Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Bachelorette Bliss

A few months back, I received an email photo link from one of my best friends from law school. She had forwarded me pictures from one of her friend’s bachelorette parties – which was held at no other place but Canyon Ranch in Lenox. I loved looking at the pics of the girls’ weekend – and of course, I had to email the bride-to-be, Alison, to hear all about her Canyon Ranch Bachelorette.

Alison was born and raised in New York and met her now-husband Greg through friends at a Mexican restaurant. They were married at New York City’s Cipriani this past January (the wedding was beautiful – I saw pics!). Here’s what Alison had to say about her Canyon Ranch weekend:

How did you first hear of Canyon Ranch?
I grew up in New York and Canyon Ranch was always a well-known place with an excellent health and spa reputation. It's the type of place I always wanted to go to with my mom or friends. None of the girls had ever been to Canyon Ranch before but we all knew others who had been.

Why did you decide to come to Canyon Ranch for your Bachelorette Party?
I wasn't sure about going away for my bachelorette party and how it could work. I live in NYC and my friends and I were trying to think of a place within driving distance (even though I had friends coming from LA). My friends know that I love to do things health and wellness related and that a spa getaway could be perfect. Canyon Ranch seemed like a really luxurious option. Once we looked in to pricing and other information, it sounded very "me" and just perfect.

Why did you choose Canyon Ranch over other bachelorette party locations, such as Las Vegas?
I was 31 at the time and had already done other "party locations" in the past. I had a great time then but my personality is less party girl. I really thought that a more relaxed weekend was fitting for me, and all of my friends came up with the idea of Canyon Ranch before I even suggested it! It felt like I could also have more quality time with my friends, since I had friends coming from LA, Boston, NYC and NJ.

Who planned your trip?
One of my very close friends organized the whole trip. She was amazing. I know it's a little easier when you don't have to make tons of meal reservations for a big group but finding a date that works for everyone, collecting money, organizing rooms, and arranging other fun things along the way was really special and fun.

What is your favorite memory of your weekend at the Ranch?

We stayed at the Ranch in the fall and loved our hike! It was a beautiful day and so scenic. Not something I get to do often living in the City. We were half-way through the hike and we took a break to take in the foliage and enjoy the sun. It had been a cool morning so we were all wearing sweatshirts. As it warmed up, the girls all of a sudden took off their sweatshirts and they were all wearing these hysterical red tank tops with a funny photo in honor of my bachelorette. I was in shock and cracking up because I'm an especially hard person to surprise. It was the perfect way for us to spend 2 hours together doing something fun as a group.

What did you take home from your stay at the Ranch?
Well, we all still use the water bottles and t-shirt. And, I even brought home some chocolate chip cookies and granola because we were all obsessed with them! As far as more "emotionally", it was just an awesome weekend with my closest friends and I felt really lucky.

What is your most special memory from your wedding day?
Too many to count but one of my favorites was when we first saw each other for pictures, before the ceremony. There was just such a rush of excitement and anticipation and seeing him made me feel at ease and so happy. It was a freezing day in NYC but we managed to head out to fun areas of Wall Street and those are all of my favorite pictures!

Thanks so much to Alison for sharing her experiences with me!

To Your Good Health!

Nicole