Weddings can be a stressful affair. Perpetual planning, hunting for THAT dress and don’t even mention the pesky guest list… What a bride-to-be needs, is relaxation and to escape that very busy head space of hers from time to time and at Vows and Venues, we know just the place.
Ok so it’s a spa, but stay with us because this isn’t just any spa, this is the world of ESPA...
We often think of spas as a special treat, a luxurious once in a blue moon break, which of course they can be, but how about upping the ante and making your journey through steam and sauna a necessity instead?
In all seriousness, there is so much more to gain from a spa than a standard massage - and we’re not just talking about a good old gossip in the jacuzzi either. We’re talking about the real benefits of real, hard working products and the treatments that bring them to life.
There will be plenty of relaxation at one of ESPAs many spas
ESPA currently has around 450 spas in over 50 countries. The company started out as designers of luxury spas but then, unable to find products that lived up to their vision of treatments coming from a therapeutic rather than cosmetic perspective, they simply created their own.
And why not if your founder has been at the forefront of natural skincare development for decades?
The lady in question is Sue Harmsworth, whose drive and intuition for what the customer wants - and needs - lies behind the global success of ESPA.
At 72, Sue has seen many skincare trends come and go but has long been a champion of the natural approach.
Taught by Eastern European practitioners, who are required to do medical training before they can become massage therapists, she was reared on the idea that skincare should be organic and clean.
And if her amazingly youthful complexion is anything to go by, you could say she has a point...
I went along to Craxton Wood Hotel to the latest ESPA launch, to see what this brand has to offer. The hotel’s spa has recently benefited from a £1.4m investment and once you leave the road and enter the grounds of this gorgeous place, you really do feel as though you’re worlds away from anywhere. The perfect start to a perfect stay.
Thanks to some very experienced and attentive therapists I discovered that ESPA isn’t just about the aromatic fragrance and alluring texture of their lotions and potions. It’s about what the therapists do with these products that drives this brand apart from other, store based offerings.
But Sue is not about to do her competitors down.
She said: “Our products are results driven. We talk to our consumers, we do over five million treatments per year and train over 5000 therapists so we get constant feedback and unlike department store brands - which I am not knocking in any way - we see how things react on the skin.”
As one of very few companies that manufacture skincare products here in the UK ESPA has the ability to tinker with its formulas according to what clients feed back.
Sue says, “We formulate in a more therapeutic way so our products are quite complex.
“A lot of natural products can be sluggish and thick and don't work particularly well but because we have our own factory we can sort those issues out.”
ESPA is a huge, global empire, which means there’s probably a huge workload to go with it.
So how does Sue look and feel so good despite being a septuagenarian, businesswoman and global jetsetter? Brides, listen up.
“I thrive on stress. I have learnt to take one day at a time. There’s no point worrying about next week because half of it isn’t going to happen. I deal with prioritising what’s important as opposed to concentrating on all the stuff I’m bombarded with that’s going to go away. I have an action list every day and assume nothing.
“I would say to anyone, learn as early in life as you can the things that suit you and your body, don’t listen to other people because everyone is an individual and if you can find a method of exercising you can enjoy rather than you feel you’ve got to do then it'll stand you all through your life.”
Aside from breathing, practising mindfulness and drinking hot water and lemon each morning, perhaps not surprisingly, she has regular massages too.
She explains, “It's fantastic for circulation and drainage and boosting blood flow, bringing down the heart rate and blood pressure. If I can, I always take time before I have a treatment to use all of the facilities in a spa. By using steam or sauna and doing hot, cold, hot, cold, your whole body is much more prepared for a treatment. Allow yourself that extra hour if you can to get the full benefit.”
It’s good advice, trust me. I positively floated out of Craxton Wood following a visit to the rejuvenating thermal suite before my rather sumptuous ‘hero’ treatment. I was knot-free, fresh-faced and fabulous!
There are countless ESPA treatments on offer to help you de-stress, relax and unwind pre-wedding, but fear not if your brain can’t handle making just one more decision. The ESPA experts have done that job for you by creating the Ultimate Bridal Ritual - the perfect balance of personalised aromatherapy and massage to calm the mind and relax the body.
Described as ‘a complete skin, body and mind experience to aid relaxation and reveal beautiful glowing skin’ it certainly sounds like something to stick on that to-do list.
Which bride could possibly resist a full body exfoliation to increase circulation and smooth the skin, followed by a nourishing warm mud mask and brightening Skin Radiance Facial, to leave the skin ‘beautifully soft and naturally glowing’?
Hmmm. I might just have to renew my vows….
Vows and Venues has many more Spas you can take a trip to, for well needed pre-wedding relaxation in your area make sure you take a look.
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