Boston, MA
Best of Boston Weddings 2026
Best Stationery, Gus & Ruby / Photo by Lindsay Hackney
Stationery
GUS & RUBY
At Gus & Ruby, stationery isn’t just paper—it’s personality, pressed and printed to perfection. Beloved for their inventive designs, hand-rendered illustrations, and luxurious letterpress, this New England favorite crafts suites that tell your story from the very first envelope. Founders and longtime friends Samantha Finigan and Whitney Swaffield lead their team to infuse every project with warmth, wit, and impeccable taste, making each invitation a true keepsake. gusandruby.com.
Photographer
CITYLUX STUDIOS
CityLux Studios captures weddings with the cinematic flair of a Vogue spread and the heart of a love story. Known for luminous tones, modern composition, and effortlessly emotive moments, this Boston-based team turns real life into high art. Married couple and founders Sarah and Peter blend editorial precision with genuine connection to create luminous imagery that feels as timeless as the love it celebrates. citylux.studio.
Videographer
STOPGOLOVE
Founded by filmmakers Jared Haskell and Jason McCutchen, StopGoLove turns real moments into modern, cinematic stories. Their style is clean, intentional, and emotionally honest—beautiful composition, smart pacing, and an instinct for the in-between beats that make a film feel alive. The result is wedding cinema with editorial polish and zero pretense: story first, style built in. stopgolove.com.
Floral Studio
ORLY KHON
Orly Khon doesn’t just arrange flowers; she composes living art. Known for her moody, romantic designs that balance wildness with refinement, Khon approaches each event like a painter at her canvas, blending texture, color, and movement into unforgettable floral moments. Whether it’s a delicate tablescape or a lush, architectural ceremony design, her work feels both timeless and a touch rebellious—much like the modern couples she designs for. orlykhon.com.
Best Catering, Max Ultimate Food / Photo by Person Killian Photography
Catering
MAX ULTIMATE FOOD
Turning culinary imagination into edible art, this Boston-based team delivers restaurant-level dining with the precision of a luxury event planner. Creative tasting menus, impeccable service, and presentation that’s anything but predictable make every celebration unforgettable. From passed hors d’oeuvres to late-night bites, every detail is, well, ultimate. maxultimatefood.com.
Best Cakes, Lizzie’s Bakery / Photo by Lushi Song
Cakes
LIZZIE’S BAKERY
Whimsical yet sophisticated, these confections are as delicious as they are striking—think handpainted details, sculptural sugar florals, and modern, clean-lined tiers. Behind the magic is Lizzie Johnson, a Food Network alum with a fine-art eye and a love of bold flavor, crafting designs that feel personal, polished, and picture perfect. Sweet beauty, inside and out. lizziesbakery.com.
Best Band, Hot Mess / Photo by Shannon Bialy Photography
Band
HOT MESS
No cookie-cutter wedding playlists here. This Boston-based band is known for turning every crowd into a dance-floor frenzy, thanks to powerhouse vocals, magnetic stage presence, and an uncanny ability to read the room. Whether it’s a soulful slow jam or a pop anthem that gets Grandma on her feet, they bring the perfect blend of polish and pure fun. Simply put: They don’t just play the party, they are the party. hotmessrocks.com.
DJ
C-ZONE ENTERTAINMENT
For couples who want a packed dance floor and a soundtrack that feels uniquely theirs, this Boston-based team delivers. With decades of experience, seamless mixing, and an intuitive sense for what the crowd craves, these DJs curate moments that move effortlessly from first dance to final encore. Sophisticated, high-energy, and always in tune with the couple’s style—this is music done right. czonemusic.com.
Photo Booth
ENTERTAINMENT SPECIALISTS
A photo booth should be as stylish as the celebration itself, and this team delivers just that. With sleek setups, creative backdrops, and instant share options, they turn snapshots into unforgettable keepsakes. Whether it’s a glam booth worthy of the red carpet or a playful setup packed with props, they make every moment memorable and a whole lot of fun. entertainmentspecialists.com.
Best Wedding Planner, Baciare Events / Photo by Constance Schiano
Wedding Planner
BACIARE EVENTS
Founders Ashley Saffer and Renée Sabo are masters of turning dream days into beautifully lived experiences. With a blend of creativity, calm precision, and genuine care, they craft weddings that feel effortless, elegant, and deeply personal. Whether it’s an intimate coastal gathering, a grand ballroom affair, or a celebration halfway across the world, their team ensures every detail is seamless. baciareevents.com.
