Looking back on the wedding, guests may not remember the colour of the napkins or the vintage of Champagne, but they will remember the beautiful bride and the look of adoration on her groom’s face. As the big day approaches, it is easy for a bride to get caught up in to-do lists, forgetting to take time to care for herself. Learning from the combined wisdom of some of the greatest beauties throughout history, the Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong has developed a one-day plan to get brides beyond gorgeous from inside and out. The Spa invites brides to take refuge in luxury for a holistic Beautiful Bride Retreat where expert therapists will do all the work, leaving the bride ample time to reflect, preparing mind and body for this most important day of her life.
Secrets of the Geishas
Senior Director of Spa Shoshana Weinberg knows that bridal beauty deserves particular attention - the wedding day glow must be cultivated both from inner joy and outer allure. With that in mind, Weinberg and her team have developed the Beautiful Bride Retreat, a full-day spa ritual designed to calm the mind, open chakras and give the skin an immediate lustre.
At the Spa, the bride will begin by stepping away from stress and into a calming bath. This purifying soak takes a cue from geishas, the historically ravishing ladies of Japan, as the water is filled with sake and dozens of aromatic cut lemons. The rice liquor is anti-inflammatory and surprisingly moisturising, while the citric acid in the lemons is naturally anti-bacterial, brightening skin and leaving the body with a clean, even glow. Ladies are invited to do as the geishas do and sip on a glass of sake while cleansing body and mind.
The natural benefits of lemons continue as the body is rubbed from tip to toe with a home-made scrub of fresh lemons, sea salt, honey and essential oil.
Bath Made for a Queen
None other than Cleopatra, one of the greatest beauties of all time, used rose petals as her beauty secret. For brides looking to mimic this legendary seductress, the Spa has infused water with moisturising and cleansing rose and lavender. This aromatic elixir is poured the length of the body, purifying while prettifying. During the water ritual, guests are invited to imbibe the benefits of rose and apples with a tasty homebrewed tea.
Ladies can let their minds wander to exotic destinations with the aromas of rose and jasmine oil during a full body massage. Any negative energy is unblocked and tension released as the bride-to-be slips into a higher level of consciousness, ready to embrace her own epic love story.
Picture Perfect Face and Décolletage
The Beautiful Bride Retreat continues with a two hour facial and décolletage treatment to get skin glowing for the attention it is sure to get in that gorgeous gown. This new treatment is specially designed to get her loveliest parts picture perfect, combining beauty secrets with the advanced technology of the Biologique Recherche line to simultaneously firm, plump, and rejuvenate while evening skin tone and eliminating dark circles and fine lines.
A skilled therapist will go to work on the bride’s face working to eliminate dead skin cells, refine texture, and stimulate blood circulation, plumping lips, lifting the face, and leaving an overall healthy, wholesome finish. A collagen face masque is followed by the application of a moisturising cream and finally the new Sun Care line from Biologique Recherche, to protect delicate skin from damaging rays.
Weinberg reminds brides that décolletage is merely an extension of the skin on the face and thus should be given the same careful treatment. The Biologique Recherche facial continues with cleansing the décolletage followed by a cell-invigorating massage. A masque specially formulated for this area is applied to the chest, neck and shoulders. Finally a serum and moisturiser are gently smoothed on to complete the process of evening the tone and encouraging finely textured, lifted, baby-soft skin.
Don’t Forget to Eat!
As beauty starts from deep within, Executive Chef Hervé Fucho has prepared a healthy menu packed with lean protein, whole grains, and plenty of vitamin-packed fruits and vegetables to keep the bride’s energy level high. Lunch at the Pool Terrace might consist of selections such as crushed avocado toast, steamed nordic salmon withfregola sarda, and the black quinoa and chickpea burger. The culinary team’s carefully crafted selections are designed to nourish, putting a spring in the bride’s step from the walk down the aisle all the way to the final dance.
Perfectly Polished
Perhaps the only thing on the wedding day getting as much attention as the newlyweds’ smiling faces are those lovely ring bedecked fingers. Since glistening gems deserve chic nails to match, after lunch the bride is invited to settle into a leather massage chair in the newly opened Nail Bar for an Expresso Manicure and Pedicure. Brides will have a range of feminine shades from coveted polish experts such as Deborah Lippmann, Azature, and Christina Fitzgerald from which to choose. Looking out through panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows at the shimmering waters of Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour, ladies are invited to sip on a beverage of their choice whether herbal tea or a glass of celebratory bubbles.
Stunning to behold from the inside out, the bride has now transcended the to-do list and achieved a state of full awareness. This singularly beautiful bride can reflect on her great fortune and her own legendary romance, ready to embark on a timeless journey.
The Beautiful Bride Retreat is available at the Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong for HKD 9,300 Monday to Thursday and HKD 9,800 on weekends plus 10 percent service charge.
Mini-Retreats for Busy Brides
For brides looking for some quiet time leading up to the wedding, or a last minute trip to the Spa for immediate results, Spa Director Shoshana Weinberg has custom-packaged the face and décolletage treatments in theGorgeous Bride Facial. This two hour treatment uses the same techniques and products as the longer bridal retreat offering skin that is immediately firmer, toned, and glowingly gorgeous.
The Gorgeous Bride Facial is available at the Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong for HKD 3,000 Monday to Thursday and HKD 3,300 on weekends plus 10 percent service charge.
For reservations, contact the Spa team at 3196 8900 or email [email protected].
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