Boston - October 24, 2006

Bridal Fixation

Fall 2006 Wedding Guide

Sure, love is crazy. But that doesn’t mean you need to be. So instead of letting all the prewedding insanity get to you, psych yourself up with these Freud-inspired tips on planning neurosis-free nuptials.

Schizophrenic Models
The Irrational You wants hand-delivered scrolls penned on gold-leaf paper. Realistic You knows that Lauren Franklin’s All the Pieces invites hit the right (subtle) note with spectacular hand-stitched detail and color-coordinated, pocket-filled folders.

Ego Boosts
Slip into the perfect, custom-made dress from Ana Hernández Bridal (165 Newbury Street, Back Bay; 617-536-2500). But not before appeasing your anal retentiveness with undergarments that fit just so. Get measured for the most accentuating underthings at Bedroom I’s (853 Main Street, Osterville; 508-420-9660).

Oedipal Vexation
Time for his mama — and yours — to embrace their role in the spotlight. Denise Hajjar Boston (Fairmont Copley Plaza, 138 Saint James Avenue, Back Bay; 617-927-5990) makes elegant eveningwear for the other wedding-day beauties.

Personal Spaces
Lull guests into semiconsciousness at the ocean’s edge inside Newport’s OceanCliff Hotel (Ocean Drive, Newport, R.I.; 401-841-8868). Then again, the view from inside the Museum of Science’s Skyline Room (1 Science Park, Downtown; 617-589-0125) is pretty sweet, too.

Transference
Thank your lucky stars for nonpsycho bridesmaids by dressing them in fresh, colorful pieces from a shop that caters strictly to them: Flair Bridesmaid Boutique (129 Newbury Street, suite 301, Back Bay; 617-247-2828).

Edible Complex
Everyone talks about cake. They just never eat it. But Truly Jörg’s Patisserie (514 Commonwealth Avenue, 617-266-6283) will change that with its show-stopping slices and Mad-Hatter-like themes.

Peony Envy
Leave the flora to Ilex Designs (15 Charles Street, Beacon Hill; 617-973-0505); the keen-eyed experts at its new location will turn your vision into huge, ethereal arrangements.

Conscious Desires
Submit to your selfish nature: Register for the gifts you really want from Lekker Unique Home Furnishings (1317 Washington Street, South End; 617-542-6464). And, as Freud knows, it always comes back to the bedroom. So register for a Duxiana mattress (Duxiana, 31 Saint James Avenue; 617-426-3441).

Selective Memory
When it’s all over, you’re left with the photos. Kelly Sullivan Photography (617-566-2818) captures every detail in black and white or color and puts them into stunning albums that the two of you can flip through over and over (and over) again.

No need to overanalyze it.

Looking for more answers? Try our previous wedding guides for more ideas (spring 2005, fall 2005, spring 2006).