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Why Shower When You Can Spa?

By Bev Bennett

Many brides are trading the traditional for a relaxing day of beauty.

When Marie Feanny was getting married, a wedding shower wasn't on her agenda.

"I see people renting out halls for showers with 50 guests," says Feanny, who tied the knot a few months ago. Like many brides, she was balancing her full-time job with the logistics of wedding planning. Adding another formal event to her already packed schedule didn't feel right. Instead Feanny hosted a pajama party for her girlfriends.

"We rented movies, had wine, did our toenails, styled each other's hair and had spa treatments," says Feanny, a spokesperson for Crabtree & Evelyn in Woodstock, Conn.
Chilling with girlfriends is appealing, and many say essential to keeping your stress levels low before your wedding. And hosting a girl's-only spa night is a great way to bond and unwind at the same time.

How involved you get is up to you.

You can hire a professional to come to your home or stock up on supplies for a do-it-yourself evening, says Daisy Tang, founder of Aspara Aromatics in San Jose, Calif., which makes Asian-inspired spa products.

Here are some tips for hosting an at-home spa event

Stock up on lots of candles to set the tone. Tang suggests using soy candles, which don't leave heavy fumes when burning.
"Pour some tea, wine or fruit juice for your guests. This helps relax the group and sets the tone," says Tang.

Avoid extreme measures such as coloring or cutting each other's hair, says Feanny.

She and Tang agree that manicures or pedicures are welcome and easy to do.

"Nothing is better than a pedicure. Having someone give you a pedicure makes you feel like life is good again," Feanny says.

You can start by giving each other foot soaks, using a number of products on the market, including Floral Foot Soak from Aspara or La Source Foot and Leg Therapy from Crabtree & Evelyn.

If you don't want a commercial product, you can make your own beauty treatments.

Tang recalls an Asian skin beautifier that calls for rubbing your skin with a spice mix every day for 40 days leading up to the wedding. The spices brighten your skin and give you a glow.

In-Spa parties

If neither you nor a friend has the space for an at-home party, you can book a spa for your gathering. Depending on the location you can serve food and tea or wine as part of the festivities.

Not all treatments are conducive to parties, however. Bikini waxing, for example, is probably something your guests want to do privately.

"Focus on services where women can sit together," says Gretchen Halpin, owner of the Soothe Your Senses Day Spa in Chicago.

"Have a manicure and pedicure so women can be in the same area and chat. Guests may also like being in a steam room together," says Halpin.