Event Designer
TYGER EVENT DESIGN & PRODUCTION
Founded by principal Ty Kuppig, this design and production studio brings a couture sensibility to every celebration. With an architect’s eye and a storyteller’s instinct, Kuppig transforms venues into cinematic settings layered with texture, light, and mood. From sculptural floral moments to bold, modern palettes, each event feels elevated, expressive, and entirely one of a kind. tygerproductions.com.
Hairstylist
MONIKA RAMIZI, SALON MARIO RUSSO
Known for her “try-anything” attitude and calming presence, Monika Ramizi approaches bridal beauty with both artistry and ease. Whether it’s soft, romantic waves, a sleek modern updo, or something entirely unexpected, she tailors each look to the bride’s personality and vision. The result is hair that feels fresh, confident, and camera-ready from the first look to the final dance. mariorusso.com.
Makeup Artist
BEAUTY BY NELSE
For Nelse Karini, makeup is more than artistry; it’s empowerment. A self-taught talent with a passion for helping women look and feel their best, she’s known for her luminous, skin-first approach and ability to create a flawless finish that still feels like you. Brides love her mix of precision and personality—equal parts perfectionist and hype woman—and the confidence that comes with her chair-side magic. beautybynelse.com.
Bridal Boutique
L’ÉLITE BRIDAL
A destination for the fashion-forward bride, this Newbury Street institution curates an elite roster of global designers—from Oscar de la Renta and Monique Lhuillier to Berta and Ines Di Santo. With more than three decades of experience, the boutique’s expert stylists and in-house tailoring team deliver a couture-level experience that feels as personal as it is polished. Every gown is chosen for its artistry, craftsmanship, and that unforgettable moment when a bride sees herself and knows: This is the one. lelite.com.
Best Wedding Dress Designer, Candice Wu Couture / Photo by Reinhardt Kenneth
Wedding Dress Designer
CANDICE WU COUTURE
With a couture sensibility and a flair for the unexpected, Candice Wu redefines modern bridal style. Her gowns balance romance and edge, featuring exquisite craftsmanship, sculptural silhouettes, and intricate detailing that make every look unforgettable. Whether ethereal and whimsical or sleek and daring, each design embodies her signature blend of elegance, confidence, and artistry. candicewucouture.com.
Best Engagement Rings, Boston Diamond Company / Photo courtesy of Boston Diamond Company
Engagement Rings
BOSTON DIAMOND COMPANY
Discerning brides and grooms turn to this Newbury Street jeweler for more than sparkle—they come for expertise. Owner Stephanie Binder and her team of certified gemologists offer a refreshingly educated approach to fine jewelry, guiding clients through every facet of diamond selection with honesty, precision, and an impeccable eye for design. Whether sourcing an exceptional natural stone or creating something from the boutique’s Pure Luxe Lab collection of lab-grown diamonds, each piece reflects the brand’s unwavering commitment to quality and craftsmanship. Because true luxury isn’t loud; it’s brilliantly, quietly flawless. bostondiamond.com.
Wedding Bands
LONG’S JEWELERS
For more than a century, Long’s Jewelers has been synonymous with craftsmanship, integrity, and enduring style. This fifthgeneration, family-owned jeweler bridges heritage and modernity with a collection of wedding bands that balance artistry and intention. Each piece is designed to feel as effortless as it is enduring—refined in form, rich in meaning, and unmistakably elevated. A modern icon of lasting love and impeccable taste. longsjewelers.com.
Rentals
DEZ COLLECTIVE
At Dez Collective, design lives in the details. This Boston-based studio curates a thoughtful collection of furniture, tabletop, and décor that elevates weddings from stylish to unforgettable. With a deeply honed instinct for atmosphere, the team creates layered environments that feel intentional, artful, and entirely now: the kind of spaces that photograph as beautifully as they feel. dezcollective.com.
Urban Venue
BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
A landmark of art and architecture, the Boston Public Library offers one of the city’s most breathtaking backdrops for a wedding. Beneath vaulted ceilings and along marble corridors, history and grandeur converge in a way that feels both timeless and distinctly Boston. Partnering exclusively with the Catered Affair, the venue hosts some of the city’s most luxurious celebrations, yet it’s also possible to exchange vows here in a one-hour ceremony that costs little more than a library card. Either way, the setting is unforgettable. bpl.org.
Historic Venue
THE GREAT HOUSE AT THE CRANE ESTATE
High above the Ipswich coast, the Great House at the Crane Estate feels like stepping into another era. Designed in 1928 by architect David Adler for industrialist Richard T. Crane Jr., the 59-room Stuart-style mansion crowns a 165-acre National Historic Landmark surrounded by salt marshes, barrier beaches, and sweeping ocean views. The property’s showstopper, the Grand Allée, a 2,060-foot lawn that stretches from the mansion to the water’s edge, offers a photo backdrop worthy of royalty. craneestateevents.com.
