The Ultimate Retreat: Spa Parties
by Molly Harrison
All the endless details of planning a wedding can leave you little time for remembering what is really the most important thing about a wedding sharing your special day with the ones you love.
If wedding plans are taking over your life and you need to get in some special bonding time with your loved ones, it's time for a spa party. Spa parties bring people together in a calm and soothing environment, away from all the stresses of life, so that everyone can relax and reconnect. Even before the luxurious treatments begin, the spa atmosphere, with its tranquil music, soothing scents and soft lighting, invites each person to savor the moment and enjoy each other's company.
Spa party scenarios can be as varied as you like. Consider, for instance, the bachelorette party. Well-meaning friends usually want to celebrate with the bride, but must that celebration always include questionable behavior? A spa party is a much better idea. Instead of staying up way too late and drinking way too much, the girls will receive mini-massages, facials, pedicures, body scrubs or any number of spa treatments, while enjoying healthy foods, sips of champagne, and the company of one another. So instead of waking up with a hangover and dark circles under their eyes, the girls will leave the party looking radiant and feeling spectacular.
The same idea goes for the wedding shower. Instead of planning silly games, spring for a spa house call. Each guest can receive a pedicure or a soothing neck massage while the gifts are opened. Massage Ocean Style will come to your cottage.
On the other hand, when a bride wants to shower her attendants with gratitude for all they've done to help, a spa party is the perfect treat. A hot-stone massage and a smashing manicure will make your attendants feel ultra-appreciated and beautiful. Book a group appointment and go to the spa together, which will allow you some personal time with your attendants before the events kick in to full gear.
Another spa party scenario takes place in the hours before the wedding. Block aside a few hours for dressing, and, if your budget allows, hire a makeup artist, hair stylist and nail professional to come to your dressing location. As everyone dresses, the professionals can help out with hair and makeup, giving everyone special touches for the special occasion. This allows time for the bride to relax in the company of good friends and family.
A spa party does not have to involve large groups of people. For a more intimate tete a tete with a loved one, book a spa retreat for two. Many spas offer special couples' packages. Brides and grooms often book an appointment together in the days before the wedding, or sometimes a bride will come in with her sister or maid of honor. In the traditional couples' packages, you get a side-by-side massage, manicure or pedicure, a facial or other services, as well as enjoy a light meal and a glass of wine or champagne.
Although the bride certainly feels the most pressure of planning a wedding, she is not the only one who can get a little stressed out. Many mothers end up with frayed nerves as well. To soothe any
agitation, book a mother-daughter day at the spa. You'll both de-stress and get in a little familial bonding at the same time. Bring your future mother-in-law along and you'll get Brownie points for life.
You can also give a couples package to another couple. For example, if your parents are footing the bill for your wedding, giving them a couples' package at a spa is a great way to say thank you. Day spas can meet the need of any member of the family, from grandma to dad to your younger brother.
The spa services available on the Outer Banks are just as sophisticated and varied as those in larger cities. Choose your favorite type of massage Ð Swedish, hot stone, deep tissue, reflexology and more. Also available are European facials, fruit peels, eye treatments, body scrubs, mud wraps, tired-leg treatments, cellulite treatments, manicures, pedicures, waxing, aromatherapy, hydro-therapy and much more. Each spa has its own unique menu of offerings to tempt you, and they all have special packages that combine several services at a flat rate.
All spas suggest that you arrive at least 15 minutes earlier than your appointment time, so that you give yourself ample time to unwind. Day spas have to keep on a schedule, and if you are late, they will
shorten your treatment session so that the next session can start on time.
Outer Banks day spas also recommend making your spa appointments well in advance, especially if you are booking for
a group spa party. Don't procrastinate or your favorite spa may fill up. When making appointments, be sure to check on the cancellation policy. Some spas have a strict cancellation policy for groups. Also check on the gratuity policy. For groups or certain packages, gratuity may be included in the flat rate.
A few tips from the pros:
Deborah Hess of Deborah's Make-Up, Inc. specializes in make-up that makes the skin look flawless and natural. "I try to
capture the essence of the person," says Hess. She recommends brides choose a classic look for their make-up and that they meet with their make-up artist for a trial run at least once before their wedding day. In addition, Hess suggests that brides use oil-free products and less moisturizer to combat shine and humidity.
Stacey Rister, Spa Director of Diva's Day Spa & Salon in Southern Shores, does not recommend getting a massage the day of the wedding. A massage eliminates toxins and slightly dehydrates the body so that you need to drink a lot of water, and she says you may end up feeling bloated or tired. She recommends a massage a day or two before the wedding, and says to limit the wedding-day treatments to hair, makeup, manicures and pedicures.
Elizabeth Dodd of Eden Day Spa in Duck and Corolla recommends that a bride have a practice run on her hair and
makeup well before the wedding day. Use the same stylists for both the practice run and the real thing, so there are no surprises. "On the day of the wedding, if the bride knows exactly how her hair and makeup are going to look, she feels so much more relaxed," says Dodd.
Mark Amoriello, Spa Director at The Sanderling Spa, recommends that brides stick to elegant, classic and simple with their hair and makeup. "You don't want to look back at your photos five years from now and not recognize yourself," he says. Amoriello also reminds brides to relax and enjoy the day, and to trust the professionals to make sure that everything is going to work out well.
Holly Scott Harrington, Spa Director of Spa Koru in Avon on Hatteras Island,
recommends getting a facial a few days before the wedding to achieve that beautiful wedding-day glow. Holly also says that men tend to be shy about getting a spa service, however, they love getting a
couple's massage with their future bride. At Spa Koru, the men like to use the gym to de-stress while the women go for other pampering treatments.
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