The Breakfast Club
A great diner isn’t built on food alone. Atmosphere counts, and this diner car has it in spades. There’s a black-and-white checkered floor and a crowded lunch counter, not to mention an unusual collection of 1980s memorabilia and a retro-pop playlist. If the vibe doesn’t charm you, the food will: Don’t miss the “Alexa” omelet with Greek sausage, spinach, and feta; and the pulled chicken and waffles with sriracha gravy. 270 Western Ave., Allston, MA 02134, thebreakfastclubboston.com.
Cambridge Antique Market
If you subscribe to the idea that new is nice but vintage is cool, get thee to Cambridge Antique Market immediately. The year-round bazaar, which spans five floors of a 19th-century brick building near Lechmere, teems with all sorts of covetable classics from more than 150 vendors: funky midcentury pottery, retro greeting cards, and old-school rotary-dial phones, to name just a few. 201 Monsignor O'Brien Hwy., Cambridge, MA 02141, marketantique.com/cambridg.
S+H Construction
“Thoughtful” and “responsive” are two of many accolades homeowners bestow upon this top-notch firm, which recently relocated to Belmont. With 40-plus years of experience, the tried-and-true group has perfected the remodeling process, whether it calls for accommodating a complicated lighting-design plan in a sleek Millennium Tower condo or rebuilding a 1925 Colonial with reclaimed-wood flooring and a picture perfect primary suite. shconstruction.com.
Peirce Farm at Witch Hill
While the Victorian mansion on this 19th-century estate in Topsfield boasts a Gilded Age past, it’s the newly refurbished 1873 barn that delivers memorably rustic events. Swap vows outside amid the foliage — and maybe even snap a pic with the property’s resident animals — before hightailing it to the transformed space. Inside, high-set windows stream in sunlight across hardwood floors, while a shimmering chandelier suspended from the two-story ceiling emits a soft glow for evening revelry. How’s that for romantic? 116 Boston St., Topsfield, MA 1983, peircefarm.com.
The Arlington Capital Theater
You won't pay more than four buckaroonis to see a movie in this cute cinema house, and the snack bar offers espresso, ice cream, and frozen yogurt. For similar reasons, check out the nearby Regent Cinema. 204 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA .
Newbury Tailoring Company
Back Bay residents have long entrusted the Rivas family with their most precious items of clothing — and with decades of experience under their collective belts hemming, mending, and stitching, it’s no wonder. Bonus: The second-floor atelier is open five days a week from Tuesday to Saturday, which means you can pop in for a quick lunch-hour button repair or come by for a longer weekend wedding-dress fitting — or have them come to you for an in-home appointment. 324B Newbury St., Boston, MA 02115, newburytailors.com.
Saks Fifth Avenue
Nothing kills a night faster than wearing the same outfit as another guest. The vast selection of eveningwear at Saks, however, makes it easy to avoid that social snafu. If your invite dictates cocktail attire, peruse the flirty styles from Delfi Collective and classic silhouettes from Diane von Furstenberg on the first floor. Dressing for a black-tie gala? Head to the designer boutiques upstairs and choose among Fendi, Valentino, and Prada. Prudential Center, Boston, MA 02199, saksfifthavenue.com.
Boston Harbor Hotel
If heaven were a place on earth, it would be the Boston Harbor Hotel’s new John Adams Presidential Suite. Showcasing drop-dead-gorgeous waterfront views from its floor-to-ceiling windows and terrace, the 4,800-square-foot retreat is bolstered by a glass-domed ceiling, a freestanding soaking tub overlooking the harbor, and a private elevator (because if you’re paying $15,000 a night, why mix with the hoi polloi?). 70 Rowes Wharf, Boston, MA bhh.com.
S.H. Videography
This Back Bay videographer understands that there are certain moments you’ll want to relive over and over. Thanks to nearly three decades of documenting couples’ special days, S.H. Videography knows exactly what to linger on: the sweet first look; the vows that made the whole crowd cry; the heartfelt, two-Jamesons-deep toast from Uncle Don; the ring bearer breaking it down on the dance floor. As S.H. puts it, “A photo captures a moment in time, but a video captures time in motion.” 162 Newbury St., Boston, Massachusetts 02116, shvideography.com.
House of Blues
A GA ticket to House of Blues means A) you’re seeing one of your favorite acts, and B) you’re about to move. We love House of Blues for the energy on the floor, whether you’re dropping it low with Lizzo, moshing with August Burns Red, or crying as you hold an iPhone in flashlight mode aloft with Jenny Lewis. Hey, however the music moves you is cool with us. 15 Lansdowne St., Boston, MA houseofblues.com/boston.
The Liberty Hotel
Built into the former Charles Street jail, the Liberty was designed to cleverly highlight the original building's mid-19th-century monumentality. Despite its jailhouse origins, the hotel's rooms are captivating (in a good way), with floor-to-ceiling windows and plenty of amenities. There's also complimentary yoga on Saturdays and bicycles for touring around Beacon Hill. Skipping either would be criminal. 215 Charles St., Boston, MA 02114, libertyhotel.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.
Erik Howard (Will Charles Salon)
The finest hairstylist isn't always the best wedding hairstylist. Bridal coiffure requires someone with impeccable listening skills, loads of patience (for dealing with your, ahem, entourage), and a knack for creating breathtaking updos. That's where Erik Howard comes in. The Will Charles Salon co-owner knows big-day tresses should be durable enough to withstand iffy weather and the embraces of well-wishers — not to mention dance-floor revelry. 11 Newbury St. , Boston, MA 2116, willcharlessalon.com.
Party Favors
Between hitting the dance floor and hitting the bar, most wedding guests ignore the cake—or else pick halfheartedly at a slice that's too sweet on the outside, too dry on the inside. The veteran treat-makers at Party Favors will bake your choice of 10 kinds of batters (among them, carrot, almond, and lemon); pack it with moist fillings like cherries and cream, French mocha buttercream, and white chocolate-cinnamon mousse; and top it off with a just-right frosting. The result: a cake made to get, and keep, your guests' attention. 1356 Beacon St., Brookline, MA partyfavorsbrookline.com.
Paradise Rock Club
No venue in town outdoes the 'Dise, where stellar acoustics and a wide-open layout ensure that music lovers get both an earful and an eyeful from just about anywhere on the floor. National indie acts like Tapes 'n Tapes and the Kooks frequently pop up on the bill, alongside buzzy local bands such as Bon Savants and Aberdeen City. The fact that bona fide legends (Blondie, Tom Petty, the Pixies) have performed here certainly doesn't hurt the vintage-cool, never pretentious, vibe. 967 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA thedise.com.