Image courtesy of Acqualina Resort & Residences
Whether you’re in need of a little alone time, want to enjoy a mother-daughter pampering moment, or are planning the ultimate bachelorette party, a spa day can go a long way in taming pre-wedding stress. “Pre-wedding self-care isn't about indulgence,” says Alexandra Shea, a Chicago-based Fora Advisor who has worked as a health coach for brides. “It’s about finding a moment to catch your breath.”
Practically speaking, a spa day is one of the smartest things you can do in the weeks before your wedding—for your skin, your sleep, and your sanity. Here, Fora Advisors from across the country share their favorite spas, from subterranean New York hideaways to Napa retreats built around wine and hydrotherapy.
NEW YORK
Image courtesy of Wildflower Farms, Auberge Collection
Shibui Spa at The Greenwich Hotel
This subterranean oasis feels worlds apart from frenetic New York. “It’s discreet, beautifully designed, and truly restorative,” says NYC Fora Advisor Wendy Wallace, who notes it's especially good for solo pampering. She likes their Drunken Lotus massage: “It uses customized strokes and hot sake-soaked towels to release tension and reinvigorate muscles.”
The Spa at Hotel Chelsea
If you want something more transcendent, the menu here offers reiki, polarity therapy, tarot readings, and even a treatment named Witching Hour, which includes pendulum readings and manifestation exercises. “It’s good for a bride who wants to feel spiritually prepared and mentally centered going into the wedding, rather than just relaxed,” Wallace says.
Thistle at Wildflower Farms
For those in need of a weekend getaway, Wallace loves this Auberge Collection property in the Hudson Valley. The spa has a seasonal menu and offers immersive experiences like forest bathing and sound baths. “This is ideal for a full weekend with your mom—warmth, connection, and a slower pace,” she says.
SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA
Image courtesy of Cavallo Point
Cavallo Point Healing Arts Center & Wellness Spa
Just over the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin County, Cavallo Point Lodge's spa is second to none, says Bay Area Fora Advisor Jessica Rogers. She suggests the Head & Sole massage, followed by some quality time at the heated outdoor pool. “It’s surrounded by eucalyptus trees so the vibe is quintessentially Northern California,” she says.
Halehouse at Stanly Ranch
Rogers adores this spot for a Napa spa retreat that combines wellness with wine. Do a bachelorette weekend getaway or just drive up for the day. “It has the largest sauna I have ever seen, with floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the vineyards,” she says.
Nob Hill Spa at The Huntington Hotel
One of Rogers’s favorite San Francisco wellness centers is set to reopen in March after a reimagining by celebrated designer Ken Fulk. “I loved it for its coed pool, hot tub, and outside sun deck with stunning city views,” she says, noting it’s ideal for mother-daughter bonding sessions.
ATLANTA
Image courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee
The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta
This is the place for pre-wedding relaxation with your bridesmaids, says Allison Schmitz, an Atlanta-based Fora Advisor. “You can order food and drinks to be delivered to the pool area so you can make a whole day of it,” she says.
The Spa at The St. Regis Atlanta
This serene escape in Buckhead is perfect for solo pampering or a mother-daughter day, says Schmitz, and it offers indulgent treatments like a 90-minute Blue Diamond facial. She joined her sister here before her big day; spending time in the Himalayan salt sauna and steam room “was the best way to unwind and relax before going into her wedding festivities.”
The Spa at The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee
For couples who want to decompress together before tying the knot, Schmitz loves this newly renovated retreat just an hour from Atlanta. "My husband and I recently visited and enjoyed a couples massage, spent the day in our robes, and topped it off with a swim in the lakeside infinity pool,” she says.
DALLAS-FORT WORTH
Image courtesy of The Joule
The Spa at The Joule
A trip to this subterranean retreat is an all-day affair where the European Heat Experience—a full hydrotherapy circuit with hot and cold points, a crystal steam room, and a vitality pool—“is a must add-on to any treatment,” says Dallas Fora Advisor Kris Weir. Her favorite treatment? The Fire and Ice CBD massage, “the ultimate journey to relaxation.”
Ash, an Auberge Spa at Bowie House
Located in the city’s first Auberge property, it “feels like a hidden gem that perfectly balances Fort Worth's bold, western energy with thoughtful, elevated wellness,” says Weir. If you really need to destress, she recommends the Deep West Treatment, which combines pressure-point release, cupping, stretching, and deep tissue work.
MIAMI
Image courtesy of Acqualina Resort & Residences
Acqualina Spa
Located at the Acqualina Resort & Residences on Miami Beach, this spa is a favorite of Miami Fora Advisor Teresa Fox. Set aside ample time to enjoy the sauna, steam room, cold plunge, and rain shower, she advises. Couples looking to relax together can book the Royal Spa Suite and indulge in two-hour treatments and a Champagne lunch.
Zenova at Pier Sixty-Six
The 13,000-square-foot spa at this recently reopened Fort Lauderdale resort is where Fox suggests brides and moms go for a pre-wedding glow-up. Their Biologique Recherche facials will have you looking “picture perfect,” she says. “I was devoted to this regime prior to my daughter’s wedding last year and it made such a difference.”
LOS ANGELES
Image courtesy of 1 Hotel West Hollywood
Bamford Wellness Spa at 1 Hotel West Hollywood
Los Angeles Fora Advisor Sophie Taitt, “a Brit living in LA,” favors this holistic spa for its "beautifully understated British feel.” An offshoot of the spa at Carole Bamford’s Daylesford Farm in the Cotswolds, it’s best for some solo R&R, “when the goal is restoration rather than red carpet,” Taitt says.
Surya Spa at Santa Monica Proper Hotel
This Santa Monica spa “brings authentic Ayurvedic wellness into a boutique hotel setting,” says Taitt. She’s partial to their four-handed Abhyanga massage and Shirodhara oil treatment, in which oil is streamed onto the forehead (or third eye) to calm the body.
Wi Spa
For a bachelorette party, Taitt loves this affordable Korean spa, which offers the classic jjimjilbang experience with communal hot and cold pools and steam and dry saunas, as well as traditional treatments like body scrubs and massages.
CHICAGO
Image courtesy of The St. Regis Chicago
Chuan Spa at The Langham
This Chinese-inspired spa is “consistently excellent,” according to Alexandra Shea. “The steam and sauna circuit alone is worth going for,” she says. Staying the night? Hotel guests can use the facilities without booking a treatment.
The St. Regis Spa Chicago
The spa at this luxury property at the confluence of Lake Michigan and the Chicago River is great for solo nurturing as well as a calming bachelorette gathering. The sound bath and guided meditation is a great bonding option for a group, Shea says. “It’s truly special.”
