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Jan Silver Maguire
 JW Wedding Life |
Even if you don't want to take a day off from planning, trust us, you need to. Grab your beau or your bridal party and pencil in some time to unwind desert-style.
It’s 8 p.m. and you're exhausted. You've had a 12-hour workday, and you still need to pack for an early morning business trip. Then the phone calls begin: the caterer requesting another head count, your girlfriends bombarding you with well-intentioned suggestions, your mother insisting you add seven more relatives to an already inflated guest list. You reach for the Advil, collapse into a chair and — not for the first time — seriously consider eloping.
Planning a wedding can be overwhelming, even for laid-back brides and grooms. A survey conducted by Fairchild Bridal Group revealed that 24 percent of about-to-bemarrieds have found themselves feeling daily anxiety about the wedding plans, and a whopping 55 percent of couples admitted to harboring, at some point along the way, those same daydreams of just running off and tying the knot on the sly.
Truth is, you do want a wedding, surrounded by your nearest and dearest family and friends. You just need a well-deserved break from all of the details. The good news is that, around here, you have choices aplenty for ways to shake off the stress. Known for its upscale resorts, rejuvenating landscape, temperate climate, and soothing mineral waters, the desert offers an unmatchable setting in which to escape.
Simplify with a Spa Day
For Julie Thomas Knap, an executive with Vivendi Universal Games, integrating wedding planning activities into an already busy work schedule exacerbated pre-wedding anxiety. "It was like a bell-curve of stress … getting all the details together for every single vendor and all the contracts signed," Knap recalls.
Enter Brenda Burger, owner of La Quinta Healing Arts, who provides onsite spa services for private parties. Two days before the wedding, Knap's family hosted a bridal spa brunch at their La Quinta residence, complete with music and massage. Burger, who launched her we-come-to-you spa service in 2005, offers a diverse menu of customized massage treatments for all types of parties — bachelorettes being one of her most popular requests. In addition to massages, aromatherapy foot soaks and reflexology, and healing packages, available add-on services include yoga, belly dancing instruction, and guided meditation.
"It's a great way to unite new family members and rejuvenate people who have traveled a long distance," Burger says. Indeed, for the Thomas-Knap wedding, several of the groom's relatives had just arrived from Norway that very day.
Visiting from out of town or prefer to be pampered in a luxurious spa environment? Many desert resorts and spas offer couples' massages and special wedding packages to transform your wedding bell blues into wedding bell bliss. A sublime setting for bachelorette parties, the Palm Springs Yacht Club at Parker Palm Springs also offers bride-and-groom spa packages, as well as a three-day adult camp (aptly named Camp PSYC). On select dates throughout the year, "campers" can indulge in massages and facials, hiking, swimming, relaxing, dining, and a private chauffeured tour of Palm Springs’ unique architecture.
For a Mediterranean-style spa experience, try THE WELL Spa at the Tuscan-inspired Miramonte Resort & Spa. The 12,000-square foot spa recently unveiled a special ladies package for six that features lavender-infused massage, manicures, and martinis. Or host your gal pals to a more unconventional bash: a painting party featuring brightly colored muds and clays that detoxify the body. If your groom is feeling harried, book a couple’s massage, followed by a leisurely soak in a tub for two with breathtaking views of the mountains. "For the bride and groom, this may be the only 'together time' in a relaxing environment leading up to the wedding," says Jennifer Di Francesco, the Miramonte’s director of spa operations.
With its meandering Venetian-like waterways, the Desert Springs JW Marriott Resort & Spa in Palm Desert offers yet another stress-busting venue. "As the sun sets over the mountains, you will spot bachelors and bachelorettes cruising the shimmering lake in a private gondola to their culinary destination," says Paula Safran-Addington, the resort's director of catering and destinations. Theme parties are a specialty here, where they have thrown champagne cruises and private lingerie fashion shows for the ladies along with a 19 Holes golf outing or a Cars, Cigars, and Cognac shindig for men.
Why not extend the relaxation all the way through to the wedding day itself? The Runaway Bride Package at Viceroy Palm Springs lets you do just that. Billed as evoking "a sense of elopement without actually eloping," the all-inclusive, mid-week (Monday - Thursday) package affords the couple, the bridal party, and their guests full run of the resort. Package amenities include a wedding planner, accommodations, wedding dinner for 130 guests, a couples' massage for the two of you, a manicure / pedicure champagne soiree for the bridal party, and much more.
Go for the Greens
If your idea of the ultimate chill pill is a day spent strolling the emerald fairways, several desert resorts cater to wedding parties with customized golf outings to suit every budget and level of skill. Golf is an excellent prewedding stress-buster, too.
The public Golf Resort at Indian Wells recently introduced a pre-wedding party package for groups of 12 or more that includes choice of a Macanudo cigar or a sleeve of balls, a souvenir logo cap for the groom, and a visor for the bride. "Guests can take in the surrounding beauty and have a few laughs with family and friends prior to attending their other scheduled festivities," says Amy Spittle, the resort’s director of sales and marketing. "The game of golf requires great patience and concentration, which is great preparation in getting your mind and body relaxed prior to the big ceremony," she adds.
Desert Willow Golf Resort, Palm Desert's public facility, plays host to several coed wedding golf events throughout the year, with groups ranging from 16 to 75 players. "With women coming into the game more and more, guys and gals are coming out [to play] together," notes Special Events Director Mike Osgood. Osgood adds that the resort is a "one-stop shop," providing golf memorabilia, catering, and a scenic ceremony site for couples who love to swing.
At the legendary La Quinta Resort & Club, a top site for destination weddings, the sky is virtually the limit for couples planning to wed there. In addition to planning spa parties and golf tournaments for bridal parties to kick back before the big day, the resort has arranged catered dinners on a ranch and hot air balloon rides, notes Kurt Bjorkman, the resort's director of catering. The resort also offers a special pre-wedding room rate for brides and grooms who have booked a wedding there. This way couples can stay the night while they tie up last-minute details in advance of their nuptials — a good way to get some rest and finish planning at the same time.
Shop, Lunch, and Shop Some More
"Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping," the actress Bo Derek once said. Money may not buy happiness, but a day lunching and shopping with friends can inspire laughter, great memories, a temporary escape from your wedding to-do list, and even some sweet bargains in the process! (A girl needs something to wear on the honeymoon, right?) For a girls' day luncheon in an artistic setting, try Augusta Restaurant, located in Plaza Robergé in Palm Desert. Follow it up with a casual afternoon of browsing the boutiques lining upscale El Paseo, where you will find a diverse selection of clothing, accessories, art, and antiques.
In Palm Springs, indulge in mouthwatering cuisine in the garden patio settings of Spencer's Restaurant or Le Vallauris, both walking distance from the center of downtown Palm Springs. Or dine, stroll, and shop in Old Town La Quinta, a quaint, European-style village of unique shops, restaurants, and galleries.
Whatever you choose, you’ll be glad you gave yourself a day off from the W word. Taking a timeout for yourself and for your relationship before the big day arrives will ensure you can stroll down the aisle as a happier, calmer you.
• Top 5 pre-wedding day trips to help you de-stress
• Where to unwind
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