This place is amazing - but be prepared to deal with a busy, little (as in tiny) shop. The selection here is better than anywhere I went - including shops on Newbury Street whose collections and selections are supposed to be impressive. Bridesmaids Galleria beat them all and Gayle, the owner, is incredible. She keeps track of everything on paper - no computer system - and I'm not sure how, but it works for her. She's on top of everything and extremely helpful and enthusiastic. She even remembered exactly who I was any time I called or came into the shop. This place is your best bet for bridesmaids gowns and accessories.
Express Yourself is an adorable little shop in Sudbury, MA and is worth the visit. Sandy, the owner, has an incredible selection of invitations and stationery and is really passionate about her job. She spent a lot of time helping us find a perfect invitation in our price range and we absolutely loved the way everything turned out. Most of the stuff in the shop is pretty expensive, so if you're looking to save a significant amount in the invitation area this probably isn't the place to go. However, if you're willing to spend a bit, then we absolutely recommend Express Yourself.
Justine Piecuch at Jeffrey Lyle has been my stylist for a long time and as a result is now a good friend. If you want an incredible color/highlight job or cut prior to your wedding, then she's the person to see. Just be sure to schedule an appointment in advance because she's typically booked at least a month or two out. A bonus - Jeffrey Lyle is on Newbury Street in Boston so make a day of it to spend some time in the city.
I always go to Jennifer's on Newbury for my manicures. The prices are good and the service is reliable. I had my nails done red for my wedding and the manicure lasted over a week. I believe they also now offer Shellac manicures.
Chip was really helpful during the planning process - he helped us lay out the entire sequence of the wedding. He also played everything we asked him to (and didn't play anything on our "no-play list),and kept everyone dancing all night without taking over the wedding. We highly recommend him.
We wanted to make sure the food at our wedding was exceptional because so many weddings offer pretty mediocre quality when it comes to food. Vinwood completely delivered - everyone was thoroughly impressed. We did stations, which allowed us to choose a number of entrees and sides while saving a good amount of money. A lot of our guests actually made a point to tell us how much they enjoyed the food.
Our cake was incredible. Mary, the owner of the shop, has been doing this for years and it shows. We had four tiers with four different flavors plus an anniversary tier. Our favorite was the tropical carrot cake, but all the other flavors were amazing also (chocolate ganache, white and red velvet.) No complaints here!
We decided to make an appointment at Russell's kind of on a whim. We're so glad we did because it was such a pleasant experience. Maria, the shop owner, sat down with us for two hours (no exaggeration) going over options for center pieces and bouquets. The arrangements she put together were above and beyond what I could have imagined - way more than I expected! And she even put together two large arrangements for the church last minute. The price was also very reasonable.
Mike Skerry, the owner, has been photographing for years and he's incredibly talented. Take a look at the portfolio on his website and see for yourself. He knows exactly what he's doing - he gets the photos you want without getting in everyone's way, and has more energy than anyone we've ever met.
I've read a lot of negative reviews about L'Elite, but I had a good experience. I visited the shop twice and I worked with Nelly both times. During my first visit I was provided with about ten dresses based on the style I requested, what Nelly thought would look good on me and the max amount I could spend. I ended up falling in love with two dresses. Then I went back for a Monique Lhuillier trunk show and found the dress of my dreams. It was out of my price range so the store owner, who was there the entire time I was trying on dresses, offered to do the shortening alterations for free - which saved me a significant amount of money and made it so that I could buy the dress. Many of the negative reviews online mention the rude service, but I think it's just a cultural thing. I highly recommend going here.