Best Coastal Venue, Wychmere Beach Club / Photo by Alex Paul
Coastal Venue
WYCHMERE BEACH CLUB
If it’s possible to have glamour on the beach, this is where it lives. In Harwich, Wychmere Beach Club merges Cape Cod’s oceanfront ease with a distinctly polished edge. Expansive water views, clean architectural lines, and light-filled spaces create a setting that feels both elevated and elemental: seaside sophistication, perfected. wychmerebeachclub.com.
Rustic Venue
THE BARN AT GIBBET HILL
If “rustic” makes you think of mason jars, think again. The Barn at Gibbet Hill redefines the genre with its soaring post-and-beam architecture, polished wood interiors, and panoramic views of rolling pastureland. Set on a working farm in Groton, the venue blends country character with refined hospitality: think firefly evenings, farm-to-table menus, and sunsets that wash the hills in gold. barnatgibbethill.com.
Best Ballroom Venue, Fairmont Copley Plaza / Courtesy photo
Ballroom Venue
FAIRMONT COPLEY PLAZA
In the heart of the Back Bay, the Fairmont Copley Plaza is Boston’s grande dame—all gilded ceilings, marble columns, and chandeliers that seem to glow from another century. A Beaux Arts masterpiece with unmistakable presence, it brings drama to the classic ballroom wedding. Yet behind the opulence is a pulse of modern sophistication: flawless service, effortless style, and a setting that never goes out of fashion. fairmont-copley-plaza.com.
Getting married? Start and end your wedding planning journey with Boston Weddings’ guide to the best wedding vendors in the city.
The Boston Red Sox were expected to have a busy offseason to build on their short 2025 playoff appearance, their first in four seasons. Boston delivered, albeit not in the way many reporters and fans expected — Alex Bregman left and no one was traded from the outfield surplus.
Roster construction questions have loomed over the Red Sox since last season. They were emphasized by Masataka Yoshida’s return from surgery rehab and Roman Anthony’s arrival to the big leagues. Boston has four-six outfielders, depending where it envisions Yoshida and Kristian Campbell playing, and a designated hitter spot it likes to keep flexible — moving an outfielder makes the most sense to solve this quandary.
The best case-scenario for addressing the packed outfield would be to find a trade suitor for Yoshida, which has proven difficult-to-impossible over his first three seasons with the Red Sox. Red Sox insiders Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam of MassLive think Boston may have to make an extremely difficult decision to free up Yoshida’s roster spot.
“You wonder, at what point does this become a — not Patrick Sandoval situation — but a Pablo Sandoval, where you rip the Band-Aid off and just release,” McAdam theorized on the “Fenway Rundown” podcast (subscription required).
Red Sox insiders wonder if/when Boston will release Masataka Yoshida, as it did with Pablo Sandoval in 2017
Pablo Sandoval is infamous among Red Sox fans. He signed a five-year, $90 million deal before the 2015 season and he only lasted two and a half years before the Red Sox cut him loose. His tenure was marked by career lows at the plate, injuries and a perceived lack of effort that soured things quickly with Boston. Yoshida hasn’t lived up to the expectations the Red Sox had when they signed him, but he’s no Sandoval.
McAdam postulated that the Red Sox may be waiting until there is less money remaining on Yoshida’s contract before they potentially release him. Like Sandoval, Yoshida signed a five-year, $90 million deal before the 2023 season, which has only just reached its halfway point. The Red Sox still owe him over $36 million, and by releasing him, they’d be forced to eat that money.
The amount of money remaining on Yoshida’s contract is just one obstacle that may be preventing the Red Sox from finding a trade partner to move him elsewhere. Yoshida has never played more than 140 games in a MLB season with 303 total over his three-year tenure, mostly because he’s dealt with so many injuries since moving stateside.
Maybe the Red Sox could attach a top prospect to him and eat some of his contract money to entice another team into a trade, like they already did with Jordan Hicks this winter. But that would require sacrificing a quality prospect and it would cost more money, just to move a good hitter who tries hard at his job.
There’s no easy way to fit Yoshida onto Boston’s roster, but the decision to salary dump or release him will be just as hard. Yoshida hasn’t been a bad player for the Red Sox and he doesn’t deserve the Sandoval treatment, but his trade value may only decrease if he spends another year with minimal playing time. Alex Cora and Craig Breslow have a real dilemma on their hands with this roster.
