Today I have a wonderful guest post all around taking care of yourself in the lead-up to your wedding by investing in wedding massage to help your de-stress and relax. I think we can too often focus on ourselves in terms of having a beautiful dress, hair and make-up for our wedding, but not actually in nurturing our inner self. Marriage is listed as one of the top stressful life events, we can end up so focused on putting together a wonderful day for all our family and friends, that we actually forget to give ourselves space to process what our wedding day is really about.
My experience of massage and other alternative therapies is that they are not only deeply relaxing but they also give you an incredible opportunity to clear and quieten your mind of all those racing thoughts and endless to-do lists. As a mother I now value those moments as incredibly precious, but I also recognised the importance of this in the lead-up to my own wedding. There are many ways to take this time for yourself, but massage is one of my favourites, and so I’m delighted that Ellie from The Beauty Aisle is going to share her advice on making the most of this wonderful therapy.
Ellie is one of our recommended make-up artists and offers a 10% discount to all our brides-to-be who book her for their wedding make-up, you can find full details of the offer here.
Over to Ellie…
Why get a massage in the lead up to your wedding day?
So your wedding day is coming up. You’ve thought about the dress, flowers, invitations and venue but what about… yourself?
Planning a wedding is great fun but it can be stressful too. During this busy time it’s important to sit back and take time to relax too otherwise you risk suffering from burn out.
There are tons of ways to help you stay calm and collected in the lead up to the big day but I’m going to talk about massage as I know how it has benefited so many of my clients in the long term.
Massage is absolutely fantastic for reducing stress. Small amounts of stress are useful when we need to get things done but too much stress can be extremely damaging to our health. It can affect us in all sorts of ways from tension headaches and skin problems to interrupted sleeping patterns.
During massage your heart rate is lowered and ‘happy hormones’ are released. Many people think of massage as a real luxury but it should be thought of as part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It helps to relaxes muscles, improves circulation and it’s also detoxifying resulting in better immunity.
Types of massage
If you’re considering getting some regular massages I recommend that you do a little research beforehand. There are so many types of massage, which is something I didn’t even realise myself until I became a therapist. If relaxation is your priority then go for something like Swedish, aromatherapy or hot stones massage.
Swedish massage is the most widely used technique. The therapist will use long gliding strokes and the primary aim is to relax the entire body.
A hot stone massage is fabulous and one of my favourite treatments to receive. The therapist uses the stones as an extension of their hands. Smooth heated stones of different shapes and sizes are placed on the body. The heat can help ease and relax the muscles.
An aromatherapy massage uses light, gentle strokes. The primary purpose of an aromatherapy massage is to use the restorative properties of essential oils to help heal the body and mind. The therapist will make a blended oil for you which could help with things like insomnia, stress, congestion amongst lots of other things!
If you have a specific injury that needs some attention or chronic tension then consider going to someone who focuses on sports or deep tissue massage. Sports massage was developed for athletes but can benefit anyone. It focuses specifically on areas of the body that are overworked and stressed. Deep tissue massage is similar to Swedish but the deeper pressure if effective at releasing chronic muscle tension.
Personal recommendations are great so ask around and see if any of your friends have had an amazing massage.
Massage for radiant skin
Another benefit of massage that might not be immediately obvious is healthier, more radiant skin. Many of my clients worry a lot about having ‘bad skin’ on the wedding day. I often advise them to do a small facial massage at home every day with some facial oil. It only takes 10 minutes and works amazingly well. This is because massage aids the lymphatic system, which is our bodies own waste disposal system. It will also improve circulation- bringing fresh nutrient rich blood to the area resulting in a healthy ‘glow’.
Ellie will be giving us more tips and advice for how to do her 10 minute daily facial in the coming weeks.
Amanda from the natural skincare company AS Apothecary once said to me that “beautiful skin is healthy skin” and I couldn’t agree more. When you go for a full body massage ask the therapist to spend a little time on your face if possible.
Enjoying your treatment
While I’m on the subject of speaking up during a massage I can’t emphasise the importance of this enough. If you’re uncomfortable in a certain position or need to loo half way through please speak up and tell your therapist. You are paying for their time and the most important thing is that you can enjoy the treatment in comfort.
If the pressure is to light or deep, music too distracting or room too cold these are all good reasons to speak up. We therapists appreciate feedback and I’m always happy knowing my clients are happy too.
The perfect way to to relax before your wedding
I’d recommend having a few treatments in the lead up to the wedding. Massage isn’t really a quick fix solution and it usually takes multiple sessions to feel long-term benefits. It’s probably best not to have just the one immediately before the event as you might end up from a headache from the release of toxins or feeling a bit groggy. Not ideal when you need to be the life and soul of the party!
At my treatment room The Beauty Aisle Hideaway in East Sussex I offer holistic Swedish massage. It is a deeply relaxing treatment using traditional techniques. The approach aims to restore balance within the body, taking into account the person’s whole being, not just the physical symptoms.
You can let yourself sink into the cosy heated couch. Breathe in the soothing perfumed air, and drift off into a world of calm. The only sound from the outside world you’re likely to hear is the occasional bleating sheep!
The Beauty Aisle is one of our recommended suppliers on The Natural Wedding Company directory so do go and check her out and if you’re a bride-to-be add her to your list of favourites by clicking the ‘heart’ icon next to her listing.
Images: The Beauty Aisle
Categories: Planning
Tags: bridal beauty > natural beauty > The Beauty Aisle > wedding preparations