While traditional bridal parties are where a bride gets together with her loved ones to celebrate, drink (too much), eat (too much), embarrass each other and dance ‘til they drop, today’s brides are looking for better, healthier alternatives.
A mobile spa party is that perfect, healthy, enjoyable alternative.
Adding mobility to your existing spa business is a wonderful way to expand your client base, business visibility and income.
It can also bring some fun and versatility to the everyday monotony of your massage practice.
Any spa practice can reap heavy rewards once a mobile spa menu is created, marketed and the staff are trained.
Prior to proceeding with a mobile practice, please take the time to check that it is allowed in your state or municipality, and that you are fully insured for it too. Also make sure to stay within your scope of practice.
In this article, we’ll review how to capitalize on weddings and bridal parties with a mobile spa business.
Include Everyone
Getting married is a time-consuming business, and it can also be overwhelming. It’s important to let your local brides know that you can relieve some of this stress and make the whole process easier with mobile spa services in their own home.
Also, a fabulous mobile wedding spa party is the type of gift that keeps on giving. It’s like getting paid to advertise the spa and staff, and it’s a wonderful memorable event that the guests will cherish and remember for many years to come.
Encourage Everyone to Relax
For the actual mobile spa business itself, think about adding and marketing a “Relaxation Room” for the bridal party.
Some guests may want more services than others or have a larger budget. It’s important for everyone in the bridal party to feel like a valued participant, especially when they are not receiving an actual spa service.
To create a Relaxation Room, select an area of the home and transform it into something zen.
There are so many nice touches you can add to the Relaxation Room to make the mobile spa experience come to life.
Consider adding pictures of the happy couple. Remind everyone why you’re there and what is being celebrated.
Create a “No Phone Zone.” Encourage the bridal party to treat the relaxation room like a real spa. Print and hang signs that would be appropriate for your spa party and add famous quotes to set the mood, such as: Speech is silver, silence is golden.
Chances are that everyone loves to take pictures. While almost everyone uses their cell phones to take pictures these days, hopefully your guests will avoid these electronic nuisances and spend their time relaxing and enjoying each other’s company and service(s).
Set the Scene
Leave a disposable camera in the relaxation room so that they can have fun taking pictures and sharing the moment without the technological headaches of a cell phone.
Play soft music, anything relaxing, or the bride’s choice. Add soft lighting. Bring a 40-watt lamp, candles or whatever can safely be provided.
Alcohol and spa do not always mix well. Try offering some herbal teas and bottled spring water. A spa tea service is easily portable. Simply provide an assortment of individually wrapped tea bags, individually wrapped sweeteners and some disposable hot cups with lids.
You’ll already have a tea kettle for your mobile spa business, which is often used to create immediate hot water for foot soaks and esthetic services.
Everyone loves snacks. Simply purchase individually wrapped cookies, apple slices or whatever you feel is appropriate for your group. It’s important to provide prepackaged food items so that your business cannot be categorized (or fined) for lack of a restaurant license.
A Slice of Mobile Spa Heaven
Many people see spa pictures in assorted magazines and wish they were part of it! Cut a cucumber into half-inch thick slices and leave them in a small paper or plastic bowl.
Encourage guests to place the cucumber slices over their eyes and relax. They’re great for the perfect spa picture.
Leave some coffee table books or magazines out for your group. Make sure that some of them have “neutral” subjects such as travel. Most of us do not have time for “pleasure” reading. Providing reading materials is an inexpensive and easy way to keep guests occupied in a pampered environment.
Don’t forget to advertise for additional services at the party, or for future appointments at the spa! Throw some spa product samples, a candle, anything you wish into a small paper gift bag with marketing materials. Be sure that each guest has your phone number to book their own mobile spa party or to schedule an appointment at the spa.
The relaxation room should be available to everyone in the bridal party, regardless of what they book for service. You can charge a flat fee for the relaxation room or build the costs into the bridal spa party budget and/or individual services.
The Theme
Every bride should also have their own “theme” for their mobile spa wedding party. Ask if the bride has a favorite color, flower or scent. If you cannot get this information ahead of time, it’s good to create some “go-to” generic themes that can be provided for most occasions.
Here are some suggestions for a Lavender Mobile Spa Party:
1. Print any custom materials for the bridal party in purple.
2. Serve lavender tea.
3. Add a couple of drops of lavender essential oil to:
• Individual hand creams as wedding party favors
• Facial mud masks
• Foot soaks
• Massage mediums
• Body scrubs
• Shower gels
• Aromatherapy room diffuser
• Whatever is appropriate in their mobile spa party service
4. Leave some dried lavender amongst the coffee table books in the relaxation room.
5. Try to find purple feather boas, purple framed sunglasses or other fun purple items or toys. A dollar store is a great place to find these. All of this can make for some great wedding spa party photos.
6. Add anything lavender scented or purple for the bride to feel that this was all custom created for her and her special day.
Big Opportunity
The bridal business is big business. Keep in mind that spring and early fall months are generally considered peak bridal season or months, with January to March being the time with the least weddings.
Many newspapers will run special bridal sections and convention centers may hold a wedding industry convention during peak bridal season.
Sometimes there are free advertising opportunities with these special events. Try offering a free product, service or party for the advertising exposure. Even radio stations have been known to offer a free ad spot promotion for a free service give-away.
Of course, we can always pay to advertise our spa services in any of these advertising mediums however, free bartering maybe a better, cost-efficient option.
When creating marketing materials for a mobile spa business, some suggestions to include are:
• The mobile spa services offered.
• Pricing (be detailed).
• Contact info for scheduling.
• Benefits (convenience) of a mobile spa party.
• Pictures, pictures and more pictures–pictures of beautiful women relaxing and enjoying themselves with spa services can say a thousand words.
• Anything else that can help sell the service.
Here are some tips of how and where to advertise a mobile department within an existing spa business:
• Print specific mobile spa brochures (with services, pricing and policies).
• Display a massage chair with a sign that advertises the mobile practice in the spa waiting area.
• Add a mobile spa section to your existing website.
• Send emails about mobile spa services.
• Add the language “Mobile Spa Services” to business cards.
• Print a sign about the mobile spa services for the spa reception desk, front door, coffee tables, wall signs or any visible area to potential clients.
Let the wedding bells and cash register ring. Enjoy the low overhead of a mobile spa practice and watch your existing business and income spring.
Selena Belisle is a 3x WAF World Arm Wrestling Champion who holds other minor athletic titles in a variety of sports. She has been practicing massage for almost 30 years, and is the owner of ceinstitute.com in Miami, Florida. Belisle teaches several massage-related subjects in both live and online classes. She specializes in both sports and spa education as well as many other bodywork modalities.