There’s nothing like a little R&R in the run up to the Big Day to revive you from the stress of wedding planning. Whether you want a full-blown spa weekend at one of the hundreds of luxurious 5* hotels across the country, a specialist treatment to banish acne scars or just a simple manicure tidy, we’ve tried and tested treatments the length of the land to bring you a guide to the best the UK has to offer. Take your hens for a luxurious escape or your mum for a mother-daughter bonding session.
Best For: ORGANIC
Harnessing the beautifying powers and secrets of the ocean, VOYA’s Illuminating Facial (£60) at the Landmark London promises to even the complexion, increase clarity and leave skin looking beautifully radiant. The 55min treatment begins with a pressure point massage and exfoliation to help regain texture and minimise the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Next, the Get Glowing mask is smoothed across the skin, topped by wild Atlantic seaweed leaves to help the mask penetrate deep down into pores and get to grips with all manner of facial nitty gritty. The mask contains Kaolin clay, a super mineral that cleanses the skin by absorbing dirt and oils, for a squeaky clean feeling. A foot massage helps you drift off into a deep state of relaxation – ideal for brides-to-be who are rushed off their feet! The Landmark London’s spa offers a range of premium treatments including massage and body care, a 15-metre chlorine free pool, steam room, monsoon showers and a state-of-the-art gym as well as two lovely restaurants to nourish your body after your treatments.
• Voya.ie
Best For: INSIDE OUT HEALTH
From the futuristic shores of Japan comes the Iyashi Dome, a treatment designed to rid your body of the anti-ageing toxins and everyday pollution while burning up to 600 calories (yes, you read correctly) per session. Perfect for a bride looking for a last-minute slimming push before the Big Day, a single session at the Greenwich branch costs just £35 for a half hour treatment (although you can book 10 sessions for £300). Organic infra-red rays inside the Dome are heated to coax out toxins from deep inside the body through sweat, restoring the body and mind to its natural balance for a sense of deep wellbeing. Skin will feel clearer and softer over a few days, but for best results combine with a juice cleanse from the store’s rainbow coloured selection for a truly inside-out detox. Two juice cleanses, one packed with green nutrients such as kale (the superfood du jour), celery and spinach, another with carrot, ginger and lemon along with a anti-oxidising wheatgrass shot, crammed full of feel-good vitamins and nutrients.
• MyDetoxDiet.com
Best For: ALL-ROUND EXPERIENCE
For a complete spa retreat like no other, check into a Champneys Spa resort. Championing health and well-being in every area, from nutritionally balanced meals to exercise classes featuring HIIT and Zumba, guests are encouraged to wander about in luxuriously fluffy dressing robes throughout their stay. We tried the Mediterranean Bliss Stone Indulgence treatment (£65) at the resort in Leicester, which involves a full body exfoliation, followed by a hot stone massage targeting tight muscles. Skin feels in prime condition afterwards; super smooth with a healthy glow. Also try Thalassotherapy, a water massage treatment which targets and tones different body parts using jets of water in a mineral enriched pool. Champneys Springs also offers exclusive treatments, such as Cupping and Russian Honey Massage. Then there’s also finishing touches such as manicures, pedicures, hair removal and hair styling, allowing brides-to-be to enjoy 360 pampering.
• champneys.com
Best For: URBAN SPA
Furnished with deep, plush armchairs and olive and cream painted walls and piles of freshly laundered towels, a Cowshed spa is what interior design daydreams are made of. If you’re doing a little wedding shopping in the capital, make a pit-stop at the Foubert’s Place store for the Cowshed Manicure (45min, £42). After selecting your choice of Essie nail polish (we went with a chic and timeless French nude), the manicurist will begin filing nails and nourishing cuticles before smoothing an exfoliating scrub onto hands. This is followed by a hand and arm massage before polish is carefully applied to nails and left to dry. The perfect hand prep before a Mendhi party.
• cowshedonline.com
Best For: TACKLING ACNE
For brides with acne scars and hyperpigmentation, the Lightenex Max Peel treatment (£599) is specifically formulated for ethnic skin types and uses Mandelic acid. Skin starts peeling by day two, with the top layer of dead skin fully shed by day seven. Throughout this time, you’re encouraged to feed your skin with the clinic’s products, such as Vitamix. Prepare yourself; the peeling definitely gets worse before it gets better, and you’ll need to avoid the sun as your new skin cells will be extra sensitive to rays and light. Leave plenty of time for the Lightenex Max Peel treatment before the wedding as it takes up to six weeks to see the final results.
• thehyperpigmentationclinic.com
Best For: A CITY VIEW
The spa at the London Marriott County Hall is a soothing oasis of calm in the centre of London. Professional staff greet clients, offering cups of herbal tea as a signifier of the cleansing that will begin, both inside and out. The therapist starts the DECLÉOR facial by diagnosing skin type, to ensure the products work they way they are supposed to. It’s a very massage-based facial – from a cleansing process that massages cleansing milk into, then off, the skin, right down to the full facial massage with Neroli oil. A hydrating facial, which has been specially customised for the skin, is smoothed on leaving the complexion looking plump and rosy. This kind of personalised treatment is perfect for the bride-to-be, to calm both nerves and skin before the Big Day. The London Marriott County Hall offers a plethora of other treatments, from full body massages to body scrubs and wraps. Allow your tension to unfurl in the hands of skilled therapists for a truly blissful experience. Using exclusive and pure products, treatments are designed to offer the ultimate in holistic beauty, care and supreme relaxation. After a relaxing treatment, visit the in-house restaurant, Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar, where the menu errs on the side of heathly. Making a weekend of it? The spacious rooms are decorated in traditional London with spectacular views overlooking Westminster Palace, Big Ben and the London Eye.
• Marriott.com
Best: BOUTIQUE SPA
Looking for a boutique spa break set amid acres of gorgeous countryside? The search is over with Moddershall Oaks, located in leafy Staffordshire. The hotel offers blissfully rejuvenating spa days, spa breaks and treatments alongside unmatchable gourmet lakeside dining. Enjoy a customised facial using Elemis products (£55 for 55min), or try a Light & Relaxing Top to Toe treatment (£85 for 85min) which includes a body massage using Neom oils as well as a body polish and an Oriental head massage that will leave you drifting on Cloud Nine.
• ModdershallOaks.com