Hot-Shot Spa Treatments for you and your honey
Leah Ingram
Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and then slowly exhale. OK, do it again. Great. Now, do it one more time. Do you feel better? I’m sure you do, even if it’s just a little bit. Make stress management and relaxation as much a part of your wedding plans as finding the perfect dress. That’s where a visit to a spa or salon comes in. For many brides, a day or weekend - or a series of days or weekends — at a spa or salon is the ultimate way to alleviate stress. With that in mind, here are tips on getting control of your stress and making the most out of your pamper time:
Stress Buster #1:
Get Reminder Calls You’re so stressed out planning a wedding that you may forget the one thing you planned as a de-stresser - a spa appointment. Make sure taking care of yourself becomes a priority. A good way to ensure you won’t end up missing a spa appointment is to schedule it in advance, and enter the appointment in your calendar. Ask the spa or salon to call you the day before your appointment as a reminder.
Stress Buster #2:
Plan Ahead Try to schedule a series of appointments in advance. With all you have on your plate, it’s easy to say that you’re going to get a weekly manicure or monthly massage and then not follow through because you haven’t already committed the time. Schedule several appointments ahead and you’ll find it harder to neglect yourself.
Stress Buster #3:
Be Smart About Money Matters Don’t stir up financial worries (translation: more stress!) by making spa and salon appointments that will break your budget. Instead, when you schedule your appointments, ask if the spa offers a discount to customers who book a block of services at once. Some salons may have a “pay for eight, get ten manicures” deal, so ask if yours does anything similar.
Stress Buster #4:
Register For It See if you can register at your favorite spa or salon for a variety of services. Imagine receiving a variety of services as engagement and bridal shower gifts. If the spa doesn’t offer such a service, then find out if they offer gift certificates.
Stress Buster #5:
Budget It In Fit the luxury of a spa or salon into your budget by following the suggestion of newlywed Sarah of Illinois: “Once I got engaged, I decided to make a more concentrated effort to improve my appearance. I decided to build a ‘beauty fund’ into my budget. I began getting bi-monthly manicures to make sure my nails were in strong, healthy shape by the wedding, as well as regular appointments for bikini and eyebrow waxes.”
Stress Buster #6:
Be The Best That You Can Be! Once you start pampering yourself on a regular basis and see how much better you look and feel, you’re more likely to continue your self-care routine. Jane of Massachusetts explains, “I made regular appointments at the local day spa for facials, pedicures, and massages, as well as a few body wraps. You only get married once, and I wanted to make the best of it!”
Stress Buster #7:
Make It A Date Here’s a thought: you know how great a spa treatment feels, why not share the ecstasy with your fiance? Give each other an engagement gift of a couple’s massage. That way you’ll both have time to relax, and you’ll be able to spend some quality time together. Jim Leemon, owner of Terme di Aroma in Philadelphia, says couples who get pampered together communicate better.
A licensed therapist, Leemon says he has seen many couples work out wedding problems during this relaxing, post-pampering time. “For the first time in a long time, the couple are in a place where they’re relaxed,” he says. “The stress is off, they’re sitting in robes, and they open up a little bit more to each other.”
Stress Buster #8:
Create The Right State Of Mind Taking time to de-stress doesn’t always have to mean a trip to the spa. Going for a walk during your lunch hour or allowing yourself to soak in the tub once a week can leave you feeling happy and serene, just like a massage might. Or you can schedule time every Friday night, for example, to give yourself a manicure and pedicure at home. It will give you time away from planing your wedding, and you’ll come away relaxed and with great-looking nails. Doing exercise counts as time for yourself as well.
One bride-to-be in Kansas started taking a karate class soon after she became engaged. Her three-times-a-week class was a great way for her to stop obsessing about her wedding and start focusing on herself. Plus, working with the punching bag did wonders for stress relief and gave her awesome-looking arms for the sleeveless sheath wedding dress she was planning to wear. Another engaged woman in Massachusetts made sure that she continued her morning swims, even though she was tempted to cancel them to accomplish more on her wedding to-do list. If you prefer to do your exercise at home or can’t afford a gym membership, try borrowing a yoga videotape (or a video of any other kind of exercise you prefer) from your local library and using it two to three times a week as part of your self-care routine.