Jackson Free Press

There you sit on the floor of your living room. Shoes, veils and RSVP cards are scattered across the table and the sofa. No matter how hard you try, your brain won't stop roaring and spinning—going over every detail in your head. It's 2 a.m., and you're worried whether the flowers will arrive on time and whether your husband-to-be will pick up your parents from the airport. Deep down you know this is supposed to be one of the happiest events of your life, but at this moment it doesn't feel like it.

As your wedding day approaches, it is important to not let your life get too consumed by those emotions and take some time to relax. Why not enjoy a day by yourself or with your wedding party at a spa?

nomiSpa, located on the first floor of the Fairview Inn (734 Fairview St., 601-948-3429), offers spa packages for brides, grooms and bridal parties. The spa offers a full menu of services, and its small size creates a cozy and intimate atmosphere.

Peter and Tamar Sharp, owners of the Fairview Inn, moved to Jackson from Celebration, Fla., in 2006 so Peter, 53, could fulfill his dream of owning a bed and breakfast. Peter has been in the hotel business since he was teenager, Tamar since she was in college. The two met while working together at the Hyatt on Capital Square in Columbus, Ohio, and have been married for 25 years.

"I had a day spa when we lived in Celebration," Tamar, also 53, says. "We wanted an inn that had the capacity to have a spa as well."

nomiSpa opened in 2008 to give guests a complete experience at the Fairview Inn. "They could come here and not only stay, but they could dine and relax as well," Tamar says. "If they want to have a vacation away from home or if they were here on business, they could relax."

Tamar chose the treatments and packages nomiSpa offers. She is a licensed massage therapist and esthetician and gives facials and massages at the spa.

The Sharps named the spa after their son Simon, who passed away from leukemia in 2007. The first five letters of nomiSpa spell Simon backwards. Sophia's Restaurant, also at the Fairview Inn, is named after their daughter, Sophia, who will be a sophomore at Tulane University in the fall. Simon and Sophia were twins.

The Fairview Inn also serves as a wedding venue. Tamar began offering wedding packages at nomiSpa to help everyone involved with a wedding unwind and to provide a more complete wedding experience.

"The brides can come here and have their wedding, rehearsal dinners, bridal luncheons and so on," she says. "We wanted to offer different packages at the spa (that) people could give their future spouse, mother of the bride or use for bridal parties to help them relax."

Although inspired by weddings at the Fairview Inn, you do not need to be getting married at the Fairview Inn to take advantage of nomiSpa's wedding spa services.

The bride's package ($299) includes a 50-minute aromatherapy massage, manicure, pedicure, organic brown sugar scrub, bikini line hair removal and lunch at Sophia's Restaurant. Megan Whitten, marketing coordinator for the Fairview Inn, says this is one of the more popular packages. It is a perfect way for the bride to take time for herself.

The groom's package ($229) allows the groom to get some time away from pre-wedding stress. It includes a 50-minute massage, facial and manicure.

nomiSpa also offers two packages for brides and their bridal parties, both of which are limited to eight people.

Spa Tea Number One ($99 per person), the more popular bridal party package, includes a 25-minute Swedish massage and hand or foot treatment therapy. Both the hand treatment and foot treatment therapies consist of an organic brown-sugar scrub and a warm compress of Shea butter, soy extracts and beeswax. The package also comes with finger sandwiches, desserts, coffee and your choice of tea or hot chocolate.

Like Spa Tea Number One, Spa Tea Number Two ($159 per person) includes a 25-minute Swedish massage, hand or foot treatment therapy, tea snacks and beverages. Spa Tea Number Two also includes a back "facial," a treatment designed to rid the back of acne and dry skin.

If none of these packages are what you are looking for, you can customize services from nomiSpa's menu of face, body, hand and foot treatments and massages. All spa package appointments should be made at least a week in advance.

Whitten thinks spa treatments are especially rewarding for stressed brides and grooms and their bridal parties.

"Spa treatments are so beneficial to the overall person as far as relaxation and destressing goes. With planning a wedding, everything gets so stressful. Having the option to have your bridal party or have yourself unwind is really great," Whitten says. "It gives you a chance to relax before the wedding, let all the stress go and remember that you are getting married and it is going to be a good day."

nomiSpa, located in the Fairview Inn, is named after the Sharps' son, Simon, who died of leukemia in 2007. It is his named spelled backward.
Courtesy of the Fairview Inn