A wedding brings excitement and happiness but organising one can cause stress and exhaustion. So taking time out to relax and get pampered before the big day can be money well spent and there are several day spas, retreats and beauty salons in WA offering special services just for brides and their bridesmaids.


Sylvie Goulds, director of beauty, spa and wellbeing company Solace Therapies, offers beauty and relaxation services for stressed brides-to-be at Carmel retreat Fawkes House, with a Pure H20 Package designed especially for brides, bridesmaids and mothers of the bride.

 

“Wedding preparations require an enormous amount of physical and mental energy, ” she said. “From invitations, venues, food, flowers, photographers and everything else in-between, the considerable time and energy required to co-ordinate all of the relevant components can be exhausting. It is important for the bride-to-be to maintain balance and take time out to unwind and energise for her special day.”

 

Ms Goulds said good beauty treatments for brides included hand treatments and manicures, scrubs, wraps and facials with enriching ingredients to nourish the skin, leaving it glowing on their wedding day, as well as long, full-body massages to soothe frazzled nerves.

 

“Signature head massage and hot stone therapies are also extremely popular as they offer an outstanding sensory experience to harmonise the body, mind and spirit, ” she said.

 

Heading to a retreat for such beauty treatments? Indulging in healthy, organic food was another great way to nurture the body during a hectic time and give it the nutrients it needed, Ms Goulds said.

 

A good massage was a great way for a busy bride-to-be to switch off and unwind, said Peter Bensley, senior massage therapist at Mandurah-based Applied Body Therapeutics.

 

“We deal with stressed-out brides on a regular basis and we have found both Swedish massage and aromatherapy massage provide the best de-stress massage for brides-to-be, ” he said.

 

Using flowing and continuous movements on the muscles, Swedish massage provided a deeply relaxing and health-enhancing effect on the body.

 

“Swedish massage is generally a full-body massage, however, many stressed-out brides find just as much benefit from having a full-hour Swedish massage just on the stressed areas of the body such as the neck, back and shoulders, ” Mr Bensley said.

 

Aromatherapy massage used similar techniques but with the added benefit of using a customised blend of pure essential oils to further enhance the relaxing experience.

 

“Using massage oil that is blended with soothing lavender, uplifting bergamot, relaxing geranium, neroli, which has a sedative effect, and calming sandalwood, we find that brides are able to relax to a much deeper level, ” Mr Bensley said. “Quite often they will even fall asleep.”

 

Mr Bensley said that having a massage before the wedding could greatly improve skin tone and appearance.

 

“We have found we achieve an amazing result by first completing a full-body exfoliation prior to a Swedish or aromatherapy massage, ” he said. “This enables the superficial layers of dead skin to be removed, leaving the skin clear and clean so when massage oil is applied, it soaks in much deeper and provides a deeper level of moisturising.”

 

He recommended brides leave the massage oil on their skin as long as possible after a massage before showering, to further allow the oils to penetrate the skin, and to drink plenty of water after a massage because massage had the ability to flush toxins and chemicals from muscle tissue into the bloodstream.

 

“The release of these toxins into the bloodstream can manifest themselves through the skin into the form of pimples and blemishes, ” he said.

 

“By drinking plenty of water after a massage, the toxins are flushed out of the body much quicker and can dramatically reduce any superficial skin blemishes that may occur.” Brides could also try other rejuvenating treatments including hydrotherapy, body wraps, aromatherapy and reflexology — or head to their hairdresser.


More wedding inspiration at The West Australian Wedding Guide.