Boston, MA
Thirteen states have adopted a simple criminal justice reform. It’s time for Mass. to join them. – The Boston Globe
That law is not just right. It’s also smart. But we have been lousy about putting it into practice.
Only 10 percent of those eligible to have their records sealed here have actually done it, according to The Clean Slate Initiative, an advocacy group. That’s because we’ve made it impossibly complicated.
Having a criminal record is an enormous obstacle for people who have done their time and are trying to rebuild their lives. A conviction, even a minor one, even from long ago, can mean being rejected by employers and denied by landlords. Cases that were dismissed, or which prosecutors dropped, and even many that ended in not guilty findings also show up on criminal background checks. That can keep someone from getting life insurance, credit, a real estate license, and other professional certifications. It also means they can’t volunteer at their kids’ schools or coach Little League.
“I have grown men in my office crying because they can’t get housing,” said Leslie Credle, who heads Justice 4 Housing, which helps move formerly incarcerated people into permanent homes. “Individuals who were once breadwinners come home and now they’re a burden to their family. It’s a lifetime sentence … even if you have done your time.”
Maybe you’ve gotten this far and are thinking this doesn’t affect you. It does.
Nearly half of US children have at least one parent with a criminal record. People with solid jobs and stable housing are more likely to support their families and communities. They are more likely to fill vacancies at all kinds of businesses that need more workers to thrive. They are also way less likely to reoffend, or to rely on public benefits.
So why have we made the process so much harder than it needs to be?
Right now, a person who has served her time and stayed out of trouble for the waiting period must petition the commissioner of probation in writing, or go before a judge. It’s needlessly complex, requiring time and familiarity with a backlogged and sometimes hostile system. And that’s if they know they can get their records sealed in the first place.
“It’s like double jeopardy,” said Shay, 36, who finally got hers sealed a few years ago. “You can’t try somebody twice for the same crime, but you can double punish them. In my case, I was punished triple.”
Shay, who asked that her last name be withheld, was 22 when she was convicted of carrying a dangerous weapon — a misdemeanor. She did six months in jail, paid thousands in fines and other costs, and had a successful probation. Since then, her record has held her back in ways big and small.
“I had to keep explaining it to people when I wanted to get a job and apply for housing,” she said. “I could not go on any field trips with my daughter, so now she had to suffer.” They had to stay on other people’s couches for months because a landlord ran a background check and gave an apartment to someone else.
Shay knew she could seal her record, thanks to Greater Boston Legal Services. But doing it, even with an attorney’s help, was a whole other thing. Her first application got lost somewhere between the post office and the probation department, which cost her a year. It took two years to process her second application, she said.
“Now here we are, years later, and it’s no longer a burden I have to worry about,” said Shay, who now works to help those with records get into the cannabis industry.
She’s doing well now, but why should it ever be this hard?
In 13 other states — including Oklahoma, Michigan, and Utah — they automatically seal criminal records after someone has met the conditions. It’s embarrassing that Massachusetts hasn’t joined them yet. Legislators have introduced measures to automatically seal eligible criminal records a bunch of times since 2019, but they’ve gone nowhere.
Clean Slate Massachusetts is working to make this time different, with the help of a huge coalition of community partners, including business leaders who understand we all thrive when more people can find work and stability. Yet again, legislators have proposed two bills that would require the state to automatically seal records in cases that are already eligible under the law.
So much about this country is messed up right now. Here is something we can actually fix.
What the heck are we waiting for?
—–
This story has been updated to correct the charge of which Shay was convicted.
Globe columnist Yvonne Abraham can be reached at yvonne.abraham@globe.com.
Most of the MBTA is back to regular service after Monday’s blizzard, but one commuter line remains on a modified schedule.
Riders of the Fall River/New Bedford MBTA Commuter Rail Line are hoping for things to be back to normal soon. The overwhelming amount of snow was still slowing things down Wednesday.
Ana Berahe is back in Brockton after traveling abroad. She’s never heard the word “delay” so many times in her life, from flights to train rides.
“I’m super happy, because it’s been three days that I was supposed to be home,” she said.
Phillip Eng, general manager of the MBTA and interim secretary of MassDOT, speaks about transportation in the wake of a major blizzard.
In Fall River, streets remained blanketed and cars buried with snow on Wednesday afternoon. Crews are working around the clock to make roads passable.
Keolis shared video of crews clearing train tracks Wednesday.
“I’m waiting on the train, or I’m waiting in the cold, out here, in the slush,” said commuter Aaliyah Alba.
“It was a little bit of a problem, just because they were doing the bus from Fall River to Taunton,” said Jeremy Williams of Brockton. “It was a little delayed, but other than that, it was fine.”
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