at showers, rehearsal dinners and weddings are a popular way to recognize guests and thank them for participating in your special event. Many couples also place gift bags in hotel rooms to welcome out-of-town guests. There are many ways to send your guests home with a souvenir from the city you love. At the Massachusetts Bay Trading Co., you can put together your own “sweet tooth” gift bag filled with gummi lobsters, Boston Baked Beans candy, Boston Harbour Tea, or other Boston-themed confections. For the out-of-towners, a useful keepsake might be a Boston area map or a book about the Boston Freedom Trail. You can find these items and dozens more at www.massbaytrading.com. Many items on the site are labeled “Made in Massachusetts” – a great way to support the local economy as well.
